265 vs 290

When I started my weight loss journey, I weighed 265 pounds. That has always been what I have used as my “start” weight. I was going through pictures the other day and found one of me from about 8 years ago. On the back it said “My heaviest – 290”… Reading that kind of hit me hard. I had forgotten about ever being that big. It was obviously a memory I did NOT want to remember.

I was telling a friend about this picture and they brought up a GREAT question. If my heaviest was 290 pounds then I do I say my “start” weight is 265?

I guess 2 reasons….

1.       I forgot all about being 290 until I found that picture (picture below)
2.       I weighed 265 when I started my journey I am on now so I just figured that is what I was supposed to use.

I have brought up the question of what weight to use on a couple of different fitness pages I am a member of and each one says that I should use the 290. The last thing I ever want is for someone to think I am a fraud or a liar and just changed my start weight from 265 to 290. So, I have decided that what I will say is that at my heaviest I was 290 but I really became focused on my weight loss journey when I weighed 265. It’s the only way I know how to say it without making it sound like a lie… ya know?!

That would make my totals (as of last Thursday when I weighed)

290 to 176 = 114 pound loss

265 to 176 = 89 pound loss

Either way, that is a damn good loss!!!

I hope you all have a FIT day!

1 bad day

Yesterday was a B-A-D day for me. I was exhausted. I was craving all kinds of food. I was bitchy. I was just not myself. I was annoyed and then getting annoyed at myself for being annoyed.

Do you ever have those kind of days?!

I ate a crap lunch, which I haven't done since the last day of May... which I think made it even worse. Then I left work an hour early (skipping my lunch so I could) so that I could go home and crash. I slept for 4 wonderful hours. Then I woke up, ate a crap dinner, and went back to bed.

The scale has been put up and will not make an appearance again until next Friday. Which was my idea because I did not want to beat myself up for having one off day. I have done perfect the last 2 months, and I have to remember that 1 off day is not going to kill me. To help me remember this, I pulled out a pair of size 12 junior jeans out of my huge pile of jeans and put those bad boys on... and I am wearing them now. Old Jordan probably would have grabbed a pair of comfy pants or a dress even, due to being bloated or feeling guilty. I decided to break that tradition. I put on the jeans and made myself realize that one bad day didn't erase all my hard work.

I did over sleep this morning, my body needed it obviously, so I ended up leaving the house with nothing packed for the day. Luckily, I have extra food at work and I had a gym bag (I didn't use yesterday) still in my car. I am back on track today and plan to stay that way until I land in New York City on my birthday in a month. I have logged my food for the day and have my workouts planned.

Remember, one bad day isn't going to make you fat just like one great day isn't going to make you fit.

You have to let the great days out weigh the bad. You have to plan and stick to the plan. You have to fight and fight hard. You have to surround yourself with people who are going to keep you accountable. You have to listen to your body and take a break when needed so you do not end up hurting yourself. You and you alone are the reason you will succeed or fail... there is no one else to blame but yourself!

You can do it!

Have a great Fit Friday and a wonderful weekend of staying on track and pressing forward!

Casey + Jordan = 5 A.M. Leg Day

This morning I had the privilege of turning on the lights and shouting... WAKE UP!!!! I have to admit, it felt great. Oh and did I mention, it was 5 am?! Yes, I am a morning person and Casey hates it.

As he was waking up and getting dressed, I heated up the protein pancakes I made him last night. I put them on a plate, drizzled the syrup on top and poured him a glass of milk. Can you tell he is just a little bit spoiled?

Off to the gym we went! It was so much fun being able to workout with someone else (I always workout out alone unless I am partner training with Lo). While working out with him was fun, it was even more fun to be able to tell him what to do for the workout. (Yes, I like being bossy). He trusted me fully to make sure he got a GREAT workout in... well, lets just say he left dripping sweat and then asked if he could have the workout (I printed it out) so he could do it again on his own!

