Summer Shape Up 2K15: 2 Months Done!

I've officially completed my Summer Shape Up 2K15 program. Well technically I have one more week, but the intensive portion of it is over and I shift into setting my more realistic fitness program that I'll fit around my busy school/research schedule. Miami was a great, relaxing setting as always and I have to say I think I achieved the best results I've ever had in one summer.

Now on to the lessons learned and tip of the week:


Lessons Learned:

1. WATCH YOURSELF: This week I filmed myself for the vlog update and I have to say watching the footage was both a humbling and motivating experience. I watch myself in the mirror all of the time, but there was something a little different about watching my workout on camera. While it wasn't the most graceful performance it was interesting to watch myself pushing through the tough moments in each portion of the workout. At certain points I could literally see myself willing my body to complete the motions and push through to finish a set. Watching myself push beyond self-imposed limits and trust my body was seriously motivating. It also helped me to get a better look at my technique during certain exercises to help and improve for the next workout. I highly suggest doing this at least once. When I was a classroom teacher I was often encouraged to film myself teaching and watch it back to help expose any areas where I could further increase my effectiveness. The same applies here, and I think I'll definitely make a video every couple of months or so to further document my progress and growth.

2.  LEVEL UP: Naturally as you continue to workout various exercises will become easier and you might find yourself slipping into a comfortable little zone where you know you'll look and feel good about how you've done. However, leveling up in some way (and it doesn't have to be a huge leap) will continue to push your mental and physical growth in your journey to better overall health. Maybe you run a little bit further, or increase the speed, incline or resistance on your favorite cardio equipment, or you increase the amount weight you lift. Constantly switching things up in terms of what you do will keep your workouts fun and decrease the likelihood that you will plateau. However, leveling up and increasing the amount of effort required will really push your body to meet challenges you never thought possible.

3. STRETCH OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE: So this week I tried yoga (for the millionth time). I'm not such a big yoga enthusiast...not really sure why, but it just never really holds my attention and I always end up feeling really awkward and out of place even in beginners classes. However, after the restorative yoga class that I took this week I am reminded of the need to explicitly focus on stretching to improve flexibility and also keep my body in better condition to power through workouts with less injury. Also, the change of pace and more relaxed environment provided an opportunity to once again focus on my mental and emotional health and assess the ways in which this impacts what I am able to accomplish in the gym.


Tip of the Week:  
CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP: I've written a number of times in this series about setting small goals on your way to your ultimate goal and as I reach the end of my summer shape up series for 2015 I want to reiterate that point. Just as I identify as a lifelong learner I find that my journey to increased mental, emotional and physical health will be one that I continue for a lifetime. That is not to say that I will never be satisfied with the way I look and/or feel, or become in some way obsessed with keeping a particular figure. However, each new year of life, each new professional experience, each new development in my personal relationships impacts the ways in which I react mentally, emotionally and physically. Constantly remaining aware of how you react as life and the world around you changes will ensure that you remain on a healthy path and that you will continue to be happy with and love the person that looks back at you in the mirror.


Ok folks. That's all I have for you today. My FINAL post in this series will come in about one week and will be the first post from New York (I am actually sitting in the airport now waiting for my flight to board). Many thanks to those of you who continue to follow along in my journey. I hope you have found the tiniest bit of encouragement and motivation somewhere within it and if not at least been slightly entertained as I try to put this complex experience into writing.

Please feel free to leave comments/questions/suggestions/criticism/etc. below or over in the comments section on the YouTube channel and as always...

Enjoy the journey...

Summer Shape Up 2K15: Feeling Strong in Week 6!

Hey guys!

Another week is in the books and I must say coming out of week 6 I feel stronger than ever. I'm up to 60 minutes of straight, non-stop high intensity cardio (hill routine on treadmill, darebee workout, and/or elliptical) and can do three sets each of one or two darebee.com strength/toning routines with only the expected fatigue and muscle soreness. My energy levels are through the roof and I'm also feeling much more in control of my emotional and mental state. This summer is by far one of the most successful in terms of health and fitness, and although I'm a little nervous about what will happen when I add back in school/work I'm feeling more motivated than ever.

Lessons Learned:

1. FARMERS' MARKET > GROCERY STORE: Let's face it, fruits and veggies are NOT cheap, especially when you're trying to do the organic thing. So after over a month of procrastination (and spending WAY too much money) I finally made it out to one of the local markets near my parents' place and it was AMAZING! We got there a little late and some of the good stuff was already sold out but we stocked up on beautiful fresh, organic veggies for so much cheaper than the grocery stores and even grabbed some delicious fruit juice on the way out. I definitely recommend skipping the produce section and heading to the nearest farmers' market you can find on your next shopping trip. Your body (and your wallet) will thank you.

2. COFFEE IS MY FRIEND: Since my dad hasn't been home to make coffee (I have no idea how to use their fancy machine) I haven't been drinking my daily cup--ok two cups--of coffee that usually keep me going when I'm up at school. My increased energy and improved sleeping patterns have left me feeling really alert and so I guess I didn't really feel pressed to search for alternative options, but I had a cup the other day since there was some left over after my parents had theirs and my workout that evening was on a whole different level. I usually just power through a workout motivated by good music and the feeling of accomplishment that I know always comes after, but a little caffeine boost can really take a great workout to the next level. There are tons of articles on the costs and benefits of caffeine before a workout so definitely take some time to look through those before making it a part of your routine (which by the way is NOT what I'm recommending here). But let's face it some days we just need the little extra push to get us in the gym and through the workout and a good cup of joe can be the perfect workout buddy in those moments.

