Month: January 2021

Reflections on Day 63 of 75 Hard

by graceisthenewglam, posted in Uncategorized

Bish be sweatin’

I’ve made it through a good portion of 75 Hard and I’ve managed to stay quiet about it for a lot of different reasons. For one, this is my FOURTH attempt at it. I didn’t want to put it out there and only to fail again.

To simplify 75 Hard…it’s (2) 45 minute workouts a day. 1 must be done outside. Read 10 pages of non-fiction a day. Drink 1 gallon of water a day. No cheat meals. Stick to a diet. Take a progress pic of yourself daily (the most hated part of it for me). No alcohol.

So, after reading that, YES IT IS HARD. But it is totally doable and the rewards I’ve seen from this mental challenge is BEYOND my wildest dreams.

Thoughts on the Workouts

The working out part is the easiest part for me, besides the days where it’s just a little busy and you think you can’t make the time….but you can always find a way. I have a strict morning workout routine Monday-Friday and I began taking a 45 minute walk around the park in my neighborhood AS SOON as my work day ends for my second/outside work out. The benefits of the walk outside are ENDLESS – I feel like it’s an intention that the work day has ended…you get fresh air…you feel another burst of energy..you connect with nature and your neighbors…I love it. And I don’t think I’m going to stop it after this challenge ends. It’s THAT therapeutic for me.

Weekends are a bit different, I wake up and have a Nespresso Americano (MY FAVE) and do some reading. I do take long, long walks or runs before the rest of the world wakes up down by the marina here or back in the park. (I wake up at 5AM even on the weekends – it makes Mondays easier). I rotate the other workout with yoga, stretching, the bike, weights…whatever my body is craving.

I HAVE NEVER FELT BETTER.

Thoughts on the Diet

I’m vegan – I’ve been staying vegan throughout this time. There’s ALWAYS tons of improvement needed in my diet, but I eat pretty clean, have my daily smoothie and get in all of the veggies. Do your best. It’s all you can do!

The Water

Easy for me – Drink 3 40 oz Hydroflasks a day. Make it work.

The Reading

Okay – the reading…has been SO BENEFICIAL to my brain. I have always polluted my mind with garbage TV after my work day and it has done nothing for me. This has stopped all together and I just can’t stomach reality anymore. It’s trash – don’t pollute your mind. Read. Books. Instead. Some of the books I’ve read during this thing are The Science of Getting Rich, The Year of Yes, Let Love Rule, Awaken the Giant Within and I’m currently reading Game Changers.

No Alcohol

…I’ve been sober 10.5 years… THE END.

The Progress Pic

ugh ugh ugh! I hate this part – but I guess it will be fun to see the progress on Day 75. I try my best to loop it in my routine RIGHT AFTER my work out. I’m trying to wear the same-looking outfit and stand in the same place so there’s actually ways to see the progression.

Very messy bathroom – and not the most sexy pic but hey, it works

Wrapping it Up

My final thoughts of this 75 Hard thing on Day 63 are these… THIS IS A MENTAL CHALLENGE AND IT’S MEANT TO BE HARD. My brain and my body have never felt better. The mind shift I’ve felt in the days of the 40’s, is astounding. I realized that I’m in change of my life and there’s areas in it that just aren’t serving me. I started up this blog again, began a partnership with my best friend to bring women healthy products to support their hormones, and I’ve tabled the stuff that just don’t serve me. I can’t stomach negativity or reality TV, or pop culture news. It simply doesn’t feed my soul fire these days.

I want to live the best life possible and I’m so glad 75 Hard as opened my eyes a little wider. I’m grateful for that.

The Skinny Bitch Gets Skinnier

by graceisthenewglam, posted in Uncategorized

⚠️ Trigger Warning: Weight Loss ⚠️

Me at OTF preparing for the Transformation Challenge – 125lbs – Jan 2020

I’ll preface this with – I’ve always been a Size 2, I am very proud of my body through all of it’s twists and turns and changes.

I don’t know what happened. I looked at the scale at some point in 2019 and my weight hit 138+. I was shocked. In my mind, I was always 120, so how did this freakin’ happen? Well, I’ll tell you.

Working in an office with snacks everywhere. Unconscious eating. Taking the hormonal birth control pill unknowing of its side effects. Lack of mindfulness and meditation. No self confidence. Being content.

The day I knew I wanted change.

I knew something had to change. Not that I never DIDN’T exercise, but I needed to step up my game. Like majorly. So, I tried Orangetheory Fitness in January 2019 and I fell in love. The HIIT workouts got me, I started jogging, I made friends and it was great. It completely helped me shed a few LBs and I was getting strong and tone – no doubt. But seriously…with all of that vigorous exercise, you’d swear I’d be a twig. I still was not.

Enter 2020 – the year of crazy adjustments of working from home and COVID scaries. I had an epiphany that this was my time to really explore my health once and for all. I started researching the side effects to hormonal birth control and they weren’t pretty. I also dug into nutrition. I wanted to be plant based more than ever – after way too many attempts before. I dug into books, recipes, supplements.

I WENT OFF THE PILL in July 2020. I thought, I’m home, I really think this is the culprit to me hanging onto excess weight and if shit hit the fan and I felt like ass or mood swings would slap everyone around me in the face (ahem, my husband), I’d be home and in my comfort zone. I also alerted my boss to my potential health crisis. I read so many horror stories in all of these women’s Facebook groups, that I was prepared for anything and everything. I was transitioning my diet before I did all of this for a few months getting off the pill – which helped A LOT)

The results were astounding. Weight shed off me, I felt lighter, I felt so human that I actually had emotions and I was present. My anxiety was at bay – or at least I can pinpoint what was causing it (like, a sudden work issue, COVID, etc.)

Today, I’m at around 117lbs. That’s 23 pounds of the old me shed. I am healthy, happy, and lighter. I’ll save my fitness, diet, and mindfulness routine for another post and I will admit that I’m doing the 75 Hard challenge that has given me more mental results than physical – I’m on day 56 today.

Present day progress!

I owe my success to: MY DEDICATION AND AMBITION, Dr. Jolene Brighten’s Post HBC Protocol and supplements, Peloton’s bike and app, daily meditation, reading books of inspiration, goal setting,75 Hard and as cheesy as it sounds, positive mindset. CUT. OUT. THE. TRASH. BEHAVIOR. IN. YOUR. LIFE. (reality TV, IG feeds that don’t fuel your fire and trigger judgement and comparison, even friends that don’t serve you etc.) Oh, and try to SLEEP 8-9 hours a night. It’s more important than you think!

Wherever you’re at in your journey, I’m sending you love and self confidence. If you’re looking for inspiration, let me be your guide. Set goals and write them down.