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....