Crunch time!

happy monday everyone!

as the title clearly states - its crunch time for me! spring break is just two short weeks away. and you all know what that means - swimsuit time! i am especially excited for my spring break plans this year because i will be spending my time at the WAC basketball tournament in Las Vegas with the Spirit Squad! awesome right?! i am super excited and ready for the break from classes - but mostly just a break from logan and the freezing cold.

the winter months of january and february are never kind months to me. it is freezing cold in logan and my body thinks it needs a little more adipose tissue (fat tissue) than normal. which - it doesn't! a big puffy coat will get the job done just fine! (im going to start throwing in some terms i am learning in anatomy - it helps me remember it all!) so, during these months it is a much bigger battle to keep the pounds off. but, by recognizing that these months are hard for me i can fight back with a good diet and a daily workout.

before i head to vegas for spring break i am planning on hitting the gym at least 5x a week (which i usually do, but there is definitely a few days missed here and there) and following a strict diet to help me get ready and feel more confident about slipping on the swim suit. (no, i am not trying to lose a lot of weight, because i know that i don't need to. but, i do want to drop just a few pounds and lean up a bit in the next few weeks.)

at the gym i will be doing the daily GPP workout and an extra 30 minutes of cardio. my cardio will probably be done on the elliptical because my IT band doesn't seem to want to let me run yet.
for my diet, i plan on staying between 1200-1400 calories.  no sweets and no eating out. (i have gotten bad at this lately - i just can't resist the cadbury mini eggs that call out my name whenever i go to the grocery store!)  also, i need to cut back on my carbohydrates (not veggies or fruits - but breads, pastas and rice) i have learned that for me personally by cutting back on those kinds of carbohydrates my body loses its "pudge" around my waist much faster. everyone needs to be able to tune into their bodies as well, and discover what affects their body the most, and then learn the most efficient way to help their body fix it. this may take a little trial and error, but will definitely pay off in the end.

i am excited to get started and these next few weeks will be hard - but i am ready for the challenge! 

what are your plans for spring break?

anyone else struggle during the dreary months of January and February?

have a fabulous monday!
xoxo,
lil kate ♥
 

i'm back!

well, here i am! i am back! i know, i am a terrible blogger. i really do try, but sometimes i am just not sure what to write. i want this blog to be inspirational to people. i want it to help people. so, i don't always feel like i have something profound to write about - but then again, not writing at all doesn't exactly help much either. so, my apologies. i will try to be better at writing - and i know, i know i always say that but i really am going to try. :)

today i want to talk about earning your body. everyone wants to have a healthy and fit body - but we don't want to work for it.  we all want to see the number on the scale go down or the pants to fit a little bit better without eating right or going to the gym. unfortunately that's not how it works. we have to earn every pound lost. i myself am guilty of this lazy state of mind - just wanting to be healthy without eating right or working out. not good. it is something that we have to snap out of. i wish i could give you an instant remedy for it and have it be problem fixed! but again, that is not how it works - and for some, it will be a constant battle. 
however, i believe that there are a few ways to make "snapping out of it" a little easier: 

1 - find something in working out that you love. for me, it is GPP.  find whatever program works for you - but make sure it is balanced. if you ask me - GPP is the best program around and i am sure that you will love it, so try visiting the website here first :) 
2- try new HEALTHY recipes! it is always fun to try new things and explore all sorts of good food. if you find delicious recipes that are good for you, why would you want to go back to eating junk food anyways?!
3- finally - FIND A WORKOUT BUDDY! it is always easier to wake up early to get your butt to the gym if someone is picking you up or if you need to pick someone else up. it is a great support system and makes things fun. try it! 

everyone has slip ups and days that they don't want to put forth the effort - but the important thing is to not let it become a habit. we all deserve to reach our health and fitness goals and have the body of our dreams. but, like all good things it takes hard work and dedication. we can do it. 

well, happy hump day ya'll and i hope everyone has a wonderful valentine's day tomorrow with all your loved ones! 

