Positive thinking leads to positive choices, which leads to a happy life :)

 


I haven't posted in a long time, but sooooo much has been going on that I wanted to write about it :) 

The picture to left (since this is a fitness blog mostly) is my latest transformation picture. I have come a LONG way and it's so rewarding to see the differences in photos. Sometimes we get so focused on the little things we want to correct that we don't always notice the whole thing. I'm finally seeing ab definition and I no longer have to suck it in! I have finally retired the double digit pant sizes too!! Woop woop! My goal is to be a size 8 comfortably, but possibly a size 6 by the end of summer. I know I can do it. If I've come this far, then I can do just that. My year of this journey is quickly approaching (April 1st) and I'm quite a bit further along than I ever planned to be, which makes me grateful for all of the support, love, and motivation I have received along the way. Without all of my friends and family, I would have given up long ago and went back to my processed food ways and soda and flat out not giving a shit, pretending I was the skinniest person alive. 

On a more personal level, as you can see, I have posted the cutest little fur ball to the right of my progress photo. I had made a vision board awhile back that had the goal of getting a puppy. Some financial issues came up, so that goal was tweaked and pushed to the back burner for awhile, but with a loving a boyfriend, and the need for some security and peace of mind we decided to get a puppy together :) No, it's not a human baby, but this is MY baby and I can't wait to go pick him up next Friday!! His name is Ninja and he's a border collie mix, so I have found my new running partner since they have TONS of energy :) 

With that said, the other wonderful thing that I have taken on is a new job! Finally! I have been searching for awhile because honestly, my corporate job has drained me of all motivation. I never had any opportunities to move up or better myself. I worked remotely while everyone else was in Dallas, so even if there was an opportunity, there was a great chance I missed out on them since I don't live there. Money was not good anymore with all of rise in taxes and benefits because they didn't account for that and overall I just needed out. With much perseverance and courage to keep looking, I finally landed a place that's a better fit for me. It's local, my commute is cut from 30 mins to 10, money is fitting, and so far the people have been amazing. They even let me continue to babysit my nephew every Monday and Wednesday morning, which helps me and my sister quite a big deal. If a company is willing to work with you from the beginning, please give them a chance and take it and run with it. A lot of businesses out there could care less about your needs and just want to hire you to get the job done and nothing else, but I NEVER felt that way going into this, which is what sold me on working for their company. 

I know I'm only mentioning things about me in this post, but I want people to learn from me or take something away from me that is positive. If you hate your job or you feel you can do better, then go look for it. Stop waiting for it to fall in your lap cause it won't. You have to push for what you want. Same goes for exercising. I could still sit on the couch and be a bum, but it's not going to get me the body I want or the health I want. I am one year and 2 months without a doctors visit and for those that know me personally, I used to be in the ER almost every week if not every other week for something because I NEVER took care of myself. I felt sorry for myself all of the time. Don't be that guy! Seriously, go out and get what you want and work hard for what you want. Do something that will better yourself because it will honestly better those around you too. Only you can change. Only you can know what is best for you. Stop waiting for someone else to pick up the pieces. 

*Live* *Laugh* *Love*

~Ditty

Be strong, but not rude; Be kind, but not weak; Be bold, but not bully; Be humble, but not timid; Be proud, but not arrogant.

Happy Monday everyone! It is snowing again, so what better way to spend my time other than blogging :) I wanted to take a few and remind people of their purpose. 

I have come across some wonderful people in the fitness industry, but I have also come across not so wonderful people in the industry. I'm not here to bash anyone as I give props to anyone trying to be healthy, but lets think about what healthy means. It's not just about food. It's about your mind too and the way you treat people. I'm so tired of seeing people, especially women, bring others down for the goals that they have. No matter what their goals are, you should support your friends. If it's something you don't want to support, then keep your mouth shut. It's not all about you!!

The best way to make your self be in a better mood is to bring other people's spirits up. Lift up your friends, family, coworkers or new people you meet. Why is it so difficult for others to just be nice? I literally have people who don't talk to me anymore because I don't do the program they are trying to promote or I'm not buying into their product. I promise it's not because I don't like the product or the person. It's because I am doing this ALL natural. No gimmicks, pills, shakes, wraps, etc, but I won't bash them for trying to make it in this industry. It's a hard one and it can be even harder when you listen to the haters. Just because I may not do something you are doing, doesn't mean I'm doing it wrong or I'm not worthy of your friendship. JUST SAYIN!! 