Here is the workout:
side note: this is a cardio intense leg workout, you do not have to go to a gym to perform this workout and you do not need weights (unless you want them)

5 Minute warm up walking 3.5 incline 5

100 squats – with weights

90 mountain climbers

80 calf raises

70 pile squats – with weights

60 Glute Bridge Raises – with weighted ball

50 Jumping jacks

40 bench step ups – with weights

30 squat jumps – Jordan wall squat for the time it takes Casey to finish

20 lunges Casey – Jordan leg raises 10 on each leg with band

10 burpees

Repeat going backwards

10 minute cool down walking 3.7 incline 0

Enjoy!

A couple of awesome things!

I want to share a couple awesome things with you... these are random and kinda all over the place so bare with me!

I am having Avery weigh in once a week. This past Monday was her second weigh in and she has lost 1 pound! I am so proud of her. When I am training her, she does awesome and gives it her all. I just have to find a way to have her give it her all when I am not with her. Being a kid, she rather stay in and watch tv all day and not have to worry about working out. She wants to be able to just eat and not have to worry about portion control. It's going to take me spending time and really being hands on with her but I know the change can (and will) happen!

Tomorrow Case is picking up some OT at work and will be going in at the same time I do... this means he gets to FINALLY go to the gym with me! Yes, I am SUPER excited!!! I have been helping him by giving him tips on what to do when he goes to the gym but I haven't been with him in a long time. Tomorrow morning is going to be AWESOME! I am a morning person and he isn't so that will just add to the fun... for me! I can't wait to train him, eek! Oh and even better, its leg day tomorrow!!!

Since I am a scale whore, I weighed myself this morning even though I said I wouldn't until Fridays. I was 176.0... that means I have exactly 1 more pound to go before I hit my 2nd goal on my mirror. Being 176 also means that I have lost a total of 36 pounds this year and I only have 12 more to go to hit my 101 pound loss again.

Last thing... I love process pictures! I posted a picture of my workout tank this morning (I am doing a contest on my Fitbyjordan group page on Facebook to win one like it) and Brittany Bellair (BBEatsClean) commented on the photo on instagram about how much definition is in my arm. I decided to do a side by side photo of my arms from the last time I posted a bicep photo (3 weeks ago). Here are the results... WOW! Look at that definition just in 3 weeks!!! I sent it to Case and he replied "I am impressed and intimidated" Hahaha love him and my biceps!

I hope you all have a happy healthy Wednesday!!!!

The Shrimp

My lovely trainer made me do an awful workout yesterday morning, and I want to share it with you. It was awful but very funny to watch. She called it “The Shrimp”. I can’t even begin to explain to you how to go about doing this workout, so I made you a video. We had to go 10 feet to the right, 10 feet to the left and then repeat. It was brutal and I cussed almost the whole time. I am the kind of person who likes to finish 1^st and well, I didn’t finish with The Shrimp 1^st while partner training yesterday.

Even though I hated it, I am gonna practice and practice because the next time she has us do this… I am gonna blow her mind with how AWESOME I am at it!

Okay, here is the video… but promise me this, you will try it after you watch it!

Heck, Casey even tried it last night!!!

Happy Monday!

Everyone always complains it is Monday again and here recently I have been noticing it more and more. Maybe its just because I am a grown up now and Monday means work, preparing dinner, getting the kids off to school, taking care of everything you put off from the weekend. Monday means business.

Welp, my trainer opened my eyes this morning by posting a motivational quote:

That is VERY true! 

Think about it, if the 1st thing you hear in the morning is a sweet compliment than chances are you are probably going to be all bubbly. If the 1st thing you hear is bad news, you will probably be crummy the rest of the day.

One little positive thought can change your entire day, so why not give yourself the power and change your own day?  
How about in the mornings, give yourself a compliment.
Thank God that you have yet another day to live.
Be happy that you have a job to go to that helps you pay bills for your family.
Take joy and pride in watching your sweet innocent child sleeping before you wake them and they become a monster (lol).
Look yourself in the mirror and realize how lucky you are.

One thought can change your whole day... so change it!

Also, it got me thinking...
If one thought can change my entire day, well 1 thought from me to another person could change their entire day too!
Why not lift each other up instead of tearing each other down.
Pay a compliment to a friend or heck even to a stranger.
Wave and smile.
Say 'Thank You' and use the person's name at the store or restuarant who served you.
Hold the door/elevator open for someone behind you.
There are endless possiblities!

