I am at a loss for words

Haha, just kidding! I always have something to say, duh! 

But seriously... I am so humbled right now (crocodile tears fill my eyes as I am typing this). You guys and gals telling me how much I have changed your lives. Y'all telling me how proud y'all are of me. Asking me for help, encouragement, motivation, etc. Y'all supporting me, giving me encouragement and pushing me to be the best me possible...

It's all surreal to me! I started my journey for 1 little boy (my son). That was it. I didn't do it for myself. I didn't do it for my dating life. I didn't do it because of a doctor. It was all Caleb! And now to think, because of him I changed not only my life but have impacted so many of your lives!!! Wow!!! 

Today is my birthday and I can't help but just feel so blessed that God created me, made me for a purpose and 28 years later... I know what that purpose is!! 

Y'all, this is just the beginning!!! 

New York! New York!

I am so excited this week is finally here!

If you haven’t picked up on it yet, I am in LOVE with my birthday! But… I am also in LOVE with NEW YORK!!!

Thursday, I turn 28 years old and then step on a plane to head to NEW YORK with Brittany Bellair (Brittany Eats Clean on Facebook)!!!

Okay so wanna know exactly what Brittany and I will be doing in New York?!

We are going to be attending the NPC Stage Ready Workshop!!!

The workshop is going to cover all the women’s NPR/IFBB divisions and will also feature some of the top competitors in the world!

One of the people that will be featured will be the amazing India Paulino (the Bikini International Champ)!!!

I kinda stalk her on Instagram… yep, I am a stalker!

We are going to be learning about the training and nutrition that goes into prepping for a completion and then learn about actually competing!

I would LOVE one day even having half the courage to compete in a bikini competition!

My girl Brittany has been thinking about competing next year  - can’t wait to cheer her on!

Anyways…

I set my goals the 1^st of August and I said I wanted to be 164.4 by my birthday.

Welp, bad news… I don’t think I am going to make it.

However, I have worked my booty off and I am proud of where I am today (and where I will be on Thursday).

I will let you know how close I come to my birthday goal after I weigh in on Thursday.

Maybe a magic elf will come while I sleep Wednesday and steal a couple of pounds from me… hey a girl can dream can’t she?!

Out of your control

This blog post is for all the moms out there (if you are not a mom and you relate to this, which is great too)

I have 1 kid so 1^st and foremost, I give props to all your moms who have more than that!

I am responsible for a little human being who looks to me for EVERYTHING!!!!

I have been a single mom from the minute my son was born… I give even more props to the moms who have more than 1 kid and have been single moms.

Yes, being a single mom will end when Casey and I get married… however at the same time it won’t. I will always have to share custody with someone who I am not in love with, do not live with,  and do not have say in how they react or what they do.

Casey is not Caleb’s biological father, but he is going to be his step dad and he does a damn good job at that. Casey has only been doing this role for a couple of years less than I have, so he is still learning and there are times I really have to remind myself of that.

All that being said, sometimes my plate gets REALLY full of stuff I have no control over. I am usually REALLY good at dealing with this but then there are times that I just have a meltdown and can’t take it anymore.

I am not going to go into my meltdown because this post isn’t really about what caused it or what really happened.

This post is about how I reacted to it and what I am learning from my reaction.

Today during my meltdown (while crying to a friend) I realized everything I was telling her that caused my meltdown where things out of my control. They were put on my plate and I had no choice but to deal with them. I didn’t bring them on myself. I didn’t take on the extra stress. It wasn’t something I could just delegate to someone else. It was all stuff given to me for me to deal with.

I wiped my tears and went to the gym.

While on the elliptical, I realized something else.

(Back up, I didn’t want to go to the gym.

I wanted to throw a pity party for 1 and eat some cake! Damnit, I love me some cake!)

So, I went to the gym and got on the elliptical.

I had a “Oh My Gosh this is what God is trying to teach me” moment.

I realized that while I have no control over everything on put on my plate, I did have control over how I reacted to it.

I have control over either throwing myself the pity party or going to the gym.

I have control over getting to the gym and busting my butt.

I have control over how my pants will fit tomorrow.

I have control over the number on the scale.

I have control over how many calories I will burn while at the gym.

I have the control!