xoxo,
lil kate ♥

oh and p.s. - hope you like the new look on the blog. it actually happened by accident and i am not sure that i love it yet - but, its growing on me

zumba!!!

hello everyone! 
wow, what a crazy weekend it was for me and this week has seemed to fly. i can't believe it is already wednesday.
so, this weekend i got myself in a bit of a bind. my poor laptap fell off my bed and then decided not to work. after an hour and a half on the phone with the dell customer service line being transferred a 100 times i finally got help from my awesome friend jordan. he had it fixed in two days and now i have a computer again! only problem was, everything that was on it before = GONE. pictures, videos, assignments/papers...everything! not fun, but at least i still have a computer, right?! always looking on the positive side :) so now - i can get back to blogging! 

today has been great! i got to sleep in because i didn't have practice, which is always a great way to start off my day :) after my anatomy class (which i love by the way! :)) i got my gym time in... well sorta. i got all the way to the field house only to find that i didn't have my student i.d. to let me in. so, i just had to make due at my home gym!

welcome to GPP...lil kate at pink house #5 style :)

the workout of the day at GPP was "Winter Lemons" but, since i couldn't run indoors at the field house there was no way that i was going to run outside. it is wayyy too cold here in logan! so, i decided to do a different workout that was more "at home" friendly. my choice was "burper" - one we did not too long ago at GPP.

instead of aussie pullups i subbed in bent rows. a heavy breather for sure, but it felt so good to sweat!

(thanks to bodyofamother for the pic!)

after my workout i fueled up with one of my all time favorite breakfasts. a banana and a premier protein shake. i used to be a vanilla protein shake kind of girl but now i can't even drink the vanilla!  so, chocolate it is and let me tell you, it is delicious! :) such a great way to start my day and keep my energy up through all my classes.

if you haven't tried premier protein i definitely recommend it! 30g of protein, 160 calories, and 1g of sugar. it doesn't get much better than that! you can find it at costco or sams club.

now for the exciting part :) today, i had my zumba class that i am taking through the university. can i just say, i love zumba?! it is so great and i really enjoy it. however, i was surprised at the number of overweight people in my class. i mean, i am a personal trainer and an American for heavens sake so i know that the obesity rates are extremely high in the United States. yet, i was still surprised. i shouldn't have been, but i was. there are so many people out there - of all ages that need help getting healthy and allowing themselves to live a happier life. i am a firm believer in the fact that someone can't be 100% completely happy if they are overweight. they might think they are, but they don't know what it is like to be a really healthy person and to do things that they might not be able to do at their current weight. i want to be able to help these people discover a new kind of happiness so badly! this is why i love my career choice so much, because i know i can help. i want to make a difference! now, with that, while i was dancing my heart out to Nicki Minaj in zumba i decided that i want to get zumba certified! not sure exactly when (i am assuming over the summer) but i definitely want to do it. i love fitness, and i love dancing - so what better way to take advantage of my talents! 

i'm super excited for what zumba can bring to me, and what i can bring to others through zumba!

have a fabulous night!

xoxo,

lil kate ♥

Back to the Grind!

happy hump day everyone!

this week has already been super busy and crazy for me. i absolutely LOVE all my classes, but they are killer!  i am taking a human anatomy class that is known around campus for being the hardest class anyone will ever take. and let me tell you, its day three and i am already overwhelmed. funny thing is - my boss at GPP, Neil Anderson took the exact same anatomy class as me, with the exact same teacher as me, here at Utah State when he was here! he still remembers the difficult "two-door" exam questions that my professor Andy Anderson is famous for.  however, Neil did say that he still remembers so much from the class and that it has been very helpful for him throughout his training career. so, i am going to try to get the most out of the class because i know it will make me a better trainer. :)

today was a pretty simple workout that i enjoyed quite a bit - minus the fact that it was super crowded at the field house! the workout was for time, but since it was so crowded it was too hard to time it. annnddd not to mention the multiple questions i got when i did my kipping pullups. 

