{30 thoughts} How I keep myself motivated!

This quote really speaks to me. One, it's funny! Two, it's true! Which I suppose is why quotes speak to us...I digress.

Reward:
~ {noun} a thing given in recognition of one's service, effort, or achievement.

~ {verb} make a gift of something to (someone) in recognition of their services, efforts, or achievements.

 

There are many kinds of rewards and the key is to choose the best one(s) for you! Since I've been on a healthy journey my focus has been more on the tangible or experience rewards instead of the food rewards! Here's a few of my favorites!

 

- Hot pink KT tape

- A new purse (-50 pounds)

- iTunes gift cards

- a "fancy" shirt

 

My favorite type of self-motivation by making a comparison picture. If you've followed by blog for a while or have looked through it you will see that!

 

Here's my newest one...

 

Left July 2011

Right July 2013

 

Here's my first one...

 

April 2012 {minus 20 lbs}

 

You know what else is reward to me. PRAISE! VALIDATION! Who doesn't like praise? Once I started sharing my journey/pictures/story I have gotten so many likes, comments, and messages from so many people - some whom I have never met! I LOVE it. Being recognized for my hard work is SO rewarding to me. It's more rewarding than anything I could buy!

 

It just feels good to have people recognize the good changes you are making. I know that what I am doing is worth it because I will likely have a longer & healthier life but there is a huge part of me that loves the attention. There, I said it. I'm an attention junkie. I also like to give the attention back to people who are going through or have gone through the same types of situations...

 

I get SO happy when people message me on FB or Instagram and tell me that I am an inspiration. Having all these other {mainly} women who are making changes...makes me want to keep making changes too!

But you know what, the compliments that mean the most are from my family. I've had my parents, my in-laws, my husband and my brother in laws all tell me that because of what I am doing, they are making their own life changes. That, that is what it is all about. Not only making my community better, but making my family better!!!

I want that next reward item, those next comments from my comparison picture, and I want to live a healthy life. That is why I am doing what I am doing.

How do you all keep yourselves motivated?

Fingers crossed {that maybe I'm inspiring you}...

{30 thought} barre3 convention...

Today (we'll pretend it is Sunday as I am typing this when really is Tuesday but I'm going to back date the post) I talked at the barre3 convention. Me. I talked to a room of fitness professionals. Women who are owners of fitness studios. And my job...to inspire them!

I was so nervous. All week I was nervous. When I was sitting up there I was shaking because I was so nervous. But...I did my job. I inspired.

My main talking points were weight loss and non-scale victories. I honestly can't remember much of what I said but when I was talking about non-scale victories {which is Sadie's new favorite thing} I told my story about the first time I ever thought I was beautiful. It happened at barre3 {are you really surprised by that}?!?!

Here I am, probably crying. I was looking out in to the crowd and people were silent when I was talking. I wasn't the funny person of the group {go Frayn}, I wasn't the intelligent one {go Robyn}, I was the brutally honest, raw, and crying one. And I couldn't be happier. To look out and see Sadie, the founder of barre3 and Carrie, the studio owner where I practice, crying. That meant the world to me. There were others too...

You made me cry! Kait and I could not even look at each other when you talked about seeing your beauty in the studio mirror. I will remember that story forever. Truly. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us and with the whole barre3 community, lovely woman!

~Megan Hurley. Owner barre3 at Fayetteville, AR

 

It was all worth it. I love sharing my story. I love inspiring people. I love barre3. It was the perfect situation and it doesn't get better than this...

 

Fingers crossed {that it does actually get better than this}...

{30 thoughts} old normal vs new normal...

old normal VS new normal

 

breakfast

 

toast ~ muesli

english muffin ~ granola & apple

nothing ~ eggs

 

 

lunch/dinner

 

rice a roni, chicken, canned green beans ~ quinoa, veggies, salad

white pasta, garlic bread, alfredo sauce ~ DIY brown rice bowls with veggies & chicken

hamburger helper ~ taco salad

nachos ~ taco salad ;-)

cheese enchiladas ~ taco salad ;-)

macaroni & cheese ~ ___________ {nothing replaces M&C}
processed freezer meals ~ leftovers or salads

 

 

snacks

 

Doritos, chex mix, cheese nips ~ nut thins, pirates booty

chips & salsa ~ veggies & hummus

cookies ~ almond or other nuts

 

 

desserts

 

low-fat ice cream ~ coconut ice cream

popcorn ~ popcorn {some things never change}

cakepops ~ b3 dark choco donut holes

 

Here's a few ideas of how our eating habits have changed in the last year or so! So proud of the changes we have made!!!

