Keep Moving Forward

As you all know, I have not been as faithful on my blogging as I once was.  I am going to get better, I promise.  The reason being is that I have been in the process of a career change.  I took a leap of faith and left my job with Gannett.  I knew I was going to go nowhere with them, and the newspaper industry is a dying industry.  I do not care what they say; just ask all the people they have had to lay off and enforce furloughs on.   

So, I took a job with Expedia/Hotels.com in a sales team.  They are a growing company and great to work for, but I was not made to sit on the phone 8 hours a day doing nonstop sales.  I also did not agree with some of the methods they use to sell hotel rooms.  I asked to be moved to another department, because I did like the company and the benefits. But they would not do it, so I am no longer working there.  

So naturally, I panicked and had no idea what I was going to do to pay for my bills.  I put a note out on Facebook asking for prayers and support for my family.  I had an overwhelming amount of support and love sent our way.  Lots of people sent me job leads and ideas, and I was excited to venture forth and see what would happen for my family.  The next morning, I got a call from a good friend who was a State Farm agent.  He just had an opening in his office and offered me the job.  It felt like our prayers had been answered.  I came in the next day and worked.  So I really only had 2-3 days without work.  We felt extremely blessed.

Now I am working at State Farm and trying to figure out how I fit in and how I will do my work there.  I have really enjoyed working with Jim and feel really fortunate to have work.  So if you are in Missouri and need some insurance, you can come to me, and we will take care of you.

I am telling you all of this so you know what has been happening in my life. You also know how many changes and challenges I have been through.  Most people who have gone through something like this when trying to stay fit or training for something tend to become distracted and lose track.  I want to share with you some of the things I did, or should have done better, to stay on track with my weight loss and fitness goals.

Here are some of the challenges I faced and what I have done.

I want to eat when I am stressed! 

I am an emotional eater, and let me tell you that when things get stressful, I turn to food. So I did a couple of things to help me.  I gave all my extra money to my wife. You could leave it at home or lock it up; I just give it to my wife because she doesn’t spend money for anything.  I am now not tempted to go get fast food or even Subway.  Subway isn’t bad; it’s just that I already packed a lunch, and my lunch + subway = way too many calories.  

Plan your meals for the week.  Write down your healthy meals, ALL OF THEM! I try to stay around 2000 calories, because I am working out a lot.  Go shopping and get what you need, not what you want. Maybe get one treat for Saturday that you can look forward to.  Now you are not trying to snack and pig out at a buffet.  Trust me, this works!

Now I don’t have time to work out or run!

A really good friend of mine, Shannon, once told me, “If you want to run, you will run.” Who really has time?  I know I do not.  When I was training at my new job, I had to be at work at 7 am.  So I woke up at 4 and was running by 4:45 am.  I would barely make it to work on time, but I made time.  I am training for a marathon, so all my training runs are very important to me.  So when I was working until 2 am, I would just stay up and run after work. Why?  Because I knew if I didn’t, I would not get my run in.  I am not trying to toot my own horn, because there were days I did not get up and run or I missed a workout. 

I have also been doing my 21 Day workout from the book Working Out Sucks.  If you haven't already, go take a look at my book review.  I know that cross training is a very important part of my lifestyle.  It will make me a better runner and just all around stronger person.  Make the time to work out; don’t give excuses.  If that means meeting someone at the gym or having me call you at 6 am.  Make a plan and set it in motion.  If that means setting your clothes out before you go to bed, do it!  Like Shannon said, “If you want to run, you will run.” How bad do you want to reach your goals?  Do not give up and get into the habit. MAKE THE TIME! 

This is too hard! Why me?

There have been several times when I was out on one of my long runs, and I thought to myself, “What the heck am I doing to myself!  This is too hard, and I should be in bed.”  It is hard, but this is work, and work is not easy.  I just remember how good it felt when I was done.  Sometimes that was the only thought that kept me going!  Also, remember to take a look back and see what you have done.  Even if you just started or have been doing it for several years, you already have made big changes.  I go look at my before and after pictures.  It motivates me to keep going and never get back to where I was.

