Thriller, Howl, and the TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE!

wow! okay so i know i am the worst at blogging but mid terms kinda got in the way of me posting the past little while. now, they are all over and i am ready to start sharing again! :)

so, first off - HAPPY MONDAY! i hope you are all enjoying today. it is a great day! :)

this past weekend was CRAZY and sooo much fun! first came performing "Thriller" at the first mens basketball game and then saturday was full of volunteering for the "Howl". i had never been to the Howl before and i was quite shocked...i think that volunteering was the way to go! it got pretty nuts haha

friday night was a blast! i LOVE performing at basketball! and to make things even better - we had a super fun halftime to perform! Thriler!  here are a few pics:

the whole group after we won 74-41! go aggies!

me and ash are way scary ;) haha

saturday like i mentioned before was full of helping with the Howl. we (when i say "we" i mean rachel, chelsie, and myself) worked for about 4 hours during the day with set up, and then went back 2 hours before it started to finish setting up and getting everything ready, then stayed after to help clean up! throughout the actual event we were in charge of the hospitality room and making sure that everyone had everything they needed (snacks, drinks, etc). we also got to play around during the event - visit all the shows and do a little dancing. it was fun :)

chels and i are experts at making signs :)

a little playing :) - do you like the sparkly lashes? 

just a few of our favorite neighbors!  :)

lots of fun costumes!

it was such a great weekend and i was so glad to be able to spend it with my amazing roommates :) i really don't know what i would do without them!

now, for the TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE! this time of year is really hard for me to be good with my dieting. i feel like i have to eat everything in sight! i was getting super discouraged until i read this on the GPP website (seriously - its like the trainers can read my mind. they post things that i NEED to see! i think it is one of the huge factors that differentiates them from every other gym. they pay attention to the their clients and are so in tune with their needs. it really is amazing!)

from GPP's website on 10-24-12:

"Having a little trouble curbing the appetite this fall? It is a thing.

Autumn is a crazy time of year. One of the hardest times to watch what you eat. I think Karla H. said it best today,

"It's probably because we know we don't have to get into a swimsuit for another 6 months!"

So TRUE, right?

There are probably some other, more deeply seeded reasons for blowing our diets than just the comfort of knowing you'll be wearing baggy pants and sweaters for the next 6 months. These are probably rooted in our genetic coding due to the scarcity of food and lack of warmth which is about to be thrust upon us by mother nature. Well, not really thrust upon "US" any more, but your body still thinks that way. Once the daily photo period begins to shorten and the weather turns a little cold, as far as your appetite is concerned, IT IS ON!

There is nothing you'll want more this time of year than foods that will fatten you up and sustain you for a long cold winter. The drive to eat more, and more often will be hard to fight. But, fight you must! Because here is the thing, the average American gains between 5-15 lbs over the next 3 months! Here is the other thing, if you come into this season a "little heavier" than average, the damage could be 15-20 lbs when all is said and done, if you aren't careful."

this was exactly what i needed to read - i needed to know that i WASN'T alone in my struggling to stay strict on my dieting. so, since everyone seemed to be struggling with the same problem GPP decided to make a TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE starting today and continuing on until Thanksgiving Day. brilliant! the rules are as follows (also directly from GPP's website)

"The GPP Turkey Day Challenge

Beginning Monday Oct. 29 we issue this challenge to those who need to clean up their eating, become more committed to exercise and improve health. 

There are 3 parts to this challenge that you must commit to:

You may eat NO ADDED SUGAR - no white sugar, no brown sugar, no high fructose corn syrup (you'll have to check labels for this sneaky beast). Honey and agave are ok. Unprocessed fruits are OK.  You can have Splenda and Asptartame, but why the H would you want to?  Basically, anything that is a sugary sweet eaten for pleasure alone is off limits.  Just until Thanksgiving day.

You must complete 5 GPP workouts per week PLUS three extra 30 minute cardio sessions per week.

You are to pick a health related challenge to stick to.  Once picked, you should post this healthy challenge and how you will be accountable for compliance to it.  For example: you may choose to begin a few rounds of BCD & post (daily) whether or not you stuck to it.   Below are a few suggestions of health related challenges you may consider:

Comply strictly with a GPP meal plan.

Get 6-8 hours of sleep per night.

50 extra burpees per day.

Pray/meditate daily

No unhealthy snacks.

Take a daily multi vitamin.

5 servings of fruits + 5 servings of vegetables per day.

Eat .9 g of lean protein per lb of lean body weight daily.

Eat healthy & correct portions of breakfast/lunch/dinner.

Weekly community service.

Weigh & measure weekly.

