OMG! I've Got Break Up Belly!

"Omg! What the f+*# is that?" That's what I thought as I bounced around in my friend's fitness class. "Ugh! It can't be! Yes it is" I exclaimed to myself. "I've got break-up belly!". You know. When you get dumped and between crying and cursing you resort to comforting carbs or whining wine or sobbing sweets. Most people know this as "emotional eating." Whatever you call it, I did it and now I'm seeing the sad results! As I watched my middle jiggle and my belly bulge I was not impressed. Neither were my muscles for that matter. Man. I feel so out of shape.

What am I going to do about it? First, cut out all sugar or sweeteners except for fruit. Second, cutback big time on eating out. Third, bump it up a notch in the gym. Three manageable steps I can handle. Time to get into Superwoman mode! Get out of my way as I get back on the Fit and Fierce train!

By the way, Fit and Fierce Boot Camp is coming back ... better than ever! Want more details? Email me at carafullerton@define-fitness.com.

I Love You ... But I Love Me More

This is kind of a Dear John letter ... to all my fitness clients:

Dear Awesome Clients,

I have had so much fun kickin' your butts over the past 8 months or so. But it's time for a big change. It's not you. It's me. I loved pushing you so hard 'til you sweat buckets. I loved the great stories you shared in our sessions. I loved the jokes we made ... usually inappropriate. I loved when you whined and complained ... then I'd work you even harder. I loved when you did something you never thought you could do. I loved when you told me all the excuses you were going to use to skip boot camp ... but you came anyway.

I love you guys, but I love me more. That's why I made the difficult decision to put my fitness business on hold ... at least for 2013 ... so I can love myself more ... by working out consistently, having more downtime, getting better sleep, eating better, spending more time with friends ... get me? I will be a better, healthier ME ... mentally, physically and emotionally. And you never know, Fit & Fierce Boot Camp may come back some day. But for now I'm working on my own fitness ... and my own fierceness!

Signed with mixed emotions,

Cara ...

P.S. Still keeping my certifications current, will give fitness advice if asked, and will keep you up to date on my fitness journey through this blog. Hope you'll stick around!

Don't make the same mistake I did

I'm not going to lie. I'm glad this Define Fitness 6 week challenge is over. And since I'm confessing, after week one I didn't exactly follow my 6 week challenge plan that I laid out in the beginning. Trust me. I tried. Word of advice ... DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID. Yes. I made a big mistake when I planned my 6 week challenge. I bit off waaaaaaaay more than I could chew. The plan was borderline contest prep ... Lifting 5 days a week, cardio 4 times a week for at least 45 minutes, topped off with a tight diet ... and one moderate reward meal a week. It's a great plan that would without a doubt get results! I would have been "jacked" as one of my Define Fitness colleagues said. But it didn't exactly go as planned. Working one and a half jobs, working on new projects, trying to have a social life, being sleep-deprived didn't help. But that doesn't mean I abandoned my healthy lifestyle. I did workout ... some weeks only twice ... other weeks more. I also ate good clean food ... not always on time, not always enough, and not always what was on the plan. And I did eat "dirty" food beyond my one moderate reward meal limit. However I followed the 80/20 rule ... 80% clean, 20% "dirty". I was beating myself up every week that I didn't follow the 6 week challenge plan and vowed to get back on it. But really, the plan that I did follow was better FOR ME because it was more realistic FOR ME to follow, it fits MY lifestyle way better, and I'll be able to maintain it for a lot longer than 6 weeks. That's more important to me. It doesn't mean I'll never challenge my "fitness" self. It just means the challenge will be more suited to my lifestyle and schedule.

Despite not following my exact 6 week challenge plan, I did see success in the measurements I used. However, I don't want my clients to always be focused on the numbers. I want them to have fun training with me and feel amazing because of it. And if those jeans that they've been squeezing into fit a little better, then that's the icing on the cake! Mmmmmmm ... Cake :)

It’s not an excuse. It’s a choice. Update on my #6weekchallenge

These past 2 weeks of my 6 week challenge were far from stellar. I hardly worked out more than 2 days a week. I ate well during the week but on the weekends I either hardly ate … or ate bad stuff beyond my treat meal allowance. Why? I was super busy. It’s not an excuse. It’s a choice. I chose to be busy with a new fitness venture (www.fiercegirlfitness.com). It’s great because I’m adding to my fitness empire … growing my fitness business … sharing my love of fitness. All great stuff! However, like I’ve said in many blogs before I’m doing way too much. My goal was reasonable. However how I planned to go about it doesn’t work with my current lifestyle. I want to be able to maintain this routine beyond the 6 weeks. Believe it or not the clean eating was a lot easier than my workout schedule. So I will make some changes in my workout plan for the last 2 weeks in this challenge. It’s still enough time to make a difference … get back on the wagon … go hard or go home!

I Think I'll Stay Positive #6WeekChallenge

I thought long and hard about how I wanted to write this blog because week two of my 6 week challenge didn't go as well as I had hoped. Do I beat myself up for not following my plan exactly? Or do I focus on the stuff I did right and look forward to improving this week? I think I'll stay positive. What I did right: Ate clean and on time, 4 good workouts. What I'd like to improve on this week: More sleep, 6 good workouts, more moderate treat day. One of the numbers I'm using to measure my goal looks good so I know there is progress. My meals are ready for the week and I'm going to start things off with a good sleep tonight. Let week three of my 6 week challenge begin! To read more blogs from my fellow Define Fitness team members and their 6 week challenges go to www.define-fitness.com.

Off to a Great Start ... Sort of ... #6WeekChallenge

As part of the Define Fitness team it's important for me walk the talk. So that's how the 6 week challenge came about. Each DF fitness coach picks a fitness goal, plans how they're going to get there, and documents the journey for all followers, friends, and clients to see. My goal: fat loss through consistent workouts and clean eating. I was off to a great start on my first week of the 6 week challenge. My food was on point. I was getting my workouts and cardio done. My muscles were nice and sore telling me I had pushed myself in the gym. I was already feeling and seeing results of the clean eating and consistent workouts. But what I didn't see was that a cold virus I had managed to avoid for weeks was getting ready to pounce again. This time it hit its target ... ME! On the evening of day 4 of my 6 week challenge, after my workout of the day, I started to feel it. I was down for the count. The way I felt I knew I'd be out for a few days. That meant no gym for me. But I didn't abandoned my 6 week challenge. I stuck to my diet and will do so until I get back to the gym. Thank goodness my fridge is full of all the clean eats I need while I'm quarantined. Resting and recharging for week 2 of the 6 week challenge! To read more about the Define Fitness 6 Week Challenge go to www.define-fitness.com and click on BLOG.

Size Matters

As a personal trainer, I’m always happy to know when I’ve made a healthy impact on someone’s life ... even it’s a small impact. Like when I asked a co-worker about the nutritional content of the cereal he was eating and suggested that size matters. Me: “What’s your portion size?” His answer: “A bowlful”. I said he should probably check the serving size on the nutritional label. Well the next morning as he was pouring out his cereal, he said my voice popped into his head: “What’s your portion size?”. He promptly pulled out a measuring cup and dished out a perfect serving size as suggested on the box. Oh yeah ... then there’s my other colleague who likes to update me on her kitchen workouts. That’s right. She works out in her kitchen ... doing burpees with the broccoli ... and push ups with the pots and pans. As a single mom of a vibrant little girl there’s not a lot of time to fit everything in ... unless you make it a priority. And this recipe of fitness only requires 3 ingredients: a yoga mat, some rubber tubing ... and a little effort. Another great thing is that her daughter joins in! Small changes. Step by step. Long-term results!