I challenge you to not only change your entire day every morning by thinking a positive thought but to also try and change someone elses by paying it forward.

The email that helped me win a trip to New York with Brittany Bellair (BBEatsClean)

If you heard a loud squeal earlier today, it was me! I won a trip to New York with an amazing fitness lady, Brittany Bellair (aka BBEatsClean). On this trip, we will be attending the NPC Stage Ready Workshop to learn more about training, nutrition and competing from 3 IFBB pros in Figure, Bikini and Physique. I want to share with all of you the email that helped me win this chance of a lifetime!

Brittany,

Hey, I am Jordan Lassiter (aka FutureMrsFlowers on Instagram) and I live in Fort Worth, Texas... just a couple miles from you! . Let me tell you a little about myself...

Almost 4 years ago I gave birth to a little boy. When I got home from the hospital I weighed in at my heaviest ever at a whopping 265 pounds! I had always struggled with my weight and tried every fad diet you could think of... literally every single one of them. Nothing ever worked. When my son was 3 months old, something clicked inside me and I knew I had to lose the weight. I was getting tired playing on the floor with him and I knew that would just get worse as he got older. I was a single mother who knew it would be HARD but I took control of my life and met with a trainer. I was taught how to eat clean and workout the right way. Over the course of the next 15 months I lost 101 pounds... May 4, 2011 I weighed 164!!! I felt GREAT!!! Actually, I had even started to try and tone my body up more so that I could maybe one day try and enter a fitness competition. I lost the weight  by running so I had like no muscle definition at all. After a few short months I started seeing myself more toned then I ever imagined...

Fast forward to January 2012... I had a knee injury from high school and gaining 100 pounds, then losing it by running made matters worse. Early 2012 I ended up falling down a flight of stairs and then falling and dropping my son... I had to stop working out and meet with a doctor. Ended up I had 2 options, have a reconstructive knee surgery OR have a knee replacement... I am 27 years old! We chose the reconstructive knee surgery. I had the surgery April 12, 2012. After surgery I learned I would never be able to run again. There was to much damage in my knee (they had to shave off part of my cap, take a hamstring and tie my cap down so it wouldn't shift, they had to chisel off my shin and scoot it over and bolt it back down and then try and take as much arthritis out that they could... I have more than a 80 year old woman). After surgery I had to go to rehab, I had to spend the next 2 months learning how to walk again. I fell into a GREAT depression and ate my way through the next couple months.

It wasn't until early this year, I snapped out of my depression and realized I needed to take control of my life (again) or I would be back up to 265. January 2013, I was 212 pounds and hated it. I decided to go hardcore on my clean eating and get my BIG butt back to the gym. In the past 6 months I have been able to take control and learn how to workout again with my knee restrictions. No running meant I had to find out how to workout again... actually this time around I have fallen in love with lifting weights and I am more toned then I ever have been before. I am back down to 182 as of this morning!!!

I am getting married in March 2014 and plan on being in the best shape of my life!!! I cant wait!!! Oh and August 22 is my 28th birthday so what better way to spend it with a girl I look up to (you duh) in New York learning about something that I have been wanting  to do for a long long  time!!!

Whoever you pick is going to be a lucky girl... just hope and pray its me!!

Toodles!
Jordan

***I was also just informed that Casey, my loving fiance, sent in an email on my behalf telling Brittany why she should pick me. Seriously, how the heck did I get so lucky to call him mine?!***

Fit Test

Have you ever done Insanity? If so, you know that Shaun T has you do a Fit Test at the beginning of the program and then every couple of weeks. This allows you to see your progresss of how far you have come since day 1. I love this idea because everytime I would get discouraged, I would compare my fit test results and know that the program is actually working.

Tonight I train Aves for my 2nd time and I have decided that I am going to do a fit test with her. It will be workouts she can do at home so that if she wants to, she can practice and get better, stronger and faster for the next fit test. Casey and I sat down and wrote out a list (below) of what her fit test will be made up of. It is all things that most people should know how to do already and I know over time, she will be able master each one of these workouts. Since I am not with Aves every single day, I have decided to have her re-take the fit test weekly (on Wednesday). Taking her fit test weekly will show me that she is putting the work in (or not) and it will help her stay encouraged to eat healthy and workout.

