Tag: myfitspiration

Categories
#MyFitspiration

People LOVE to be nasty!

Two blogs in two days!!! Yep…I have been debating all morning about writing this blog, but I just can’t shake it out of my head so here we go.

First, I never like to get involved in such childish nonsense, but when it comes to Bob Harper & Jillian Michaels I get VERY defensive. As you all know I would do ANYTHING for my family and these two are most definitely my family through & through. As most of you know last night’s episode of The Biggest Loser evoked many different emotions and opinions across the board. I think what was shocking was my twitter feed was blown up with ugly comments about Bob. Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but what was so surprising to me is how fickle people are. I read so many blog posts that were down on Bob which was based on ONE episode. These are also the SAME people who have praised the man for 12 seasons. Heard of grace much? Geez.

Trust me Bob Harper doesn’t need any defending from me, but I will say I owe him my life. Not only did he love & care for me at the ranch, but he continues to foster a very personal & meaningful relationship with both Hannah & I post BL. The man is CRAZY busy & he always makes time for me…and trust me when I say he doesn’t have to do that. What bothers me the most is people also forget that even though people are changing their lives for the better The Biggest Loser is still a TV SHOW! Things are edited for drama & interest. Also, it is impossible to understand what a pressure cooker the ranch is…I’m talking PRESSURE COOKER on crack!! It’s not just pressure on the contestants, but huge pressure on the trainers. Imagine how you would feel knowing you are given a group of very broken people who have come to you for help & are expecting major results. I cant even imagine….and he has always handled that with extreme grace & class. That being said it is also extremely competitive…which is usually a theme produced or not produced by the contestants. I don’t know about you, but there have been times in the heat of battle that I have let that competitive nature get the best of me. It happens…move on. I think throwing the baby out with the bath water is by far the most immature thing ever…which I saw everywhere online last night.

I don’t know…I was just extremely disappointed in so many blogs & tweets last night. It’s truly sad.

I love you Bob. You changed my life forever & continue to offer me friendship expecting nothing in return. For that I could never repay. You are truly the best.

xo,

Olivia

Ok guys……what are your thoughts & feelings….let’s get this started in the comments. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand Gooooooooo!

Categories
#MyFitspiration

Motivation to Move a Mountain!

Well, we are officially into 2012!! The Holiday’s were fab…and because of the Christmas Challenge we all got a head start on our health & wellness goals. We win!

I have to say that one of the MOST frequent questions Hannah & I get asked has to be about Motivation. That being said this blog has been rolling around in my head for some time now. Webster’s Dictionary defines Motivation as this: the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal. Um, well doesn’t that make it sound like a cake walk?? We all know that weight loss ain’t no cake walk…although many times we want to just walk to the nearest cake! Right? Right.

I find motivation to be a tricky thing. Let me clarify. I personally believe that motivation lives & is birthed in our emotions. As we all know emotions change with the wind and are not always that reliable. I don’t know about you but “motivation” does not wake me up in the morning to go run outside in 30 degree NYC weather. BUT, making a choice does. I remember Jillian told me one time that you can have all the motivation & good intentions in the world, but if you don’t make good choices it means nothing. So true. Now, I’m not saying motivation is bad…that is not where I’m going with this at all. As a matter of fact I think it is a vital part of any health related journey. The most encouraging thing I can tell you is that it’s really pretty simple. You can really “dumb it down” to simple choices. Ask yourself OUT LOUD in the morning…”Olivia, are you going to get up & workout or are you going to lay here and sleep?”…9 times out of 10 when you physically ask yourself to make a choice you will make the right one. IF on that occasional morning you say no…go one step further and ask yourself why. AND BE HONEST when you answer. “I just don’t want to” or “I’m tired” isn’t specific enough. If you are serious about achieving a certain goal & you are exhibiting behavior to sabotage that goal maybe there is something else going on inside. Are you feeling defeated, anxious, or scared? It helps to identify those feelings and work through them. Even if you still decide not to get up at least there is a victory in identifying what you are feeling. It’s honest and it’s a start. I also think that journalling is HUGE. Sometimes it just helps to flesh out what you are feeling on paper. Also, when you are feeling good & on the right track write it down! Then when you are struggling you have something tangible to go back to for encouragement! Trust me your own words will be the most encouraging of anyone’s! I still go back & read my journals from the ranch when I need a good kick in the butt! I am reminded of how hard I worked & how important this journey is.