The TEETH

If you are going to commit to any of the above, you have to be committed enough to put some teeth into it.  In other words, it has to HURT if you break your commitment.  So here is how that works:

You must commit to, and define your intention to complete the challenge to comments.

You must post daily results of your challenge to comments.

There are penalties for not following through.  Each time you miss a workout, indulge in a sugary treat, or mess up on your personal goal (your observable, measurable & repeatable one) you are to pay $1, or 1 can of food for every offense!  Strictly enforced by HONOR.  These are to be dropped off at GPP HQ.  Questions or exceptions are to be voted upon by those in the challenge.  Majority rules! 

All of the money raised and food items collected will be donated to the Bountiful Food Pantry. 

Challenge ends at midnight, Nov. 21st. 

We invite anyone looking to get a healthy jump on this holiday season to participate!  We look forward to your successful daily posts!"

i am really excited to start this challenge for many reasons, but one of them is because i KNOW that i CAN succeed with the support system that GPP has.  reading everyone's posts everyday is seriously so incredibly inspiring. the community at GPP is very unique and extremely tight knit. everyone wants everyone else to succeed - and they will help you to do so. so, i want to invite all of you readers to join in as well - lets help each other reach our fitness goals!

my goals that i am going to strive for everyday of this challenge is as follows:

50 extra burpees per day.
Pray/meditate daily
No unhealthy snacks.
Take a daily multi vitamin.

I am also going to try to limit my carb intake - meaning limited breads, pastas, rice, etc.

oh, and before i forget - one more thing that i HAVE GOT TO WORK ON that the amazing janetha from "meals and moves" brought to my attention. she is going to cut out all the BLT's. no, not the delicious sandwiches but "bites" "licks" and "tastes". its the spoonfuls of peanut butter, the handfuls of this or that and the CONSTANT snacking that kills me. the calories add up and QUICK. so i am going to rigorously work on cutting that out as well! 

i hope all of you will also jump on the TURKEY DAY CHALLENGE!!! we can do it together :) lets set ourselves up for success!

have a fabulous night!

xoxo,

lil kate ♥

Ballet Blast and "The Burpee Mile"

hello hello!

it is thursday and officially the beginning of a very short fall break. oh well! short or not, i am grateful for a day off to be able to go home spend time with my family, go on a date with a cute boy, and work at GPP - just a few of my favorite things :)

anyways, today i want to touch on a couple of exciting things that have happened and are happening this week.  yesterday i went to my very first "ballet blast" class.  let me tell you, I LOVED IT! i was pleasantly surprised as to how hard it was!  ballet blast is a very unique workout that you have probably never seen or done before. it combines aerobic exercises with basic ballet technique to give you a workout you will definitely remember the next morning. it works on a lot of cardio and toning/ shaping. exactly what most women want. ballet blast is great because it is perfect for women of all ages, and there is no need for any previous dance experience - you catch on quickly! and, the best part of it is? - it is SO MUCH FUN! my good friend Julia Williams was the instructor last night and she did an amazing job. she never skipped a beat and kept the entire class pumped up the entire time.  if there are classes near you i would definitely recommend giving it a try!

here is a picture form last night's class!

now, on to "The Burpee Mile" :) my amazing gym GPP, has put together quite the charity event set for this Saturday.  it is one mile of burpees. i know that one mile of burpees seems overwhelming- impossible even, but anyone can do it. whether you do the entire mile or just one single burpee, you can come participate and make a difference.  everyone is going to start together and everyone is going finish together. "The Burpee Mile" will be remembered for a long time. it is $5 to register for the event and $20 for a t-shirt (sneak peek of the shirt here). all proceeds are going to the charity "No More Victims", a group fighting against child abuse. 

i have been so inspired these past three weeks as the event has been created and advertised. the number of sponsors that have contributed to the event and the number of people participating is absolutely amazing. i love that we as a community can combine forces and use our fitness to help others.

my amazing boss Neil Anderson puts it all much better than i can so here is a little article that he posted on the GPP website a couple of days ago.  i loved it so much i just couldn't not share. thank you Neil, Lizz and Meg, thank you GPP, and thank you to the amazing community that has helped make this event possible.

Said best by Neil Anderson:
"My health is one of my most treasured gifts. I am grateful for it daily. I realize not everyone has been blessed with this gift. Because of this, I realize that having good health does not come without responsibility. I love the thought of being able to take some of the health I have been blessed with and use it to directly benefit someone else (albeit in a small way). I have long felt that there is no greater usefulness for the act of becoming healthy and fit than to use it in service of another. I believe if more people would put the health they feverishly forge through exercising to this kind of good use - we'd live in an entirely different world. One that would be much better in EVERY regard.