sooo crowded - except you can't really tell in this picture haha

after a solid 4 hours of studying anatomy and a test earlier in the day, my workout was exactly what i needed. my brain needed a break! working out it is my favorite way to clear my mind a release all the stress that comes from school.

coming back up to school and leaving the comfort of being able to workout at GPP i have realized how careful i have to be to set a time to go to the gym and workout. it is so easy to get caught up with the college life and "not get around" to going to the gym. but, i have set a time to go everyday and i plan on being very diligent in going.  at GPP we have writing on the walls and Neil had me write this quote on the wall that has really seemed to apply to my life this week. 

"If it means something to you, you'll find a way.  If it doesn't, you'll find an excuse."

***I won't have an excuse. You shouldn't either.***

xoxo,

lil kate ♥

New Year, New Me

as i look back on 2012 i am overwhelmed with the many amazing opportunities that i had, and all that i accomplished.  i am sometimes discouraged when i see other people succeeding or doing amazing things with their lives because i feel as if i am not up to par with them. but, looking back i am realizing that i have done a lot to be proud of.  no, it wasn't all fun and games - there were a lot of trials but it was all very worth it and i learned SO much. i am looking forward to 2013 and all that i hope to accomplish throughout this year.

i have decided that i want to make a few lists (we all know i love lists! ;)) about what i have accomplished in the past year that i am proud of, and a few resolutions (or not so few) that i have for this upcoming year.

2012 accomplishments:

1. became a certified personal trainer through ISSA and attended a fitness conference through ISSA in Orlando, Florida.
2. survived my first year of college and living away from home
3. became a member of the Utah State Spirit Squad again
4. worked my little fanny off all summer at the mosquito abatement and at GPP
5. hit my goal weight
6. started a fitness blog
7. got my first string of double unders
8. became the trainer for the Utah State Spirit Squad
9. made tons of new friends
10. overcame trials that at the time seemed impossible

2013 goals:

health/fitness related:

1. maintain goal weight
2. be able to do strict pullups
3. participate in a race of my choice (ex - tough mudder, half marathon, dirty dash..)

education related:

1. better grades
2. stay on track to finish up my schooling by next summer
3. take every opportunity to continue to learn more and more about health and fitness

personal:

1. love myself
2. don't worry about the little things
3. always remember how blessed i am to have so many amazing opportunities.
4. blog twice a week!
5. become the best personal trainer i can be :)

i hope to be able to better myself this year and take every opportunity i am given to learn. i am not a huge fan of the school part of college and i often complain, but all in all i am very grateful to have to opportunity to get a good education from Utah State.

so, here's to the new year! 

what are some of your goals for 2013? what makes you proud from 2012?

xoxo,
lil kate ♥

Trainer Kate ♥

happy tuesday everyone!

i hope you all had a fabulous day - i know i did, i got to be "trainer kate"! :)

right now i am on winter break from school. let me tell you something - i couldn't have been more ready for the break! and, the best part about the break? - coming home to work and train at GPP :)
i am very grateful for my boss Neil Anderson and for his generosity.  whenever i am home he lets me step right into a class and train. i absolutely LOVE it.  today i got to help assist one class with Lizz Bennett, and train four classes myself. it was such an awesome day to be a trainer! the workout today was pretty unique and we concentrated on working our nervous system.
the workout was:

TRIFECTA:

complete 10 min of diligent work on each of the following. you have maxed out once you've completed 50 HSPU's, 50 pullups, and 200 DU's.
- handstand pushups
- pullups (kipping)

- double unders

*post total reps completed to comments. if no reps were completed, post attempts and what you think you need to work on.

