THREE MONTHS…

Posted on by naomiandshalom

Motivation

For those of you who haven’t seen my million posts on Facebook about going to the gym, today is the day I’m celebrating THREE MONTHS of working out 3-4 times a week (non-stop).  Since I have been a member of my gym for six years (shake my head) and this is the FIRST time I’ve achieved this, I decided to celebrate my victory by sharing some things I’ve learned along the way.

  1. No matter how much everyone else wants this for me…I have to want it more.
  2. Comparison is the death of contentment… I will not forfeit my success by comparing myself to others!
  3. Goals – if you don’t have any goals you won’t achieve anything, simple as that. (next goal-6 months!!!)
  4. Excuses or Results…there is no other choice.
  5. I’m not where I used to be…I’m not who I was.
  6. Internal change = External results.
  7. Embrace the Suck.
  8. It’s ok to win….It’s ok to be whole.
  9. My shell does not determine my worth.
  10. I can’t sit in the shade and expect anything to grow… I have stopped saying I “hate the gym”, “hate working out”, “hate getting up early”…I control my progress, and I control how much I grow.

Special thanks to Beth and Pam for your love and encouragement…you ladies are my inspiration, and the seed you planted continues to bring a harvest in the lives of others…love you both!!!  Also a special hug and high five for my twerk team captain Shalom for reminding me of who I am and what I can do…with your constant encouragement and walking on this journey with me, you give me hope and make me believe I can win…you the best gurr!

Also special shout out to #nerdfitness and the Nerd Fitness Academy-Rebel Women…. My favorite reward for all of this pain…1000 points, and a pair of pants that haven’t fit in 8 years- now fit!!!! VICTORY!

Fit Tip Of the Day

Posted on by naomiandshalom

Salonpas

Unfortunately I’m not sponsored or endorsed in any way by Salonpas, but if I were I would probably be a very rich woman.

Salonpas = Muscle Recovery Life!

 I have been using Salonpas for a few years related to neck/stress pain during tax season, and the fact that they work for 8 hours is definitely a plus. I realized early on that going to the gym and actually doing work (eghhh), was going to cause some VERY sore muscles…pretty much EVERY muscle in fact.

So today I have about 6 on my lower back (Farmer’s Walk with 88lbs X2 @ 1 minute each plus 30 second planks,3 minute shuttle runs, plus a bunch of other stuff I didn’t want to do at 6am), and a few on my shoulder- because apparently those muscles hate me and can’t get with the program! I also use them regularly on my ankles, feet, and pretty much anywhere I’m aching.

They are only about 3$ a box which contains 40 patches of minty, healing goodness. You may smell like grandma Ester, but you are going to feel so good you won’t care! As an added bonus, once your friends realize they work you will always have a ready supply you can “borrow”.

Now if they could just figure out how to make it safe to ingest…

Setback’s, Sit-Ups and Stuff

Posted on by naomiandshalom

set·back
noun
noun: setback; plural noun: setbacks; noun: set-back; plural noun: set-backs
  1. 1.
    a reversal or check in progress.
    “a serious setback for the peace process”
    synonyms: problem, difficulty, hitch, complication, upset, disappointment, misfortune, mishap, reversal;

    Well,  we are back at it…because we never really quit (in our minds anyway).  You know how sometimes life hits you and just living surviving becomes your priority? Well that’s where we were until a few days ago.

    Setbacks – A serving of kidney-stones with a side of tax season for me and a big helping of mono for Shalom please…yep, I’ll take some more of that! The positive is we managed to keep a little of our gains and lose weight because we were both so sick. (Don’t try this at home!)

    Setback’s aren’t permanent – the are a “reversal” of progress, meaning you can move forward again!

    Sit-Ups – With 15lb weights no less. We went to the gym for a full workout last night and I have to say the sit-ups I did yesterday are showing their love today. GET YOU SOME!

    Stuff – Getting back on the horse isn’t as difficult as it may seem…it’s all about perception. I actually missed the gym, the sweat, the pain but mostly the 1 hour of silence while my brain focused on why I was torturing my body again. I missed the single-minded focus it takes to keep your form while you are lifting that weight above your head and back down again.  I missed the freedom of knowing I was at least doing something to keep moving forward.

    Now lets ALL keep moving forward!

     COMING SOON: Attitude Updates in the very near future and maybe some examples of our favorite Weight Workouts!

I Did NOT Wake Up Like This…Free

Posted on by naomiandshalom

FreedomI was listening to a sermon this morning about Moses and the Israelites. The focus was the winding, long, seemingly endless road that they had to take to get what they were promised. This road wasn’t easy or the “fastest way” but it was preparation for the battles they would need to face. It hit me while I’m writing this…

They were no longer slaves physically but rather they were slaves to their own minds and hearts…they didn’t know they were FREE!

My journey has been a lifetime…literally. Last year I wasn’t free enough mentally to even consider I could exercise regularly… I didn’t wake up last week with the muscles I’ve built this week. The journey through this desert isn’t quick, easy, or what we think is the “fastest way”, but it IS a journey of preparation for the many battles ahead….and we win those battles by remembering we are FREE.

Remember today that you are FREE

  • You are FREE from the slavery of your body being weak
  • You are FREE from believing you will fail this time
  • You are FREE from the slavery of food being your comfort
  • You are FREE from comparing yourself with others
  • You are FREE from the scale being your measure of success

SO LIVE LIKE IT!!!

~Naomi

Shut up & Squat

Posted on by naomiandshalom

cropped-post-cleanse-information-and-fitness-motivation2.jpg

I’m Shalom. I like puppies, my husband (most days), and I very rarely turn down a present. I’m quite confident within my abilities logically, however not when it comes to fitness. I’ve always struggled with my weight. Between seeing my mother struggle with her weight, and constantly being teased for being the “fat kid” as a child, it has been pretty difficult to consistently maintain my weight. From balancing the transition from cheerleading, to hanging up my pom-poms for good. From binging on everything I could find in the pantry, to going days where I refused to eat anything at all. It has been a war that I have waged within my mind for years. Not until I saw my momma consistently working out and starting from the bottom did I decide I was going to SHUT UP & SQUAT.

I really admire how another human being’s courage can become a catalyst for progress and ultimately life changing experiences. She inspires me each day to challenge myself, and although we haven’t started at the same place physically, we are both becoming better mentally.

We have put a stop to our doubt, fears, & inhibitions. We still have bad days, don’t get me wrong, but we no longer feel sorry for ourselves.

Personally, no longer holding onto my negative opinions about myself, has made me more of a vulnerable person; being vulnerable doesn’t always mean you are weak either. It has given me more room to form friendships, to become a better wife, and to love myself even more.

Shut up & Squat means more than to be quiet and workout. It means to shut those negative thoughts up and to work on yourself more and more every damn day. You can do it, I can do it, we gotta werk it errday!

~ Shalom #twerkteamcaptian

Discouragement, Destruction, and Determination

Posted on by naomiandshalom

determined

I struggle pretty much daily with being discouraged …especially this time of year. I usually spend most of January trying to hold onto my health and this year’s challenge has been to not do more than my body can handle. It would make sense to “regular” people to not overdo exercise if it makes you ill, but I’m not normal. I struggle with not allowing my limits to define me, and I refuse to be a victim to my body not working like it should. Wisdom would dictate that I rest when I’m tired and gently work my way up to a full hour work-out when I’m well…but the struggle comes when wisdom meets my determination and then all hell breaks loose and I’m out of the game for 2 weeks.

So today I’m determined to not be destructive, remain positive and remember that progress isn’t measured by numbers or even the number of times I go to the gym but by not giving up….ever. ~ Naomi