Here is the Fit Test:

Avery’s Fit Test
Wednesday July 17, 2013

Mad Dash (time) _______________________ - This will be her running from her house to the stop sign at the end of her street and back.

1 Minute of Burpees ____________________ - How many she can complete in a minute time

1 Minute of Jumping Jacks _______________ - How many she can complete in a minute time

1 Minute of Crunches ___________________ - How many she can complete in a minute time

1 Minute of Push-Ups ___________________ - How many she can complete in a minute time (on her knees, hopefully one day she can do them regular)

Plank (time) ___________________________ - How long she can hold a plank

1 Minute of Squats _____________________  - How many she can complete in a minute time

1 Minute of Punches ___________________ - How many she can complete in a minute time (squat position, throwing left and right jabs)

1 Minute of Lunges ____________________ - How many she can complete in a minute time (walking lunges)

1 Minute Box Jumps ____________________ - How many she can complete in a minute time (a box jump is basically a squat in the air)

Training Aves!

Last night was my 1^st training with Avery, it was pretty exciting! Avery is 12 years old and will be going to middle school in the fall. She is one of the brightest kids I have ever met and the girl is SO photogenic. I love her to pieces so I am very happy that I am able be on this journey with her.

 

Okay so here is how last night went… I picked Aves up and while we drove to the gym, we were able to talk in depth about why she wants this change. I wanted to make sure that this change is something SHE really wants. I know from experience that if the change is not your idea, you will not change. She ensured me that she wants to change and is ready to do the work. She did admit that her motivation dies down very quickly, something else I relate to. We were also able to talk about how weight loss is 80% eating and 20% working out. I wanted her to know that even if she doesn’t make it to the gym every day, that she is still in control of her weight loss if she just makes the right choices when she eats.

We arrived at the gym and I decided to go through a MobileFit workout with her. For those of you who do not know what MobileFit is, it is a program offered by the YMCA that allows you to track your workouts, food and it also creates workouts for you to complete while at the gym. I have been using the workout tool on the days I do not meet with my trainer Lo. It has been very beneficial to me because it makes me step outside my comfort zone and lift weights I wouldn’t lift on my own. Anyways, I decided to print off a workout and go through this with Aves. I was able to show her different weight machines, I was able to show her the correct form she needs to use while lifting, and I was able to work out with her and feel like I got a great workout in. I was very proud of her while she was lifting. If something was to light in weight, she told me and let me up her weight. When we did biceps, the lighter weights were occupied so she went for the heavier weights… I was proud!!

We finished up with some cardio on the bike. The only program I found on the bike that I like is a high low program… it is where you pedal at a 80-90 RPM for 1 minute and then get your RPM up above 120 for 30 seconds. We ended up doing this for 15 minutes and then had a 5 minute cool down. Avery was done after about 7 minutes. She wanted to give up and I could see that motivation dying inside her. I had to push her, like Lo pushes me, but I had to do it in a way that she would fight harder instead of breaking. Every time she wanted to give up, I would remind her why she started, “You want to lose 10 pounds by school”, “you want people to compliment you on your weight”, “you want girls to whisper about how much weight you have lost instead of how much you have gained”… This method helped along with telling her that if she stopped again, I would add 1 minute on to the cardio session.

She finished strong and I am very proud of her! I left her with some homework (taking before full body photos and coming up with 3 goals she has) and told her I would see her again on Wednesday. This is such an exciting chapter in my life and on the way home I couldn’t help but smile because I know I am finally doing what I was called to do!!

Losing weight and changing your life is great, but losing weight and helping other people change their lives while you change yours is even better!!!

Women + Weights = MAGIC!!!

Two years ago when I lost 101 pounds, I did it by running. I hardly ever lifted weights, unless my trainer made me. Even then, I slacked big time. I was scared that if I lifted the weights, I would gain weight and that was the last thing I wanted to do. When I had my knee surgery, I ended up gaining back almost 40 pounds and it came back fast!

