My FITspiration story

Hello my peeps, I figured I should take some time to tell you more about me. I grew up being active and have played soccer since I was 8.  I played on club teams year-round, High school Varsity soccer all 4 years (Chandler High), and 2 years at one of our local community colleges (CGCC/Chandler-Gilbert).  I didn't realize how much junk food I ate until I was no longer playing soccer 5-6 days a week .  My freshman 15 was more like sophomore 30!  This was my first experience with weight gain.  Late night bean & cheese burritos from our local mexican joint and beer pong is a normal college requirement right? 

It was during that "party girl" era that I was re-acquainted with my husband Rob (we met at CGCC!) Becoming engaged was my first "FITspiration" aha! moment.  I looked in the mirror and realized I had lost the muscle tone that my dear friend, Soccer, gave me.  I replaced it with an extra 25-30 lbs of bloat caused by way too much soda, alcohol, fast food, etc.  We set a wedding date, only 9 months from our engagement.  Did I have it in me to get in shape for this wedding?!?  I never really had to "work" for this, because playing soccer was something fun and I loved it! Sure, I dreaded those 2-a-days, but I had my coaches & my teammates depending on me and holding me accountable.

Wedding planning was upon me, and I found my dress!  I had to order a size 12.  I was truly happy to be getting married to the love of my life, and felt incredibly blessed knowing that he loved me for who I was as a person and not the for what "size" I was.  Still, I was discouraged by my insecurity. Nothing like a wedding dress to motivate you! 

This was around the time that P90X was becoming really popular, so Rob & I invested in the program and gave it a try.  Oh, how I wish I could find my before pics (seriously a MUST).  And HOLY crap did it kick my butt.  I don't even think I got through the first disc without taking many breaks and needing to modify.  But, I DID IT! 

(L) May 2009, sucking it in and smiling! (R) Feb 2010 and 25 lbs lighter

My dress came in a few months later, and at the fitting they told me I would need to get it tailored to a size 8.  I couldn't believe it.  I accomplished my goal of losing 25 lbs!  Best of all, I had my man right by my side to encourage, motivate, and experience it with me.  He lost 20 lbs before the big day!

(L) Pic from our engagement trip in Maui/(R) Pic from Kaui trip 2 weeks before the wedding

Husband & Wife: 02.19.2010

We were hooked, we decided to give Insanity a try to get "beach body" ready for our honeymoon that we booked later that year.  It was down to the wire, and Rob finished! I fell a week short, because I was too excited for our trip and had major packing to do (terrible excuse, but I'm only human)

This was a life-changer for us.  We like being confident with our bodies, and more importantly, we love feeling good.  We have maintained a relatively healthy lifestyle since then and decided it was time to expand our family. 

Let me just be honest and say that being pregnant almost kicked my butt more that P90x did.  I'm sure I will do a more detailed post of my pregnancy.  I did not eat as healthy as I promised myself I would. I did not workout as often as I said I would.  I gained 60 lbs with my daughter, Sofia Rose (born 10.10.2012) and no, I did not have gestational diabetes! Haha....but seriously, it's ok if the thought crossed your mind ;)

(Top L) Just found out! Feb 2012 & 138lbs  (Bottom R) End of Sep 2012 & approx 190lbs

Best day of our lives: Meeting our precious baby girl!

 It's ok, breastfeeding melts it ALL off right? For some women, yes.  Thank your lucky stars if that's you.  Breastfeeding indeed burns up to 500 calories per day and melts off pounds.  For me, it was 30lbs.  I still had 30 unwanted lbs. I also had a C-Section, so I couldn't just pop an Insanity video and pick up where I left off.

In December of 2012,  I was given the "go" to workout.  So I slowly started doing things like jogging and light weights (copying some P90X moves) I eventually bought Turbo Fire and was introduced to HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  I didn't really commit to anything consistent until November 2013.  Becoming a mom changes you (for the better!) and priorities start to shift.  It took me a long time to realize that taking care of myself (physically, emotionally, and psychologically) is a very crucial part of being a good mom/wife.  That first year of motherhood is a blur, from being up every 2 hours to teething every few months. I'm really blessed to be able to stay home with our little love, but it is a 24/7 gig.

Tired, but happy mama!

I managed to lose about 20lbs in that first year.  I hit a plateau and could not shake those last 7-10 lbs and was getting really bored with my workouts. In November of 2013 (right before the holidays), Rob and I looked at each other (ps He gained 15 lbs during my pregnancy!) and had a shared "aha moment".  We were fed up with going through the motions and truly not eating clean.  After almost a year of pizza & takeout being a majority of our meal choices, we went grocery shopping for "Mean Green Juice recipe" ingredients and other healthy staples.  We purged our fridge and pantry of all the junk food temptations and made a plan of action to get back to our healthier lifestyle.

Mean Green Juice for the whole fam!

 Making healthier eating choices and changing up my workout routine to incorporate more weight training helped me reach my goal of losing those last 10lbs.  A good friend of mine and fellow FITspiration mom, Desiree, told me about the Jaime Eason 12 week trainer program and I did the first 2 phases last year.  I really loved learning the basics and creating a foundation with lifting weights.  

Lately, I like to keep it fresh.  I workout 5-6 days a week.  I model my weight training from Jaime Eason workouts, throw in some TurboFire or T25 for cardio, or do some Power Yoga or Tabata at my gym.

So here I am, 1 year and 4 months after starting my FITspiration journey as a new mom. 

Before: 196 lbs / After: 138 lbs

Tankini tan alert!

I have truly enjoyed sharing my fitness/health ventures with anyone who wants to listen, and I love hearing ideas and FITspirational stories from other people too!

Until next time,

Lex