Sorry for the rant, but I want more peeps to lift other peeps up more often. Life is already a cruel place sometimes, so why make it worse for someone who is at least out there trying?? And for the love of all that is holy, if you see someone doing something wrong or you feel like they could get better results by doing something else, please be respectful when giving helpful hints. Don't make someone feel like they are 2 inches tall because they didn't have the knowledge that you do. Maybe they're starting out or maybe they were told wrong. People typically do what they learn first and if they learn wrong right off the bat than that's the habit they form. So stop being an asshole and help them! Get them back on track! I will admit, I am learning more and more the further I move along in my journey and there are some people I have unfriended from my FB or have told them to go to a certain place with so many words because they were just flat out rude to me about my goals and what I thought was correct. And I would do the same for someone else. While I do use haters as my motivation on occasion, I don't include them in my life on a permanent basis. I don't need it and it's wasted energy to cry about it. I take my anger out at the gym  for every single "no", " you will never make it in the industry", or those that always called me fat or the bigger girl. It got old and I'm doing something about it and so should you.

Be strong, but not rude; Be kind, but not weak; Be bold, but not bully; Be humble, but not timid; Be proud, but not arrogant. 

~Ditty

30 Day Challenge!!!!

I just got invited by a friend to do this for 30 days!! I'm gonna try it! I am kind of excited to say that I don't have any problems with any of these except chocolate & cookies. I don't have a lot of it, but every so often I will indulge :-/ 

For those that follow, if you would like to do this with me, it starts February 15th, this Saturday! That means whatever meal you have planned for Valentines day it better be a good one and enjoy it cause it's back to clean eating for us!

I don't usually do these types of challenges, but since this is more diet based and the things that are not allowed should not be in your diet on a regular basis anyways, I felt that I should give it a whirl and just see how well I do. Plus, I have about 15 more pounds I want to lose AND I'm determined to rock the abs this summer :)

 I am on Myfitnesspal, so if you would like to join me and hold me accountable, please friend request me and follow my logins! My name on there is Ditty7777 and the picture is the same as the one for my profile on here :) I will also do my best to post any recipes that fall within this :) I may make my meal prepping days part of my blog since I've had some requests to post recipes that I eat :) 

Wish me luck!!!

~Ditty

Time Management!!

This, my friends, is one of my close friends Jess :) She gave me permission to use this photo to explain work and time management versus your fitness goals cause she's awesome like that :) 

The famous line that we all hear is, "I don't have time." I call BULLSHIT!! Everyone has time and everyone has the same amount of time in the day as everyone else. I know life can get crazy, but you can still find 10 minutes out of your day to do something. Most breaks at work are a good 15 minutes and you are usually allowed a 30-60 minute lunch, so lets get real for a minute. Instead of opening up Candy Crush or whatever game you fancy on your break, lets try and see what else we could be doing. Jess, up above, is doing the lovely wall sit exercise. Yes, she is at work :) Most of your places of employment have empty walls cause, lets face it, work is BORING!!! 

Some suggestions to get the blood flowing are as follows:

• Lunges in an empty hallway
• Squats in an empty conference room, or just an empty space anywhere
• Take the stairs every chance you get!!!!
• If it's nice outside, go take a walk around the building
• Take the long way to the printer or the bathroom
• Wall Sits
• Some people have gyms near by, go join it and take your lunches there!
• Pushups in an empty area

Remember, safety first! I know not all jobs are desk jobs, so please make sure you are in a safe area before hopping and squatting away :) There is ALWAYS time!! Take 5 minutes to get the blood flowing in your muscles. It will give you energy to get through the rest of your day and you won't feel so guilty for sitting around for 8 hours :) 

Happy Monday!!

~Ditty

Workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.

Love, love, LOVE this quote. Seriously, please learn to love your body! You only get one and only you can take care of it. 

I know we all have parts we want to change. Hips, arms, abs, legs, etc...but before you can truly do that, you must learn to love your body for what it is at this very moment. I hated being bigger, but I also loved my curves in some sort of way. I was blessed with them and they weren't going anywhere anytime soon. I still have those curves, but now they are more fit and toned and don't jiggle every time I walk. I fell in love with my body all over again and I appreciate it more than I ever did before. 