This time around, I have been talking to one of my dear friends who lifts weights and she has really helped me fall in love with weight lifting. If I would have been lifting weights 2 years ago, I probably would not have gained all 40lbs back because I would have had the muscle to help me break down the fat.

Women – You will NOT turn into a gargantuan man by lifting weights!!! Please understand this!!!!

I have done my research and wanted to key you in on a few reasons why weight lifting will actually help you lose weight…

1.       Muscle BURNS fat

2.       Muscle helps speed up your metabolism

3.       Muscle basically eats away your fat because the muscle needs energy to rebuild after you lift and the fat is what it uses for energy

4.       Muscle helps shape your body – helps you look better naked (wink wink)

5.       The more muscle you have, the more your body will burn fat/calories

You could weigh 150 pounds and never lift or you can weigh 150 pounds and lift weights and you would look so much better with the muscle then without… don’t believe me? Check out Brittany Eats Clean on Facebook or bbeatsclean on Instagram. She posted pictures of this exact example last night!

Ladies, take it from someone who has lost weight both ways (all cardio and cardio + weight lifting), I am in MUCH better shape now then I was 2 years ago even though I am still 14 pounds away from hitting my 101 weight loss again.

Moral of the story… LIFT WEIGHTS and don’t be scared!!!

Have a happy health FIT Friday!

Constant Prayers

Constant Prayers            

Two years ago when I hit my 101 pound loss, I had a dream of becoming a personal trainer. I was ready to start studying and then life got in the way and I pushed my dream aside. For the last month or so, this dream has been coming back up almost daily. I have been in constant prayer about if this is the right step for me to take, who I would even train, how I would even go about it and everything else. A few weeks ago, it was laid on my heart that I need to focus on kids and mothers. I have been helping a bunch of my friends (who happen to be Mom’s) so I have that area down… how do I even start with kids? I have been praying for God to help me out because I can’t just go up to someone and say “Hey, is your kid overweight, do they need my help?” I know if someone did that to me, I would probably smack them! I figured God would be able to do it WAY better than I could so I handed it over to him.

Last night, I received a text from a sweet friend (someone who played an important role in my weight loss) asking me for help with her daughter (who happens to be my little… someone I have hung out with, been there for guidance, and much more). I couldn’t stop smiling, not that she needed my help but that God answered my prayers. I of course agreed to help out and 1^st thing this morning I sent over a LONG email for the mom to read and then have her daughter read. This is a start to something that is going to play a huge part in my life and I couldn’t be more excited.

My hopes for this next chapter in my life:

1.       That I can encourage this girl to fully jump on board with changing her life at such a young age.

2.       That when she hits her goal of becoming fit, she can join me and help me spread the word to other kids her age.

How am I going to do this you might ask?

1.       I plan on after hitting my 101 pound weight loss (again) I am going to purchase the study materials to become a certified personal trainer. I hope that by 2014 I will have my certificate and I can really expand my dream.

2.       I plan on working with this girl very closely, teaching her everything I know and making sure I set out one-on-one time with her.

The best thing of all, Casey is on board with this all. It is great to have such a wonderful man supporting me each step of the way. I have known my entire life that working with kids in some way is my calling from God and I am so excited to finally figure out how to do it. This is just the beginning and I am SO excited!!!

If you have a child who you feel might benefit from learning about weight loss and getting healthy, message me!

Happy 3rd of July

Tomorrow is a holiday and most holidays mean you will be surrounded by food and drinks... oh and family and friends! But I am sure there will be way more food then there is people which means you probably will have unlimited options and that could be B-A-D!

Dig down deep and figure out what you want more, to over eat and over drink just because its a holiday OR do you want to stay on track with your meals and workouts and conquer your goals?

My choice is to crush my goals for sure! Here is how I am going to do it...

 - We are celebrating with family, friends and fireworks tonight instead of tomorrow night since I have decided to work Friday instead of taking a vaca day. My sister & brother in law are having a cookout and I am bringing my own turkey burgers instead of eating what they are grilling. My sister is going to have fruit and a salad (thank goodness she is on the healthy journey too). I will make myself a plate, eat and then be done. No snacking just to snack. I will be armed with water and focus on hanging out with my nieces and watching fireworks instead.