Just remember life does bring stress, and a lot of people have already given up on their new year goals.  Don’t be one of them.  You can do it.  I am here for you!  I will help however I can.  I need your help as well.  If you don’t see me posting, call me out.  I need it.  I am still working out, but I need to get back in the habit of blogging every day.

Working Out Sucks Book Winners

Here are the winners of the Working Out Sucks book giveaway!

Dale D

Carolyn Cox

Kayla

Thank you for everyone who entered.  Those of you who won, please send me your address.  Click the email link at the top of my page to get my email.  If you have not emailed me by 1/21/12, another person will be selected at random for the book.

Thanks everyone!

Week 1 of the 21 Day Kick Start Plan

"You are looking buff!"

"I work out," I replied to my wife. Then, queue the "I'm Sexy and I Know It" song.

This has been a great first week of the 21 Day Kick Start plan I am following from the book Working Out Sucks!  I have already seen some great results and have been feeling good about this new year.

The book spells everything out for you.  I know a lot of people who are just starting their weight loss journey needs exactly that.  What workouts to do and what to eat.  I know that I did when I first started. I have used it as more as a guide.  There are some foods they have suggested in the book that I might not like, or they are not in season.  I, for one, do not like fish.  So I will find a recipe that I did like from another day and substitute that out for the fish dish. 

I have also been working out at my local Anytime Fitness.  There are 4 gyms really close to me.  I have been meeting with a friend who wanted to start the new year right by working out and eating better.  We both work together and have been meeting before work to get our work out in.  The program is pretty basic and again perfect for those who are just starting and need something to follow.  It doesn't trap you in the gym for hours.  You really only need 30-45 minutes to get the workout in.  During the day the gym is staffed, and if I had any questions on a workout listed, they were always ready to help me and show me where it is or how to do it.

Last Friday, something really cool happened.  I was in the gym working out with Forest, and one of our other coworkers came in to signup for a membership.  I had known him for almost three years, and we both talked about weight loss when I was still really big.  He had found another job, and we lost touch.  Well when I started my new job, he was a supervisor there.  He did not even recognize me at first.  It was good to get in touch and talk again.  He asked me to help him start the new year off and lose some weight.  I told him I would be happy to help. When I saw him come into Anytime Fitness, it made me so happy.  We talked and he got signed up.  We are going to start working out with him in the week, and they gave him a copy of the book Working Out Sucks!  I told him about the 21 day kick start, and he got excited about it.  So I will be helping him with it as well.

This has been a good week.  I am feeling stronger, and I am glad I have added weights again to my training.  I have already seen a 10 lbs weight loss.  I knew they would come off fast at the start because of how I had been eating the last two months.  I am back down to 90 lbs total.  I hope to be around 100 lbs lost soon, and I know it is because of this 21 Day Kick Start challenge.  Sometime you need something like this to get you started again.

We will be announcing the winners of the three book giveaway soon. 

Let me know how you have kick started your new year in health!

Weight of the World

I have been feeling very overwhelmed lately. We took a big risk as a family and quit my job for another.  I had to leave the job I was at, because it was such an unhealthy work environment.  So I left my Mon-Fri 8-5 job to work for Expedia/Hotels.com for a much lower base pay with commission.  So I can be making a lot more money at my new job, but more importantly, it is a better work environment.

We knew the first few months were going to be hard, because I would not make as much and would have to get used to my new shift from 5:30 pm to 2 am.  I just didn't realize how stressful it would truly be.  To add to it, we were waiting for our insurance to kick in, and Jenn and I both got really sick.  We both had to pay out of pocket for our doctor visit and meds.  We also lost several benefits we were receiving.  So we are struggling right now, and it has been hard.

I have my weight loss and fitness goals of this year.  (I will share my goals with you in a later post.) I have been doing the 21 Day Challenge from the book "Working Out Sucks." Take a look at my review and book giveaway here. I have added that routine to my weekly schedule.  It is a really good program and has been helping me take my weight loss to the next level.  I am also still training for my marathon.  I know it is only Day Three of all these new changes, but I have felt like I have had my ass handed to me.  I am sore from lifting weights. I am tired from the lack of sleep. And I feel like I have let people down from my running group, because I missed so much the last few weeks.