When you go into a workout be proud. Hell, be proud you are even making time for the gym. A lot don't even do that! Enjoy your body. Feed it the nutrition it craves and push it to limits that you didn't think possible. Your body can handle way more than we ever think it can. 

This post will be short and sweet :) So get up, get moving, make some goals, and go crush them. Remember to love every inch of yourself. Once you do that, then there is nothing that can stop you from achieving your dreams :)

~Ditty

Transformations don't always have to be on Tuesday's :)

I skipped Transformation Tuesday cause my day was just a bit off the wall schedule wise, so here's my Transformation Wednesday :) I am snowed in....AGAIN, so I decided to make the boyfriend useful and take a back progress photo cause as you can tell by the top portion I take horrible back pictures LOL 

Never be afraid to share your transformation! Be PROUD of it! As I've stated before, I don't take 5 million selfies because at some point they will all look the same, but I will take a picture if I notice a difference. I try to do as many different comparisons as possible to show my changes. 

This one is my back, obviously. I have always had muscle, but it was never defined. It was covered by a nice thick layer of fat :) I can now proudly wear a backless dress without having to try and cover up the back fat. It's such a great feeling knowing I can go shop for just about anything. It was part of my motivation to keep going. I didn't/and don't ever want to have a melt down in a dressing room ever again. It used to happen almost every time I went to try on a swim suit, shorts or jeans (the 3 worst things to shop for as a female). It got to the point where I just wouldn't go out unless I could be super casual. 

People always ask how I got here or they wish they could. Seriously, just take 30 minutes out of your day and focus on something. Whether it be cardio, strength, or both just start somewhere. I started my journey by walking in the park for as long as my schedule would allow me. Eventually I started looking at other people's journey's and thinking, "hey I can do that too," and I did. Just get started and soon you won't want to stop. I fell in love with fitness the second I started to focus on it. I like challenges and this was the perfect path to take if I wanted them. The most amazing places in the world do not get built overnight and neither will you. Be patient and keep your head in the game and you will see results. Your goals don't have to be big, they just have to get met and with each goal that is met, you will make a new one. And every set back you have make it a lesson learned and keep pushing. Keep moving forward. Don't you even dare give up on you!

~Ditty

Everything's Gonna be Super Duper!!

This picture cracked me up simply because I've said this all day in a sarcastic manner. I'll tell you what, I was tested and pushed to my limits mentally all day long. I don't have tough days to the point of tears out of frustration very often, but today marks the books for sure! 

Tough days do get placed in our laps sometimes whether we ask for it or not, but everything's gonna be super duper. Why? Because in 1 hour I get to leave and go do something I enjoy. I get to go help someone get healthier and then after that I get to make myself healthier. PLUS, everything really is gonna be super duper at some point. Can't have a rainbow without a little rain, right?

In the midst of my crappy day, I had a confirmation of an idea that I've been toying with for awhile now. I keep telling myself to go back to school. I've gone back and forth about it, but never wanted to commit because I really didn't know what I WANTED to go back for, but I know I need to if I want to be truly happy. So, with that said, I have made the next decision and that is that I want to go back for something nutrition/fitness related. The next wonderful decision is to decide where to enroll at and what part of that area I want to dive into as my focus. I've had a few ideas thrown at me, so hopefully this weekend I can take the time and research it :) 

Now don't get me wrong. I do enjoy my corporate job 97% of the time, but I feel like I could do so much more for the world besides sitting behind a desk and listening to people complain 8 hours a day 5 days a week. That's why I LOVE my personal training job. It's in person and it's helping someone. While some might still complain, it's a different kind of complaining. It's the type of complaining that can be turned around if given the right motivation. My corporate job just doesn't allow me to do that. I'm thankful for my job, but I like to be real and speak from my own experiences and inspire others whenever possible. 

Now for my tip/point for the day. Don't let people's lack of planning constitute an emergency on your end. That has been my entire day and I let it get the best of me on more than one occasion. Shit does, in fact, happen. Make sure you step back and see the bigger picture before losing that said shit. The bigger picture will make you breathe a little bit and when you can accept the bigger picture it makes it a lot easier to believe that things are gonna be super duper at the end of the day. For me, it was stepping back and realizing the bigger picture was to redirect my energy to something positive...school and my greater need to expand my knowledge so that I could do what I love. Be the super duper part of your day. Don't let someone else's BS ruin it :)

~Ditty