weight loss – bReautiful

It’s #TransformationTuesday and y’all, I’m down 44 lbs!!!!

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I’ve become so very passionate about fitness and I wanted to share the best weight loss tips I’ve learned—

1. When you make the decision to lose weight, it’s not a slight decision. You have to be willing to change your own world and be okay with being uncomfortable.
2. Know that every bite you take is an opportunity to heal your body and mind. Physical health ABSOLUTELY affects mental health. You wouldn’t fail your car with mud and expect it to run efficiently….
3. Gain an understanding of macros and what they do for you. Carbs give us energy, proteins keep us full and help restore muscle, and so on. For me, thinking this way has given eating purpose. I’ll have a carb in the morning, carb before my run, etc. Oh, and veggies are friends.
4. You can’t out-workout bad nutrition. Nutrition is like 80% of fitness.
5. Have a cheat day. Just learn to be able to cut the crap 6 days per week.
6. A million hours of cardio is not the answer as we all tend to believe. Strength training is AMAZING and turns your body into a calorie burning machine, 24/7. 7. Plan. This one is huge for me. As a mom and employee, life is not your own. I simply cannot exercise while Chloe is awake. Having a plan and committing to it will prevent you from having to ask yourself that “should I work out?” question that’s so easy to make excuses for. And plan activities for tempting times! Often if you see me night fishing with Chloe it’s to avoid my late-night snacking habits. Then we’re on a fun adventure and I get to avoid my internal struggle. Ha!
8. Journal. It’s a silly one but some days it’s the only thing that keeps me on track. I plan my day, write down what I eat, word vomit everything I’m feeling that day. As time goes on you can look back at your progress!
9. Find a motivating podcast or book to read/listen to daily. Every day I do personal development I see a HUGE change in my overall mindset.
10. Nobody is perfect. I’ve had weeks where I’ve eaten ungodly amounts of cake, pizza, and everything else. The difference has been that I haven’t let that ruin my forward momentum. It’s okay to enjoy yourself without sabotaging yourself and giving up. And you will feel like giving up.
11. The scale goes up and down. It’s just a number- don’t distress. It’ll go down.
12. When motivation fades, discipline kicks in. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve said that out loud to myself.
13. There is no substitute for hard work, there are no magic pills. In order for your life to change, you have to change your life day to day.

The high of reaching your goals is addicting. If anybody needs help believing in themselves I’m just a message away. ❤️

Much love,

Bre

Good morning everybody!

I am just so excited to be here today. Making writing a daily habit has been a long time goal for me, and to actually get excited to show up for myself has been wonderful.

Today I want to reflect on 2018 and the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year and re-establish goals to finish the year, now that it’s already October (cue panic). But first I can’t help but share….

I find it so funny how the things we sometimes dread become the things we wish for. I opened the family business this morning at 6 am, a chore I usually dread doing. I only do it a couple times per week, but every time it is just plain torture. I am NOT a morning person. Oh hey, maybe a goal to add to the list.

unnamed (1) — Exhibit A: totally not a morning person.

That being said, lately I’ve been without a babysitter. I usually use the in-home care of one of my best friends from high school who has a kiddo Chloe’s age. She recently lost her home in Hurricane Florence, in addition to having her second baby just the other day! It’s been a wild month for her family, so childcare has been on hold.

My point in saying that is… Chloe has been with me 24/7. Like…. OMG. Save me. I love the girl more than life itself but holy hell, I need a break. Woah… perspective shift. See what I mean? Getting up so early to open the family business… all of a sudden it’s a joy to do. I get to sit ALONE and type away and enjoy my coffee. Oh perspective, you’re so awesome.

ANYWAY! I do intend to eventually get to my topic for today…. 2018 in review.

I am seriously and completely blown away that it’s now the end of October (whaaaa?!). How did this happen? I have become more aware that the year is drawing to a close, or at least keep telling myself to get ready because well… we ain’t stoppin’ time. With that, I’ve decided to sit and to reflect on 2018, see where I’ve come from, where I am now with my goals, and what I still want to do before we gather to sing “Auld Lang Syne”.

Y’ALL. When 2018 started I was sooooo freaking determined to make it my year. I was so personally sick of making New Years Resolutions every year. Bleh, ick, gross. I was so sick of failing them, only to get back up and have false hope the following year of “maybe I’ll actually follow through this year” instead of fully committing my heart, my soul, my life to my goal. My “New Life Resolution”.

For 2018, my goal, like most others’, was to regain control of my health. I was back over 200 lbs. I wanted to learn to run. I wanted to run a marathon. I wanted to gain control of my anxiety. I wanted to gain more independence. I began to realize how broken I really was. I had split from my child’s father, moved across the country, and in with my parents. I had sold everything I owned back in Utah yet I had no money. I had nothing but hurt feelings, a whole gaggle of anxiety and depressive problems, and continued to surround myself with things that didn’t serve me or my purpose. BUT! 2018 was going to be my year.

And holy shit, it has been.

Here’s a run down of my 2018—

I’ve lost over 40 lbs. (44 at the time of writing this).

I ran, and finished, that freaking marathon.

I’ve managed to stop pulling my hair out, defeating Trichotillomania for the first time in 17 years.

I got off my anti-depressants.

I filed for custody of my daughter.

I got into my own beautiful home.

I bought my own car.

I believe in myself.

Overall, I am happy.

I’ve written this list a few times now, and I can’t even believe it. Picking my jaw up off the floor, I realize I can believe it. I mean, this stuff doesn’t happen overnight and has taken me so much work. I’ve wanted to give up multiple times. Life is just hard, but that is okay. Most awesome things are hard.

I’m still not perfect. I still have days where I fall off the wagon. I have days where I feel so depressed I can’t breathe. I’m still fighting battles. But for once in my life I’ve gained a belief in myself and a willingness to face my challenges head on.

Now, by the end of 2018, I want to fine tune it all.

I will have lost 50 lbs.

I will run a 5k per day for the rest of the year.

I will continue to have pull-free days.

I will continue to be off my medication.

I will continue the fight for my daughter.

I will love and appreciate my home by implementing routines for cleanliness.

I will love and appreciate my car.

I will continue to develop my own confidence through personal development.

And a couple new ones- I will write daily for my blog and my journal. I want to begin 2019 with 10 committed piano students.

So here’s my public declaration. Leggo.

Then who knows what 2019 will bring! How can I top 2018? We’ll just have to wait and see!

What are you doing to finish up 2018?

Tag: weight loss

13 of my very best weight loss tips!

Reflecting on 2018 and goals to finish the year