Creating a Better Version of Myself

Sometimes life happens, and you’re pushed to the edge of a plank. You have two options you can either jump into the water hope to survive or you can jump in and fight for your life. I jumped in and lost control – I stopped going to the gym, I gained weight, I lost my confidence and would put myself down at any opportunity I could. Recently everything clicked for me…. I want to be healthier and happier for ME and no one else. My eating habits changed and my workout game was taken to a whole new level. I am pushing the negativity away and only excepting positive vibes around me. Here’s what’s helping me become the best version of myself:


1. Exercise even if you only have 15 minutes.
A short gym routine is better than nothing.

2. Invest in a fitness tracker.
I’m motivated by goals so my FitBit has made a huge difference in my daily routine.  Sometimes I find myself pacing back and forth in my bedroom just to reach my step goal that day.

3. Mix it up.
I’m currently loving a yoga/pilates, HIIT, cardio rotation.

4. Eat! 
I was cutting so many calories that I was actually putting my body in starvation mode.

5. Foam Roller
That thing has become my saving  grace. I absolutely love it and don’t know how I worked out without one previously.

6. Drinks
I don’t drink at all and personally only drink Vitamin Water Zero, iced green tea and water.
 

7. Endorphins
I focus on how I want to feel instead of how I look. Endorphins make me happy and I always feel better about myself after working out.   

8. Sleep
I like to be to the gym by 6:30 am which means I’m in bed by 10 am and spend an hour on Instagram before I fall asleep.

Get Motivated: Morning Workouts

Squeezing in a workout can be tough. After work I want to do other things besides hit the gym so I have trained (sort of) myself to get up each more and hit the gym. Actually it really gets my day off to a better start. I have noticed certain tips and tricks that make it easier for my to get my booty out the door.

1. Set multiple alarms
When I say multiple alarms I’m talking at least five, starting a half hour before I want to get up. I know if I’m in lazy girl mode I will continuously hit snooze.

2. Lay out everything the night before.
Pants, top, sports bra, water bottle, shoes, keys….check. Scrambling around in the morning is not an effective way to start the day. I have found that when I plan ahead and have everything ready i’m more likely to make it out the door by 7am.

3. Snuggle into your bed early
I have discovered that I am on my phone for at least an hour before I actually snuggle into bed. So I want to be asleep around 10 I know I need to be in bed by 9.

4. Make it a date
When I know someone is depending on me to show up I am less likely to skip the morning sweat session.

5. Never miss a Monday
I recently discovered that when I drag myself to the gym on a Monday I am more likely to have a better success rate of getting there the rest of the week as my Monday endorphins set the tone for my week.

6. Cute hair accessories
Sometimes I go to the gym in an oversized Pink shirt and look like I just rolled out of bed. However I discovered cute hair accessories are the key to keeping me motivated. I am currently loving these ones by MandaBees or Monogrammed ones from Mommy Knows Bows

5 Outdoor Summer Dates To Try

The unofficial kickoff to summer (Memorial Day weekend) is quickly approaching which means it’s the perfect time of year to take your dates outside. You can do dinner and a movie the other nine months of the year; now is your opportunity to take advantage of the warm weather, and the possibilities are endless. Think: outdoor movies, fairs, picnics, bike rides, camping trips, or hikes. A couple favorite ideas are: ice cream crawl, grown up field day or a backyard happy hour.

What To Expect At A Color Run

Well… I ran my first color run last weekend! It’s been on my Fitness Bucket List (I`ll post this next week) for a while now and i`m thrilled that I was able to do it in Downtown Detroit with friends.  Thank you to Color Me Rad and Fitfluential for comping my ticket and giving me the opportunity to participate in such a fun race.

The “swag bags” contained a complimentary race shirt, number, safety pins, temporary tattoos and high socks.  We came dressed in white so we would absorb the most amount of color as possible. We even bought color packets to “bomb” each other with before the race so we’d be decked out in color for pictures.

One thing I highly recommend is a pair of check sunglasses – Color Me Rad was selling orange and pink ones for $5 so the three of us bought them and were so thankful we did.

 If you run, walk, use a walker…. Whatever it might be you can totally do a color run! We walked at a faster pace and definitely took our time going through the color bomb stations. We also stopped by the Riverfront to enjoy the scenery and take a ton of pictures (everyone else was doing it as well). The race was all about having fun and taking pictures which I loved!

 After crossing the finish line we were handed, a water bottle, a granola bar, a bag of color and then entered the after party. Where everyone was dancing and more colors were being thrown around. 

Take aways from the race
1) Don’t think you could ever do a 5k? YOU CAN! This is a FUN race there were even people in wheelchairs which was pretty rad!  

2) Wear white and make sure you don’t care if it gets ruined. After washing all my stuff it’s still covered in paint.  

3) Time doesn’t matter! 

4) Bring a drawstring backpack (Thanks Revest Realty!) it was great to carry our “swag”, phone, keys, water and money! 

5) Sunglasses are great for blocking the sun and fantastic for keeping the color out of your eyes! 

6) Towels to keep the paint off your seats.

Try Something New

I tend to turn things down and say I don\’t like them without even trying them. However during my last trip up north something happened, and I am not really sure what it was, but it was definitely a game changer. I realized that from that moment on for the rest of the year I was going to try something new every single week. It\’s been exhilarating to try some new things and stop saying \”no\” or \”I don\’t like that\” to things I have never tried before. Below you will find a list of a few things I want to try and a couple I have already tried. Check out my Instagram to follow along!

Things Tried:
1) Fishing
2) Lebanese Food
3) 5K Color Run

Try New Things:
1) Aerial Yoga
2) Go to a music festival
3) Sushi
4) HIIT workouts at my gym