Tip of the Week:

DOCUMENT YOUR JOURNEY: When I started this blog I had no idea what I wanted it's ultimate identity to be, and I still don't really know.  However, every week when I come on to read it I feel a huge sense of pride and increased motivation to keep on improving in all aspects (physical, mental, emotional). Taking the time each week to write down and/or record summaries of your progress, struggles, lessons learned, etc. will help you to stay present in the process. So often we focus on the end result and forget to take a moment and celebrate the tiny, everyday obstacles we've overcome and those are the very things that can often keep us pushing through when times get tough and motivation dips. Health and fitness journeys--well any self-improvement journey really-is such a personal experience so I'm definitely not recommending that everyone hop on the internet and publicly share with the world. But start a journal or create a folder on your computer to document it for yourself. You'll be amazed at how much you change week by week and it will be a great product to have when you reach your goal.


Ok that's it for this week everyone. Thanks to all who clicked like and/or favorite on the #ChallengeMe pics that went up on Facebook and Twitter. The results are in and I announced them in the video below. Next week I'll FINALLY be taking you all into the gym with me and recording an accountability section showing me actually doing the squats and push ups you challenged me to.

Please feel free to leave your own lessons learned, tips, comments, questions and/or concerns in the comments section here or over on the YouTube and Facebook pages. Make sure to check back next week and as always...


Enjoy the journey...

Summer Shape Up 2K15: Eff Your Beauty Standards

Hey Interwebs! I can't believe over a month of Summer Shape Up is already under my belt. After a great visit from a friend I took needed some time to recuperate and get myself back together. I didn't stop working out and tried to keep my diet in control as much as possible, but weeks 4 and 5 definitely looked A LOT different than the first three.

I'll touch on some of those changes in this week's lessons learned and tip of the week,  so let's jump into those now.

Lessons Learned:

1. DARE TO BEE (ugh my puns are getting worse): 
One of the biggest changes in the last two weeks is that I switched up my workouts a bit and didn't find myself in the gym quite as often. In the week 3 update I mentioned a web site/resource called Darebee.com, which offers free, downloadable workouts, recipes, challenges, etc. I used this A LOT over the past two weeks and did a full walk through/review over on my YouTube channel. You can head over there now and watch it or simply press play on the video below.

2. USE THE CITY AS YOUR GYM:
Since my friend was in town for a while, we spent most of our time out and about touristing in Miami. I went to South Beach more times in her four days here than the last ten years of my life haha. Our schedule was much busier than I expected, but we found plenty of ways to use the city and make sure I still got plenty of physical activity. Walks along the beach, choosing to park further from our destination and walking, swimming, and of course tons and tons of dancing...all of this proved to be great exercise and kept me on track even while taking some liberties in the diet department. When the gym gets boring GET OUT OF THE GYM. You'll not only add some much needed variety and new energy to your routine, but you just might find some new hidden gems that help you fall in love with your hometown/current location just a bit more.

3. IF IT AIN'T BROKE...
The past couple of weeks were full of changes and most of them were great, but one in particular left me feeling a bit blah. As I mentioned in the last update I decided to stop drinking the protein shakes because I thought it was time to start getting back on a more "normal" diet. BIG MISTAKE. I'll eventually stop drinking the protein shakes for two meals a day, but it's definitely the best option to replace my breakfast with and will probably continue doing it for quite a while. Mornings are just not my favorite time of the day and while I LOVE breakfast food, I'm not always very motivated to put a proper meal together for myself at 8 AM. So for now the shakes and some fruit will suffice. I've ordered my third tub of shakes and all is right again.

Tip of the Week:

EFF YO BEAUTY STANDARDS: So I'm borrowing this week's phrase from one of the top plus models in the world right now, Tess Holliday. She's pretty much everywhere these days preaching much needed messages about fighting normalized standards of beauty and loving yourself unconditionally. Every week my tip of the week seems to focus on the fact that the biggest hurdle in any weight loss, healthy lifestyle journey is the one that happens on the inside and this week is nothing different. I'm seeing AMAZING results, better than I've EVER seen, but yesterday I found myself nitpicking over my body (well really my hair--I recently took my long braid extensions out) and for some reason couldn't see past my "flaws" and find the beautiful woman I'd been falling in love with over the past month. Beauty begins within so embrace all of you, love all of you, set your own beauty standards and don't apologize for them. Remember you can diet, exercise and reach your goal weight/body, but you'll never truly be happy with yourself if you don't address and work through the negative messages about what it means to be beautiful/handsome, worthy, valued, etc. that you may have internalized. Work from the inside out and you can't fail.


Ok so that's it for this week. Over a month under my belt and I'm more motivated than ever. I've extended my trip home for a couple more weeks and with my parents coming back in less than a week I know these last 3 weeks are going to be just the push I need to get me ready for the year ahead.

Right now I'm about to give you a chance to CHALLENGE ME and play a big part in shaping my workout regimen in week 7. Head over to the Ivy Rose Facebook Page or the Ivy Rose Twitter Page  and like (FB) or Favorite (Twitter) one of the following images below:

For every like/favorite on the push ups picture I'll do ONE push up and for every like/favorite on the squats picture I'll do FIVE squats. I'll tally up all of the push ups and squats I owe and report it in the week 6 update next Tuesday and then film an accountability video in the week 7 update showing you that I've actually done them! You can also post the pics on your own social media accounts and join in on the challenge.

Thanks for checking in each week. As always feel free to leave comments/questions/motivation. Stay motivated and

Enjoy the journey....