Non-Scale Victories (Warning: Girly)

It's that time of year ... BACK TO SCHOOL *weeps uncontrollably*
We all know what that means - shopping upon shopping. Exciting, yet, terrifying...especially if you, like me, absolutely dread  trying on clothes.
Dressing rooms = a horror-producing, mood-depressing, stuffy, sweaty paradise. Can't you tell I adore them?
In my past, trying on clothes has never been a treat, for things never got past my big belly or my thunder thighs, squeezing my arms in all the wrong places and giving me back rolls. Can anyone relate? As much as I love fashion and all things glamour, finding the perfect fit has always been tough.
Until...

although, you'd think I have enough...

On our way home from vacation this past week, I had the opportunity to stop by my FAVORITE store in the entire universe: Forever 21. I knew I was in desperate need of clothes for my upcoming school year and internship at a State Attorney's Office (fancy fancy), but I also knew how much it would seriously suck to try on all the glorious outfits I had picked out.
However... once I was in the horrid dressing room lined by darling dresses and frilly tops, trying them on wasn't like any of the past nightmares I've experienced. Some dresses fit just how they should have, tops laying in all the right places, and pants actually getting past my thighs. But, why? And how?

This, my dear friends, is what we call a NON-SCALE VICTORY.
No, my scale hasn't dropped recently (mostly due to muscle building > losing weight), and I haven't been seeing any major changes in my body. But it's little things like these - simply noticing new clothes fitting better - that make your weight loss or health journeys that much more meaningful. You get a little confidence boost each time a non-scale victory happens. Maybe your jeans from high school fit again when you clean out your closet, or maybe you see an old picture of yourself and realize how different you look now. Whatever it may be, non-scale victories have a deeper meaning behind them: they show the progress you're making in a way that can't be expressed by a number on a scale.
So the next time you feel like you're not getting anywhere with your routines, or you've hit a plateau, always remember the small things in life.
That is all I have.

Look out for a big (& hopefully inspirational) post coming soon on girls who lift ;)

-Lyndsey

 cutest dress i've ever laid eyes on

 4 dresses, 4 shirts, 1 blazer...oops

my sister & I after shopping til we dropped

Vacationing Without Guilt

So it's been a while since my last post, and that's for the single reason of VACATION. Between the packing, meal planning and last-minute intense workouts, fitting in time to blog has been tough. However, now that I am relaxing on the beach with my toes (and crispy back, oops) in the warm sand , I feel it's necessary to write about AVOIDING the guilt that comes from a week of unclean eating and lazy exercise.

Ohhhhhhh, vacation. Most of us look forward to it, and a few of us dread it as we fear gaining 20 pounds.
*NEWSFLASH*
You won't gain 20 pounds in one week. Even if you ate McDonald's Big Mac's at every meal for 7 days, you won't blow up like a balloon all of the sudden (don't take my word completely, I haven't actually tried it).

Personally, because I worked my butt off for 5 months, I was deathly afraid of going one week without my typical nutritious foods and daily exercise routines. But now, as we are on day 3 of vacation, guess what? I still look and feel exactly the same.

It's all about control.  If you treat your body nicely, it will treat you nicely.

So now down to the real scheme - HOW?
First off, plan out your food. Yes, I KNOW it's impossible to know every little meal you'll have. Vacation means relaxation and trying new things, like that hoppin' restaurant on the boardwalk a few blocks down. You don't know what food they'll have, so don't even bother planning out every piece of food going into your mouth over the course of 7 days. That's why it's important to bring food you know will keep you on track most of the time. For example, my 3 younger siblings survive off of Pop Tarts and Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins for breakfast. So what do I bring? My favorite box of Special K cereal. Pizza and candy for lunch? That means protein bars and rice cakes in my hands. Here a few of the foods that I managed to bring along to curb my cravings:

Garden Vegetable Hummus with Reduced Fat Wheat Thins
Nature Valley Greek Yogurt Protein Bars
Lemon Meringue Pie Quest Protein Bars
Caramel Rice Cakes
PEANUT BUTTA
Crystal Light Raspberry Green Tea

Yes - last night as we were downtown I had a Peppermint Stick ice cream with sprinkles. BIG WHOOP. It's not about depriving yourself; after all, you are on vacation. It's about controlling yourself. For dinner, I had a garden salad with grilled chicken. However, I did eat a few of the nachos my family ordered as an appetizer. Control will do wonders. 

