Growing Up

I've done a lot of growing up this month, and this is what I've decided:

Growing up is not fun. 

Growing up hurts. 

It hurts a lot.

I don't like it. 

Growing up means you learn that people are liars. 

Growing up means you will fail at things. 

Growing up means learning that parents aren't super heroes. Parents are people; and sometimes people suck. 

Growing up means making sacrifices. 

Growing up means paying for your own health care, which blows.

Growing up means health problems.

Growing up means bad shit will happen, and people will die. 

Growing up means mortgages, car payments, insurance, and other bills deplete your bank account regularly. 

Growing up means you have to put your own bandaid on your cuts and scrapes. 

Growing up means you have to do your own laundry and clean your own house. 

Growing up means making your own Mac N' Cheese. 

Growing up means buying your own gas. 

Growing up means a whole lot of responsibility, stress, frustration, and fear. 

In other words... Growing up sucks!

Don't do it!

Don't do it unless you also can deal with the fact that:

Growing up means you will fall in love. 

Growing out means you get to discover yourself.

Growing up means having your very own pet. 

Growing up means starting your family. 

Growing up means you get to be a super hero, at least for a little while. 

Growing up means accomplishing your goals and living your dreams. 

Growing up means you get to choose what you eat.

Growing up means mom will never pick your underwear for you again. 

Growing up means wearing only your underwear in your own house.

Growing up means making your own bedtime. 

Growing up means your finally get to own and control the remote. 

Growing up means becoming your own hero. 

Growing up means you can watch R-rated movies. 

Growing up means buying what you want when you can afford it. 

Growing up means independence. 

Growing up means a growing waistline too. Be careful about that part. Make sure you workout. 

Growing up means making lasting friendships. 

Growing up means traveling and sightseeing. 

Growing up means moving away, physically and emotionally. 

Growing up is exciting, fulfilling, confusing, and intimidating. 

But growing up is worth it.

I'm growing up, and while it is easier to focus on the negative aspects of the evolution and progression of life... There really are so many positives that I forget that are right under my nose. 

So grow up, but never grow away from your youth. Never grow away from the ability to see the world through the eyes of an adolescent. Don't lose that connection that colors the world in brilliant shades of carefree splendor. 

Growing up is required, but growing up and choosing to enjoy it with childlike optimism... that's optional. (And it's much less depressing.) 

Love,

Mych

Finding the good...

2014 continues to be the bane of my existence...

Sadly, now it is leeching into my nuclear family.  Nothing about this year is looking up.  

It's been hard to feel motivated to continue with my health and fitness goals.  When you're in emotional duress it's easy to feel the desire to give up.

Between battling bouts of sans-baby blues, acclimating to my husband's new work schedule, and dealing with immense family drama (and the subsequent emotional baggage of ALL those things...) I have very nearly been ready to throw in the towel and give up. 

But it's hard to give up. 

My mother raised me to be a fighter.

And I've developed a taste for fighting.  I've developed a desire to work for & attain my goals.

I've developed a voice.  I will stand up for myself and for the people I love; and I'll do it, even if it means it may hurt other people.  

I am tired of allowing myself to be drowned in other people's misery.  I am tired of standing on a sinking ship while I feverishly try to get everyone in their life jackets.  Sometimes you have to save yourself before you can save others.  There is a reason YOU have to put on your oxygen mask first when the airplane gets gnarly.  You can't help others if you haven't helped yourself first.  You can't protect others if you haven't protected yourself. 

So what life lessons have I learned in the past week?  How have I grown amidst the drama, heartache, and grief? I've accepted a few hard truths...

1. Life can be disappointing. 
2. People will hurt you. 
3. You will struggle. You will grieve.
4. And life will go on.

BUT, even with all the heartache, the sadness, and the confusion there is always something good.  There is always something positive. With God all things are possible. We are never too lost to be found. We are never broken beyond mending. We are never unloved. We are never alone. He is always there, He is always waiting. We need only to reach out, to ask, and to allow Him to lift and carry us. He loves us. He wants us to be happy, to succeed, and to be whole and at peace. He is a loving Heavenly Father who fills our lives with blessings too numerous to count. Life is such a wonderful blessing. How grateful I am to be a child of God. You are stronger and more remarkable than you give yourself credit for. Your spirit can never be broken. Never lose hope. Do not despair. Trial and tribulation last only a small moment of this miracle we call life. Your existence is too important to be bogged down by grief. Your journey is too valuable to halt for sorrow. Hold your head high, keep your heart strong, and never stop moving forward.