I know it will get easier and be worthwhile.  I just felt like I needed to post this today.  Life is not easy.  It is work.  Hard work.  Even for someone who has been at this fitness thing for a year now, it is still hard at times.  I know I will make good money at my new job, just have to get through the growing pains, just like I had to get used to waking up and running and eating better.  Working hard and sacrificing for the betterment of yourself and family is not easy, but the payout is great.  Trust me, I have been pushed to tears several times, and today has been one of those days where I have just wanted to lay in bed and not do anything. But I have to get up, and I have to work hard.  It will make me and my family better.

If you are starting off this year with some new fitness goals or life changes, do not give up when they get hard or when you have a bad day/week/month.  Keep pushing; keep working hard.  It will work out, it will be okay, and it will make you a better person. 

Working Out Sucks! Book Review and Giveaway

I think most of us have all said "working out sucks" sometime in our lives.  In all honesty, it can suck, but the alternatives suck more.

I have been given the opportunity as a FitFluential Ambassador to read and review the book Working Out Sucks! (And Why It Doesn't Have To) from the CEO and co-founder of Anytime Fitness, Chuck Runyon.

I enjoyed this book.  As I have tried to get fit and lose weight throughout my life, I have read a lot of weight loss and fitness motivational books, and this is by far one of the better books I have read. If you are looking for a book that tells you everything is going to be easy and getting fit is a walk in the park, this is not the book for you.

This is a four part book, and in the first part, Chuck Runyon pulls no punches.  He goes through each excuse of why people don't work out and blows it out of the water.  Some of the chapters even pissed me off, but I knew I had used many of the excuses he went through, and he was right. This part of the book motivates and pumps you up to get off your butt and get to work.

The second part of the book is about changing behavior. Let's face it, if it was easy to just decide to get up and start working out and change the way we do things, everyone would be in shape and work out. Changing the way we behave is a huge part of this process.  Rececca Derossett writes about tools and methods we can use to help change our own behavior and break through any road blocks we put in front of ourselves.  This section has several success stories of others who took control of their lives and started to get healthy.  I related with several of the stories and have my own.

Part three discusses nutrition.  Brian Zehetner covers everything from the carb debate, fiber being your friend, water, protein and many other subjects.  I have written about this several times. Once you start working out and make it a habit, the hardest part is food. Eating right will always be a struggle for me.  Working out after I started was easy, but I still struggle on eating better.  That is why I liked this part of the book so much. So much of the process is the nutrition, and this section really breaks it down to why it is so important.  There is no silver bullet or magic pill; it is all about eating healthy and living right. You will get all the tips you will need to start your own nutritional plan.  Everyone is different and he recognized it, so he gives you tips to help you with what YOU need.

The last part of the book is about fitness and the 21-Day Kick Start plan for total health and fitness.  The getting off your butt and moving part of the process. This book is designed for those who are starting the weight loss and getting healthy process.  Getting off the couch and walking for 15 minutes. 

I am going to be doing the 21-Day Kick Start plan he has in his book.  I am excited, because it will get me back on track with eating healthy, and I will get to try some new workouts.  I will be working out at the Anytime Fitness here in Republic, Missouri.  I am going to blog about my process and how the plan and the book has helped me.  I wish I had this when I first started.

So if you are looking for a no-excuse, get-your-butt-up-and-get-started book, I recommend you go get Working Out Sucks.  It is perfect for those who are starting.  Working out does suck, but dieing young and not being able to play with your kids suck worse.

Follow my process here as I strive to lose the last 40-50 lbs using the 21-day process and the tools I learned from this book.  I will be posting at least once a week about my 21-day process and what I have been doing and how it has been helping me.  I am going to the gym today and starting Day 1.

Now, I am sure all of you want to run out and get this book, and I highly suggest you do.  I am also going to be giving away three copies.  Entering is easy, all you have to do is leave a comment and tell me an excuse you have used to getting out of working out (mandatory).  For another entry, you may tweet “I want to win the @AnytimeFitness book #WorkingOutSucks from @cajacrosby http://tinyurl.com/73xyzgb” and leave another comment saying you did it or the second entry will not count! US readers only please. Giveaway will be going until next Monday 1/9/12 at 11:59PM CST. I hope you win!  We will randomly draw the three winners.

FitFluential LLC compensated me for this sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.