Now, let’s go back to the emotional side of Motivation. Once you have made the choice to get up NOW you can lean on the motivational part. Make it specific…and specific to only you. Right now I have a pair of jeans I want to look KILLER in…I can wear them now, but they don’t look like I want them to….SOOOO….when I am at SoulCycle or running I think about my legs and butt burning because that helps push me further in my workouts! I even have the jeans hanging on my closet door so I see them everyday! Motivation can be anything…your kids, an item of clothes, a trip, a race….anything. JUST pick something special to you. Also, whatever motivates you can change often…and it should…keep it fresh!

Remember the joy in all this is your journey is made up of thousands of simple choices. The great news is if you make a bad one…it’s OK we ALL do…you will get to redeem yourself with the next choice right around the corner! We can do this! We are taking 2012 by storm.

What motivates you?? I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on all things Motivation! Let me know in the comments.

MAJOR LOVE,

Olivia xo

Categories
#MyFitspiration

Is too much just…too much?

Are you ready to get all philosophical with me today??

Ok, so I had grand plans of giving you lovely readers a fun video today….BUT…there is always a but…I can’t get this out of my head and this is the BEST place for me to flesh this out. So…here goes.

There was a comment left on one of the past blogs about how much time I spend working out a day, and by posting that on twitter I am putting unrealistic expectations on people etc. Now, this person really was coming from a good place, and I appreciated the honesty. Let’s not get out the pitch-forks and torches just yet, because I want this to be a place we can all be honest…politely please.   After I let the sting of criticism roll off me I began to really think about this statement. Am I being realistic about my workout schedule….is it too much?

See, I told ya we were getting deep today. Heehee. This brings up a great point about balance. We all need balance in our lives…in our friendships, family, and even our workouts. For me this has been the toughest aspect of leaving the ranch. How do I find balance when all I know is Biggest Loser….which was my full time job for months and months. How do I navigate transitioning from 8 hours of working out a day to just 90 minutes? I’ll tell you…I just go day by day. Somedays 90 minutes doesn’t feel like enough and I do more if I have the time. Then other days I feel great at an hour and I stop there….although that has been rare.  There is also some guilt which I’m working on. 🙂 The point is I’m always working towards a balance that not only works for me, but is healthy.

I get asked all the time if I think I can sustain this workout schedule my whole life….to which I answer….I don’t know. It cracks me up to see people’s faces when I give them that answer. I’m sure they are expecting some kind of noble “I am winner hear me roar” type of answer like “absolutely, I will workout hours and hours everyday for the rest of my life because I have made a lifestyle change” or something like that. I wish I was that confident, but to be honest I don’t know what tomorrow will hold for me or my schedule. What I do know is that I am going to do whatever is required to keep this weight off…I owe that to myself and to the amazing gift I have been given.   For now, that means working out as much as I do these days feels right. Does that mean it should be the stick that everyone measures themselves by?  No…I repeat…N-O! Sometimes it takes just listening to your body and knowing what is right for you. At the end of the day only  you will know what is best for you, your body, and your schedule.

I hope you all know that when I post what I am doing it is not to discourage anyone…to be REALLY honest…it is to hold ME accountable and hopefully encourages everyone that we are all in this together.  When I read tweets about someone completing their first 5K, going to a spin class and loving it, OR deciding that no matter how scary it is they are going to take the Sports Bra Challenge it reminds me why I started this journey and why I continue.  It feeds my spirit and I just love it.  I hope on some level my tweets lift you up as well.  I really do feel like we are all here to learn from and edify one another.

I would LOVE to know what you think about balance and how you either achieve it or struggle with it.  It’s a great conversation worth having don’t  you think?

Much Love and Health,

Olivia

P.S. Can you believe the Sports Bra Challenge is just right around the corner???  Who’s ready….who’s scared?  *raises hand* 🙂