The other thing I believe is, WE all have the power to create this "different world" here and now.

It has already taken root. I am humbled to report the support behind the Burpee Mile has been enormous. I am proud to be a part of such a unique and kind community. And I'm not just talking our GPP community. This cause has transcended our influence. It has brought to itself gifted and caring people who are willing to put aside differences and unite for a superior cause. It is inspiring to know such generosity and humanity exists in such large quantities.

Here is the thing, our combined influences are limited. (Haha, maybe not so much if we'd have started a little earlier. 3 weeks from conception to delivery isn't much time for something like this). So, to make a difference for those who need it, we'll need your help. Please become involved if you can.

Going around the community to invite folks to a "mile of burpees" has been a funny experience. I've never gotten funnier looks. I realize the incredible fear that this invokes. I have the fear myself - bad! But, here is my perspective on it all.

Whatever my fear of burpees ... Whatever the pain I imagine awaits me from doing a mile of them ... all of it PALES in comparison to those who have truly suffered.

Perhaps, as an individual I may not be able to contribute much to this from almost ANY other perspective. I certainly cannot erase terrible things that have been inflicted upon the innocent. But I shall surely try to provide relief where I can. And, by HELL I've got SOME burpees in me. Maybe not a mile of them, but surely SOME. What I have, I intend to give.

If you feel like me, and can contribute anything to a worthy cause, please join us this weekend for The Burpee Mile. "

i truly hope that all that can participate do. and, if you are offsite - do it too! simply register online with the link above and start burpee-ing! i plan on doing it offsite saturday afternoon in logan. if any of my logan peeps want to join me - i would LOVE the company!

enjoy your weekend!

xoxo,

lil kate♥

Obstacles

ob·sta·cle  [ob-stuh-kuhl] Show IPA
noun: something that obstructs or hinders progress.
    ***HINDERS*** progress. that's not what we want!

obstacles are everywhere, and whether we like them or not they will always be there. and yes, they will hinder our progress if we let them. each and everyday you will have to overcome obstacles to reach your health and fitness goals. whether it be finding time to go to the gym, deciding to make a home-cooked meal instead of going out, or deciding to eat only one cookie instead of the whole batch.

what we all need to remember is that although there are obstacles everywhere, we can overcome each and EVERY ONE. we can make careful, conscience decisions everyday on our diets/ exercise, and we can plan ahead to AVOID certain obstacles. we just have to believe that we can do it. we have to find that inner strength that will push us to limits we never thought possible. at GPP we want to "reap the benefits of life and AVOID the pitfalls of life" lets keep avoiding :)

WE ARE GREATER THAN OUR OBSTACLES. WE WILL OVERCOME.

xoxo,
lil kate ♥

i ♥ progress

happy thursday everyone!

so, this past week my roomies have all gotten on the "clean eating/ GPP" bandwagon. it has honestly been so great. i am really REALLY proud of the effort that they are all putting forth in making healthier eating habits and working out more.

yesterday when i went to grab some food from the fridge i found this cute little sticky note:

i realize that to most people this sticky note isnt that important or exciting. but it is important to me, and it made me excited.  at the start of this week my roommates approached me and asked me for some help. they wanted strict rules for eating and a workout everyday. well since this is right down my alley of course i was more than willing to help.  i outlined what they could/should eat and what they should try to stay away from. taking it all in, they agreed to listen and follow all my instructions. just in this past week my roommates have made some major changes in their eating habits and in their exercise habits. when they get home everyday they are so excited to tell me everything they ate that day. now, i am sure everyone is wondering why on earth would someone want to share everything they ate that day with someone else?! let me tell you why - its because they have been doing SO GOOD. they are proud. they can't believe how good they feel! i love hearing about the changes they have made, but more than anything i love seeing how happy they are. and how proud of themselves they are. this is one of the biggest reasons that i love my job so much. i absolutely love seeing people progress and become less self conscience and more proud of themselves. it just makes you smile and it really is such a rewarding job. i ♥ my job!

what is something you find rewarding in your everyday jobs/lives?

anyways, have a great thursday! 

xoxo,

lil kate ♥

Get Happy :)

hello hello!
well its thursday! which means tomorrow is friday, which means its almost the weekend, which means the BYU vs USU football game, which means home sweet home, which means GPP, which means general conference, which means a fall hike with the family! (okay i am aware that sentence was terrible and probably didn't make any sense whatsoever, but i am just excited for this weekend! i have so much to look forward to:))

okay so today's topic is about "getting happy".  i have touched a little on this before on the blog but i am just going to review it today.  everyone needs a little reminder every once in awhile anyways :)

today i received a facebook notification on my phone saying "Lizz Bennett has tagged a photo of you". well, knowing that i haven't been into GPP for awhile i was curious to see what it was all about and what the picture was. 