- Tomorrow I am off and the YMCA is open (YES!!) so I am meeting my sister up at the gym bright and early (8am) to do a full body workout and cardio before the day starts. Later in the day Casey and I will be working on making a photo wall for our wedding (work out) and then headed to the mall to do some shopping with a gift card I won (walking = working out). We have decided to not attend any parties and spend the day together instead since we do not have Caleb. This will help with the eating. I will be able to control what we both eat all day long.

- Friday will go back to normal since I decided to go back to work instead of taking a vaca day.

- Saturday night we have plans to go on a triple date... we have chose sushi (my idea, are you shocked since I really don't like fish?!) and I have already reviewed the restaurants menu. I know exactly what I will be ordering and then we are going bowling (another form of a fun workout).

- Sunday will be like all my other Sunday's so I am good there too!

You have to have a plan when going into a holiday, specially one that can go from being a 1 day holiday into a weekend long holiday. If you have a plan, you are more than likely to stick to it and come Monday morning you will feel better about the choices you made.

I hope you all have a happy and safe 4th of July!

The other white dress

I have had this white dress (not my wedding dress) that I just love so much. It's a perfect dress to wear on a hot summer day. I bought it the summer I had lost all my weight (2 years ago) and it fit perfectly. Well, with my surgery, depression and weight gain in 2012... the dress was T-I-G-H-T!!! I couldn't even zip it myself. I had to have Casey zip it while I sucked in and pulled the material back to help him. It was a sad sad day!

In January of this year I told Casey my goal was to have this white dress no longer fit me because it is to big. I have been trying it on every couple months since then. In January, it was the same story as I just mentioned. TIGHT and Casey had to zip it while I helped. Then I tried it on again in March while I was doing Insanity. Casey still had to zip it, but it wasn't as tight as it was in January. I couldn't wear a bra with it because it was basically cutting off blood flow under my arms.

Well, this morning I thought what the heck, I am going to try this on and wear it to work. Casey was not home so I knew if I wanted to wear it to work, I would have to zip it myself. I put it on and was able to zip it with ease. After getting it on I realized that it was loose in the chest and that there was plenty of room for me to put on a strapless bra!!!

I decided to take a picture and compare to March. I can see a difference in how much my stomach sticks out... still gonna work on that, I want the dress to lay flat and not stick out at all. I can see a difference in the size of my arms too. Lifting weights is really helping my arms shrink and I am happy about that because my arms have always been one of my big problem areas.

 I am going to try this dress on again in 3 more month (October) and compare again! My goal is to have it be to big by then... Time to give it hell!!

My success in June

June was a GREAT month for me and here is why:

1. I fully started back with Lo - training twice a week

2. I started doing 2 a days at the gym

3. I did not cheat one single day even though I planned on eating cake on the 22nd.

4. I signed up for a program at the Y and completed it (got me another t-shirt)

5. I reached 2 goals on the YMCA MobileFit program (hello waterbottle and coupon, those were my prizes)

6. I have gone down a size in pants (Holla!)

7. I am lifting heavier weights

8. Oh and ummm... I lost exactly 17 pounds from June 1 - June 30 (according to my scale, not Lo's... I weigh in with her tomorrow).

Seriously, I have not been this dedicated and motivated since when I was aiming for my 100 pound loss 2 years ago. There is something that caught on fire deep down inside and it has finally made its way to the surface and I am ready to get back down to my 101 pound weight loss.

Here are my stats:

I am 5'10

June 1st weight - 200.6

June 30th weight - 183.6

17 pounds gone and NEVER coming back!

Goals:

1. To hit 189.8 --- DONE & DONE

2. To hit 175.0 --- I have 8.6 pounds to go

3. To hit 164.0 by my 28th birthday (8/22/85) --- I have 19.6 pounds to go and I have 53 days (6.5 weeks) to do it!!

If you think I killed it in June, just wait and see what I have in store for July!!!

Have a happy and healthy Monday!

-Fitbyjordan