So many times in the past when my plate has been to full of un-controllable CRAP… I have given in and given up!

Then I am not just upset about the stuff on my plate, I am also upset about the choices I made with food and working out (or the lack thereof).

I think that is why I got so big. The cycle was never ending.

I had my meltdown.

I went to the gym.

I worked hard.

Now…

I feel SO much better!!!

Do you think I would feel this great as I do now, if I had a pity party with cake?

I don’t think so… actually I know I wouldn’t.

So… in conclusion…

When life throws you a curve ball that you can’t control… doing something for yourself that you do have control over.

Go to the gym and give it hell.

Trust me; you will feel 10 times better!!

I wish I could be that "FAT" again...

When I hit my all-time lowest weight a couple years back (164.4) I was wearing a size 10 (and actually they were falling off me) and guess what… I thought I was F-A-T!!! Like seriously, I would look in the mirror and pick out every single flaw on my body. I needed to lose weight in my stomach, I wanted my arm flab gone, and I wanted to tone up my legs more… I just didn’t want to be fat anymore!!!!

Fast forward to after my knee surgery…. I remember looking back at photos from my smallest weight and thinking “man I was skinny; I wish I could be that skinny again!” I would sit there and day dream about my cute clothes (that hung in my closet collecting dust) fitting me again. All this time, I kept stuffing my face and getting bigger. I was so depressed.

Finally I snapped out of it and decided I was going to get skinny again. I told 212 pound self that if I could just get down to 170’s I would be so happy and wouldn’t beat myself up anymore. I would know that I was skinny again and would be happy with who I saw in the mirror.

Well, here I am now back in the 170’s… looking in the mirror and thinking “Oh my gosh, I am so fat!” I pick about every flaw in my body. My arms are way to flabby and when I flex it looks horrible. If my kangaroo pouch would just disappear, I could go down a size in pants again. Man I wish I could run again so my thighs wouldn’t be so big.

HOLD THE BUS!!!!!

I am back down to 170’s. I am back in my size 10 pants. My cute clothes have been rescued and are no longer collecting dust. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME! The 212 pound Jordan would probably b**tch slap me right now for even thinking half that crap!!!

We need to stop letting the media tell us what we should look like. We need to stop being so hard on ourselves and be thankful for how wonderfully made our bodies are (they were made perfect in His eyes). We need to take a deep breath and stop putting ourselves down and instead give ourselves compliments. We need to stop comparing ourselves to others.

It’s time we not only take control of changing our bodies but also to take control of changing our minds!!!!

My favorite things

Go ahead and call me Oprah because well, I am going to be giving away a few of my favorite things!!!

My birthday is coming up in 10 days (I love my birthday almost as much as I love Christmas morning) and well, I wanna celebrate it with you!!!

If you haven’t already, get on Facebook and like my community page “Fit by Jordan”

That is where the fun will be happening and trust me you don’t want to miss it!!

I wanted to give my blog readers a 1^st look to everything that will be given away…

My favorite things:

1^st up are these lovely side-mesh running shorts from Old Navy! For me, they are a great(and cheaper) alternative to Nike running shorts! I love the way they fit, how breathable they are while working out and all the fun colors.

http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?vid=1&pid=898363342

2^nd thing I love to have while working out is my Brady Bands! These things are wonderful for making sure your hair stays out of your face. These bands are non-slip, come in fun colors and are very affordable. They also sell cute every day bands; I just bought me 2 pearl ones last week! Also, if you sign up for their mailing list you will get a 10% off discount code to use!

http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?vid=1&pid=898363342

3^rd must have while working out is a comfy tank for working out in! I am sure you have noticed, workout tanks have been very popular here lately and can get kind of pricey. A friend clued me into a secret… go to Wal-Mart in the pajama section and find some pajama tank tops. I was hesitant at 1^st but now I am addicted. You get a cute, breathable tank for a ¼ of the price!!!

4^th up is of course my cute and fun workout towels I use while I am sweating it up at the gym. These are just hand towels I find at random stores. You don’t need anything fancy, you are just wiping sweat off your head… but it is fun to have a cute one while you are doing it!

5^th must have while on this weight loss/fitness journey is my protein… I love my protein! The flavor I will be giving away will be a surprise, but let me just tell you this… It is my favorite flavor I have ever tried and I am highly addicted to it. It is Muscle Milk and I just learned that they now have this flavor is lite!!!