this is the picture that she had posted:

i seriously LOVE LOVE this so much.  there is a lot of meaning behind each of these words. thank you lizz!

if you run faster, you push your body to its limits. it might seem absolutely terrible at the time, but afterwards you will be able to be proud of yourself.
if you eat better your will feel better. mind and body.

if you sleep longer you will be more rested, refreshed, and on top of your crazy everyday schedule.

if you try harder you won't have any regrets.

if you aim higher you will push yourself to reach places you never thought possible.

if you love more you will open your heart to everyone. you can love others and just as importantly you can love YOURSELF.

take these steps day by day. it takes time.

in the end you WILL be happier.

i am a strong believer in the line "happiness isn't an emotion. it is a choice." you need to take your life day by day, and choose to  be happy.  don't put too much on your plate. otherwise the stress of trying to do everything will cause you to be unhappy.  it is also very difficult to be REALLY good at doing everything. chances are, an area in your life (usually the most important area) will lack. (now, i am not saying that this is the case with everyone. because i know people that CAN do EVERYTHING.) 

i have also found that by writing down what i am grateful for everyday because of my 8-week challenge with "vitality wins" i have become much happier. i get to reflect on how lucky i am to live the life i live everyday. it is eye-opening for sure.

i also know that i am happier after i workout. exercise releases "happy endorphins". it is a proven fact. if you are feeling down in the dumps, instead of lying in bed feeling sorry for yourself put on your running shoes and just go run. don't bring any music - just let your mind wander. it is amazing how much a good run can clear your mind and put you in a better mood. or, go out and do a GPP workout. those workouts push your body to the limit EVERY TIME. i love it. and i known you will too.

try it out! you will see a difference. i promise :)

xoxo,

lil kate ♥

homecoming recap and words of wisdom from the woman who knows all!

hey all! its monday again! its time to start the week out RIGHT. :)

so, the last couple of days have been a little rocky, and super stressful because of a lot of things going on! the stress definitely came from it being homecoming weekend! as a spirit squad member we have a lot of places/ events to attend homecoming weekend.

friday night consisted of the "spirit squad reunion" where previous and current spirit squad members all came to catch up and honor the amazing Linda Zimmerman for her 25 years as the spirit squad adviser/coach. there was a lot of set up to do and take down afterwards. but, it was totally worth it. we also got to do some stunting and cheers with old cheerleaders and aggiettes. what a blast!

saturday was a full schedule! we started our day out at 7am with a scholarship 5k, then moved on to a parade, then a pep rally, and finally the homecoming game. it was a full day of pep and cheer! 

us helping out at the 5k!

i have the BEST roomies. ready for the game!

the "white out" was SICK.

me and my aggiettes getting ready for half time! LOVE the new dresses :)

overall, homecoming was great. we won the game and all went well with our routines/performances. i can't complain one bit!

now, everyone has a bad day, a bad week, gets sad, gets depressed or just stressed out! well, my smart granny has the solution to all of these things. she told my mom how to handle it, and my mom shared it with me. the solution is to go outside on a walk/run, clean your house, and lose 5lbs.  well, after this weekend i was experiencing all of these emotions and my mom told me to do these things -  she promised that i would feel better. at this point i was a little desperate so i gave it a go. IT WORKS. no joke. i started my day out with a walk. then i had class. then i cleaned my ENTIRE apartment. and i ate healthy and exercised so that i could lose those 5 lbs! seriously i felt so much better afterwards. my mind was kept busy and my body felt great. my mom has always told me that when i am sad or upset to not eat unhealthily. now, occasionally that is exactly what i need. junk food. but, not this time. my body feels great. because although it has been a rough couple of days i didn't let myself go. eating crappy only makes you feel worse. and well, then you are just backtracking! not moving forward! i am ready to move forward :)

cleaning is also kinda an outlet for me, so i was glad that it was so conveniently on the list of things that will help you feel better from my granny. here are a couple of pictures of my nice clean apartment :)

running is also an outlet for me. (anyone else?) it is the first thing i want to do when i am having a stressful day or i am feeling sad. it is the perfect way to clear my mind and release all those happy endorphin's. this was also conveniently on the list :)

here is the workout i did today! such a good one - my hands always hurt after pullups though! in fact, today i ripped! i should know better than to re-grip on the come down of my pullups! oh well,  marcus, brandon and ashton came with me :) i love having workout buddies!

what is your outlet?

have a fabulous night!

xoxo,

lil kate ♥