***this workout was ROUGH and my shoulders are already feeling it! i demo-ed this workout for four classes and then completed the workout tonight with my dad and my older brother. i am not sure how many reps of every movement that i completed but let me tell you something... it was A LOT. i might be dead tomorrow, but i loved the workout!

since this workout wasn't about the number of reps completed or how fast you could finish, it allowed everyone to try each movement and to improve their form if they could already do the movement.  it was awesome to watch everyone give it a go. but the reason that i loved training this workout so much, is because it was a day full of trying new things, new accomplishments, and for many - new found confidence in the fact that they CAN DO HARD THINGS. 
as a trainer it is so rewarding to be able to explain a movement to someone, see the "light bulb" click on in their heads, and then see them succeed at trying the new movement. there were many people that completed their first kipping pullup, handstand pushup, and double under today. it was amazing to watch and so fun to be a part of.

here is a fun video of me doing the progressions that someone would do to build up strength and confidence to complete a handstand pushup. enjoy!




what are some new things that you have tried lately that you didn't think you could do before?

have a great night!

xoxo,
lil kate ♥

p.s. i promise i am going to post more now that i am on break! :)

It Does NOT Define Me

happy tuesday everyone! i hope you had a fabulous weekend and are ready for everything you have going this next week. for me, it is "dead week" and i just have LOTS of studying to do before finals next week. "dead week" = DEATH WEEK. oh well, you know what is getting me through? - my daily workout. call me crazy, but it is a proven fact that exercise releases stress as well as "happy hormones". i take out all my stress and frustrations out on my workout. i clear my mind and i absolutely love it :) 

this is the workout that i did yesterday, which was awesome! you should definitely give it a go!

since i was at the field house, there wasn't a place to do jumping pullups so i just subbed in 8 rnds of 5 kipping pullups per round instead.

anyways, i am going to get the point of today's post, "it does not define me". i am going to try my best to make this an organized post, i have a lot of angles that i want to come from so just bear with me. :) 

have you ever associated WHO you are with your weight - the number on the scale? have you ever let it consume your thoughts? ever thought that if you were just a couple pounds lighter you would be happier? if you could just fit into a size smaller at the department store you would love yourself more? sadly, i can say that i have. i have been sucked into that mind set. i am sure many other people have as well. i believe that a lot of it goes to the fact that i have danced for my entire life. and by this, let me explain - as a dancer you are constantly looking in a mirror with minimal/tight clothing on standing next to 10 other girls. it is quite easy to compare yourself to the other girls around you. thoughts such as:  "i wish i had her legs." "i would love it if i could kick as high as her." she has a perfect, flat stomach - if only!" go through a dancers mind. but, i don't want to only say that dancers think like this. everyone has a chance throughout their lives to think like this. but, we need to STOP thinking like this. everyone is beautiful in their own unique way. it is important to be at a healthy and fit weight, but it does NOT DEFINE who you are. your dress size does NOT DEFINE who you are. the size of your biceps or the weight you max out on does NOT DEFINE the person that you are. it isn't always easy to lose that mind set but it has to happen for us to be truly happy and to truly love ourselves. this past summer my co-worker and amazing trainer Megan Wallace wrote an article called "I Am Not My Body" which inspired me to write more about it here on the blog. you should definitely take the time to read it. i hope it touches you like it touched me. and always remember - YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY. 

people are also being defined by things that don't have to do with their body image. things such a someones career choice, or personal interests or extra curricular activities that they participate in.  i am often only associated by people with the fact that i am an aggiette - "katelyn the aggiette." i used to absolutely LOVE that label. but after i took a break from being on the team i realized that "being an aggiette" is not who i am. it does not define me. yes, i am an aggiette. BUT, there is SO MUCH more to who i am than just that! it is only a small part of me and my life. i don't want to define myself or be defined by others by what my career choice is, or what my extra curricular activities entail, but by how i act, and how i treat others. i feel as if everyone should try to concentrate on that more as well. yes, i am a personal trainer - but i don't do it for the body. i do it to help others live an optimally healthy lifestyle and to find a truer happiness than what they were experiencing beforehand.

don't allow others or the media decide how you should define yourself. there is no "perfect body shape". there is no "perfect career choice" that will define who you are. you are perfect in your own way. learn to love and embrace it. ♥

have a fabulous day!

xoxo,

lil kate ♥