6^th thing I love to use at the gym, my cute water bottles. Drinking water can get so boring, so spice it up with a fun colorful neon bottle!!!

7^th must thing I kinda sorta love and kinda sorta will keep loving, is my advocare shakes! They are very easy to mix up and drink while I am on the go, running late or haven’t been grocery shopping. Oh, did I mention they taste good too?

Okay, now that you know some of my favorite things… I urge you to go like my community page and check back starting this Thursday for your chance to win in my Birthday give away a day contest!!!

XOXO,

Fitbyjordan

Where does my motivation come from?

I am in a couple different fitness groups on Facebook and this morning a girl asked where everyone’s motivation comes from. It got me thinking and here is what I wrote as my response.

                “I stay motivated by surrounding myself with people who are on the same journey as I am. I have gotten rid of all the toxic relationships in my life (or at least put them at a safe distance). When I open my Facebook, all I see is fitness related post and when I hang out with my friends, it is with friends who help hold me accountable instead of trying to talk me into cheating or quitting. It is really about changing your WHOLE life, not just about changing your food.”

Here are a few other ways I stay motivated (in case you need some ideas):

1.       I keep my goals written out on my mirror

2.       I find clothes that are too small and try them on every week or so (I usually take photos so that I can compare from week to week).

3.       I put pictures of myself now next to pictures of myself at a heavier weight

4.       I have uplifting quotes posted in places at my work, my house, my phone, etc.

5.       I have a couple girlfriends who text/call me and help hold me accountable

6.       I have the most amazing soon to be husband who supports me through it all (a great support system)

7.       I am blessed to have a trainer who tells it like it is and wont accept any of my excuses

8.       My son who makes me want to be the BEST mom I can be

9.       And last but certainly not least, God! He has given me this wonderful life and I want to make the most out of it.

Yall dig deep and really think of what keeps you motivated… I am sure there are things you aren’t even thinking of. When you want to quit, think of those things and press on!

I hope you all have a happy and healthy Thursday!

XOXO

Fitbyjordan

Marking off goals!!!

A blog from the scale whore (Lo, if you are reading just stop… lol)

I FINALLY DID IT!!! I have wanted to cross off my next goal for over a month now. In July, I thought I was going to do it but then would never get below 176. I finally hit 175.8 last week and boy oh boy, I was SUPER excited!!!

This morning (like every morning – Lo I said stop reading, I know how much you hate me weighing myself daily) I weighed myself… I was expecting something in the 175’s. My 2^nd goal on my mirror was for me to hit 175.0 and even though I have been close, it hasn’t happened yet. Well this morning it did, plus some! Well, just look at the picture below!!!

I ran to my craft room, found a marker and ran back to my bathroom and MARKED THAT GOAL OUT!!!!

My next goal is to hit 164.4 (the lowest I have ever been as an adult) by my 28^th birthday (which is August 22, that is 15 days away). I know that is a HUGE stretch but I love challenges, they keep me pushing forward.

Time to give it hell!!!

I can’t wait to cross off the 164.4lb goal so I can write 3 more goals up there (and cross those off too)!

Something I cant stress enough

I was walking behind 2 women (they were heavy set women) and 1 man (he was average size). The guy asked the ladies to go to a burger joint so they can have some burgers and this dessert he was really wanting. Well the ladies said “We will after our last weigh in, we don’t have much longer on this DIET and then we can finally eat whatever we want again…” I wanted to laugh so hard but I figured I would be nice and bite my tongue.

As my wonderful readers and friends, there is something that I really want to make sure you all know and understand. The word diet SUCKS! Please understand that when you are on a journey to get healthy, you are not on a diet… you have to change your lifestyle and keep it changed. Trust me, I know.

I was so determined to lose 100 pounds, I did and then I went back to my old ways. I never really changed my lifestyle… I just kept up a diet that had an expiration date attached to it. Then (with the help of my surgery) I gained 40-50 pounds back! It is funny to think of it now, really did I think that since I reached my goal I could go back to my old ways and keep the weight off?