Second off, it's good to take a break from exercise. But...if you're like me and think your muscles will melt after a week, plan out a few workouts for the week. For me, the beach is a prime place to go for a morning run. With the water by your side and the breeze in your hair, what could be better? For upper body strength, I brought along 10 pound weights and have done a few lifts here and there, remembering I'm on vacation and my body deserves a rest too. For lower body, I can always squat, lunge, or deadlift my sister (kidding, but good idea...). Staying active is the key here.

So overall, don't stress while away from home. I guarantee you will not have to be rolled back home from an overload of pizza and fries and ice cream and cotton candy. You will be fine. Relax and enjoy.

 Old Orchard Beach, ME

boogie-boardin with my sisters

 questies & crystal light

burnt-to-a-crisp legs

happiness.

-Lyndsey

Mentality Controls Everything

Back again? Marveeeeeelous - because today's topic is a big one.

RUNNING.
And of course, it's correlation with mentality.
Ohhhhhhh running...
Some people love it, others hate it. Then there's people like me who simply think they suck at it.
Newsflash - you can't suck at running. EVERYONE runs differently. Whether it's 9.0mph or 4.5mph, at least you're not lounging on the couch watching 4 seasons of a show on Netflix.

So, what about running? Well, here's my story; maybe it will inspire you.

I'm not a runner. Never have been, most likely never will be. Those days in gym class where we had to do suicides were torture. Or when we'd have to do a timed mile in personal fitness, and my stomach would twist into knots because I knew how slow I was. However, when I moved here to Vermont a couple of years ago, I decided to train in order to run a 5k (which never actually happened). I got up EVERY single morning and ran in my neighborhood. And yes - I still HATED it. I rather climb 50 flights of stairs than run.
Until I came to a realization...
Every little thing I do in my daily life is controlled by my mind. I stumbled upon this thought shortly after I completed an 8 mile run for the first time in my LIFE just the other day with a friend of mine. Lately, the max time I would run for would be 3 minutes, then I'd slow to a walk - all because I didn't think I could physically run for a long time.
KEY WORD THERE - *think*
Because I didn't think I could do it, I would trick my own body into being tired after 3 minutes of a light jog. I fooled myself to believe that 3 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking was all I could do.

Boy, was I wrong.

I pushed myself harder than I have ever pushed myself in the past as I was on that 8 mile run. As we started off with a light jog (my running buddy is a former cross country/track athlete), I was convinced that after a few minutes we could slow to a walk, and do intervals for about an hour, then we'd be done. L O L. We didn't slow until after our first mile or so, as we stopped to tie shoes. That first mile? Only a warm-up. The 3 hour time frame that evening consisted mainly of jogging, maybe 3/4 total miles of actual RUNNING, and about half a mile of walking.
The entire time, my body kept propelling forward. No, it wasn't failing me. I wasn't throwing up. I wasn't bleeding. My mental state controlled my entire run. When we would speed up or be forced to run uphill towards oncoming traffic, I would just focus on my steps rather than my tired feet or heavy lungs.

 my reaction after seeing how far we ran

I just kept going. 

Never, in my entire 16 years of life on this planet, ever thought I could run for that long, up hills, in public, at night, or with another person. And yet I did it: all because of my mental state. 
Yes, I felt like death afterwards, since my body isn't used to that. And yes, I plan to do it again soon.

Also - running on a treadmill is so much different than running outside, in the woods, or in public. On treadmills, you go NOWHERE; it's like you're running an endless path. But being outside, you have a goal- a place to be. Park your car and run from it...then you're forced to run back.

So here's the bottom line: you may think you can't do something, yet you so can. I didn't think I could run a mile; I ran 8. If you BELIEVE you can do it, and let your mind control your body, you can accomplish whatever you want.
Next time you're in the middle of a workout and you don't think you can do another rep or jog another minute, DO IT. I dare you. Because I guarentee you can.

Our minds control our lives. Live it how you choose.

-Lyndsey