 

What changes have you made that you are most proud of?

 

Fingers crossed {that we keep on track this holiday season}...

{30 thoughts} the new girl at work...

I realized the other day that people at my new school don't know the "old Annie". They don't know the Annie that weighed 220 pounds, ate processed foods, and was miserable.

September 2011

Crossing guard duties

They know the "new Annie". I feel new compared to how I was 2 years ago but yet, I feel like this is who I was meant to be all along. I just hadn't found my place in the world or hit my tipping point!

I am trying to really stay positive at work even when I don't feel like it! I am eating left overs & salads for lunch every day. I go workout after school! When I leave, people ask me what time my barre3 class is or if I am going to the gym. At lunch people ask where I got the recipe for my dish.

barre3 strength. I broke the stapler ;-)

It is so much more fun being the positive, balanced, and healthy teacher. My days are full of schedule changes {I teach 12 groups a day}, lots of kiddos, and paperwork. I am using my time much more efficiently at work, focusing on present during any part of my day {not checking email/phone}, and making sure that first and foremost I am happy.

Because when I am happy, I can do anything.

Fingers crossed {that this year is my best year yet}!!!

{30 thoughts} what is PCOS?

PCOS (poly cycstic ovarian syndrome) is a endocrine disorder that causes all sorts of lovely things- insulin resistance/diabetes, weight gain, problems ovulating & infertility, heart disease, thinning hair, acne, etc. 

It affects 1 out of 10 women.

It is incurable but manageable.

Here are some great resources for PCOS...

 

PCOSAA

 

Power Up for PCOS

 

1 in 10

 

Here are some of the books I started reading when I begun this journey...

 

The PCOS Workbook

 

The PCOS Diet Plan

 

This is just a {very} brief overview. Feel free to contact me if you have anymore questions!

Fingers crossed {awareness for PCOS grows}...

{30 thoughts} the inside...

Not that there was really a question as to if this lifestyle change was worth it but it was amazing to get these results in the mail last night!!! Happy does not begin to describe it!

"all labs are normal"

 

I am proud not only what I have accomplished on the outside of my body but now there is tangible proof that it's been good for the inside of my body. The hope is to eventually get off the Metformin, which is really the only 'PCOS' medicine I am on. I was kind of off with it after surgery and didn't take it for a while and gained about three pounds back. I don't know if it was directly related to that or not but I am back on it now so we will see in a few weeks! 

I'm all about eventually trying to go natural but this lab results paperwork goes to show that the route I chose was a good one for me. I cannot wait to see my endocrinologist in January!! She is going to be amazed!!

Fingers crossed {that I can come off the meds soon}...

{30 thoughts} ask for what you want...

Eating outside of my house is a weekly struggle. Between dinners with the hubby {which are a tad easier because I can always control the destination} and happy hours, I'd say I eat out two days a week. Often when it is during the week and Jason is involved I will head to Pita Pit or somewhere where I can get a quick salad! Happy hour and regular restaurants are a different story.

As with many things in life, when I am by the "best of something" I will have it. My favorite fries are at The Island Café which happens to not be open year round, which is convenient. I have yet to decide where my favorite mac & cheese is. My favorite quesadilla is at Chevys.

The rest of the time, I stick to salads. With major modifications. I've been called picky, spoiled, difficult - all by waiters. And you know what...I am damn proud of that. If I don't want to eat cheese, I ask for no cheese. If I want a different kind of chicken, I ask for it. The key is...it is MY responsibility to ask for it. People are not mind readers. It truly is that simple. If you don't want it...DON'T ORDER IT!!! It is the waiters job to get you want you want not to know what you should be eating.

One way I have tried to turn "eating out" into "eating in" is by having friends over or going to their house! It does take more planning, it can sometimes cost more money, but I know that I won't bring things I don't want to eat as much of to someone else's house (or my own).

Bree & I eating at her apartment in Portland.

She made the soup and I brought the salad!

I have friends who really like to go to Mexican restaurants but chips are my weakness {and my husband's kryptonite}. No matter if we ask for chips or not - we get them! I get it, that's why most people go to a Mexican restaurant but sometimes my willpower just cannot handle it! Oh, and lets not talk about the cheese that is in everything!! YUMMMMMM.

The moral of this post is...ask for what you want. If you want to eat in, tell your friends & family. If you want to eat out, see if you can choose the restaurant.

If not. Try to make good choices and if you don't, try next time. Life goes on regardless of what you eat!

Fingers crossed {I don't go to "eating crazy" when I go to Pullman in 1.5 weeks}...