This time around, I have really been working on the emotional part of my journey and really changing how I think about things. I do have goals I would like to reach BUT I do not have an expiration date or a final goal to meet. Once I reach my goal weight on the scale, I will have another goal of shaping my body the way I want it. Once I have my body the way I want it, I will have the goal of maintaining that shape and that weight. It is an ongoing journey, it is a lifestyle change, and it is NOT a diet.

Arm & Core Workout

Casey has been asking me to help revamp his workouts. He has been working out for almost a month now and hasn’t seen much progress. I really believe that it is because he is just going in there doing miscellaneous things and leaving. You need to go to the gym prepared and with a plan. No matter if you plan for it to be a leg day, arm day, core day, or whatever day… plan out what exercises you will performing. When you have a plan, you are able to focus more on each workout instead of thinking “what will I do next?”

Anyways…

I have written up an arm and core workout for Casey and wanted to share it with you too. If you have questions about anything in the workout let me know, I have tried to answer some questions for you below.

Warm up with 5-10 minutes of cardio (rowing is the best option since we are working on arms today!)

Round 1:

12 – 10 – 8 Bicep Curls and Triceps kick backs

30 Push-ups

High – Low Planks (20 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

Twist planks (20 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

Hold plank (20 seconds)

Rest 2 minutes

Round 2:

12 – 10 – 8 Shoulder Presses and Flys

30 Push-ups

High – Low Planks (20 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

Twist planks (20 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

Hold plank (20 seconds)

Rest 2 minutes

Round 3:

12 – 10 – 8 Chest Presses and Arm Raises

30 Push-ups

High – Low Planks (20 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

Twist planks (20 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

Hold plank (20 seconds)

Rest 2 minutes

Round 4:

12 – 10 – 8 Rowing and Overhead Triceps

30 Push-ups

High – Low Planks (20 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

Twist planks (20 seconds)

Rest 20 seconds

Hold plank (20 seconds)

Cool down with 20 minutes of cardio

Questions you might have:

What does it mean when you say 12 – 10 – 8?

12 Reps at a light weight

10 Reps at a medium weight

8 Reps at a heavy weight

What is a High – Low Plank?

It is where you start off with a plank on your palms and then go down to a plank on your forearms. Keep going up and down until you have reached 20 seconds.

What is a Twist Plank?

It is where you are doing a plank on your palms and then you dip your right hip down to the ground, then your left. Repeat this until the time is over.

Do you hold plank on your palms or your forearms?

For this workout, I hold them on my palms

Enjoy!

July Success

Hey yall, another month is over for 2013 and I am really excited about that! August means my son is home for good, my fiancés birthday, my birthday, my trip to New York and so much more!!! I love August!

But before I get carried away with how much I adore August, let’s talk about July and all the success I had!

1.       I kept up with my 2 a days for about 90% of the time!

2.       I took a challenge with the YMCA and earned a t-shirt for completing so many minutes of activity

3.       I stuck to my clean eating for 30 days (1 day I binge ate and I have to tell you, it didn’t taste as good as I thought it would and it actually  left my tummy upset for a couple days)

4.       I purchased a size 10 skirt and rocked that sucka at work! Yall, I was squeezing into my 18’s at the beginning of the year!

5.       I tried on all my dresses that have been put up because they have been to small (size 10’s and 12’s) and every single one of them fit me.

6.       I have gone up again on my weights, getting stronger every day

7.       I started training Avery (which has been an amazing experience for me)

8.       And… I lost exactly 8 pounds (according to my scale, no Lo’s)

I am so motivated and determined right and I love every bit of it. People have been able to notice the change in my body and my attitude and that is such a great feeling. I love all the kind words you have all said to me; they help drive me that much closer to my goals.

Here are my stats:

I am 5’10

July 1^st – 183.6

August 1^st – 175.6

8 more pounds gone and NEVER coming back!

Goals:

1.       To hit 189.8 --- DONE AND DONE

2.       2. To hit 175.0 --- I have 0.6 pounds to go (so close, so close)

3.       To hit 164.0 by my 28^th birthday (8/22) --- I have 11.6 pounds to go and 21 days to do it (this is going to be hard since my weight loss has slowed down, but I am going to continue to push hard at the gym and eat clean and give it my all…)

Happy and Healthy August Yall!!!

Love Fitbyjordan