Keep your chin up.

It'll all workout. 

Keep moving forward.

Love,

Mych

A Quick Blurb

The scale is moving!  I'm trying really hard to not weigh in until Saturday...

Well it'll have to be after Saturday because I'm going out of town; but none the less, I am trying to utilize patience and not weigh in for a few more days.

It's amazing how watching that number finally move has impacted my mood and attitude today.

I won't lie about how much of a struggle it has been the past few weeks to have the motivation and dedication to not give up.  Between illness and watching how nothing was changing no matter how good I was... it was hard to want to keep going.

But I did.

And I'm glad I did.

This year isn't so bad.  I can lose 50 lbs this year.  A pound a week.  Let's do this!

My journey is about being the best me.  Your journey is about being the best you!

We can do this.  We deserve to do this.

Much love to you guys!  Please keep me updated!

MWAH!

Mych

A Friendly Monday Reminder

Okay dah'lings,

It's Monday!  So we get to start fresh again!  Who doesn't love a good week's restart?

Probably everyone, because no one likes Monday.

I'm writing a blog post right now because I'm feeling overwhelmed this morning already.

I have been sick and lethargic all weekend; as such I haven't had the gumption to clean my house or catch up on laundry.  My house is a mess.  If you haven't heard yet... I'm OCD.  So it's kind of melting my face off.

The problem is, I can't exercise until I clean my house.

Why?

First, I like to workout in a clean and organized environment.  I was really picky when I was picking gyms in Utah.  I like things to be clean and organized.

Second, I can't relax and exert full attention and effort to my workout until I clean my house.  I like to put my all into my workouts so I feel like I'm really pushing and changing my body.  Having a messy house will leer in the back of my mind and drive me crazy.  No bueno.

Thirdly, a messy house STRESSES ME THE EFF OUT!  I exercise to release tension.  If I exercise before... I'll be stressed afterward because I'll still have to clean.

So today I'm prioritizing based on my emotional and physical needs, not just my physical needs.  And that's okay!

Sometimes you have to do what's best for your mind, heart, and soul first; and sometimes those things will be different than what your body physically needs.

Have balance in your life.  I've found that's what makes me happy.  Take care of your physical body, take care of your heart, mind, and soul.  They're all linked and they all deserve to be taken care of.

So take care of yourself today my loves!

Relax, workout, be happy, smile, hug someone, accomplish something, be amazing, have a glass of your favorite drink.  Whatever you do, just make sure you're doing it for yourself.

You deserve it today.

You deserve to love your life.  Make it so.

Love,
Mychal

Struggle Builds Strength

I've been trying really hard to stay positive since it's the new year and all... but life is not making it easy to do that.

My husband and I have been struggling with our health since December.  Illness has run rampant in our house; apparently stress helps colds/the flu creep into your body and not let go.  Not to mention the fact that I've been struggling with getting my body normal since we found out about the insulin resistance and hormone imbalance.  It's been tough.

My husband also was injured at work the other day and the cut got infected.  The doctors were concerned it was a strain of staph so they put him on antibiotics.  Can't catch a break, right?  *sigh*

Then, this morning I woke up with nausea and abdominal cramps.  While my body is handling the birth control and other medications better, I'm still not used to it.  So I'm sick today too! UGH.

In case anyone is wondering, it is REALLY hard to have the desire to workout when you don't even want to get out of bed.

Thank heaven for pain killers and anti-inflammatory medications.  Midol and Aleve are my best friends right now.

I don't even want to eat! You know things are bad when I don't want to eat.

I was really looking forward to this weekend's weigh-in too.  But not now.  My body is bloated and retaining water.

It's hard to keep my chin up and be positive when life seems like it's kicking my ass all the time.

So this morning on my Instagram accounts I posted the following posts.

First this, because I was frustrated:

Then, in the midst of my wallowing, I happened to see this photograph on Facebook.  It struck me pretty profoundly and pulled me out of my self-pity pit of despair.

So, I guess that's all I'm trying to say today is...

It's okay to have a bad day.  It's going to happen; and it'll happen more than we think is fair.

We will struggle; but struggling is part of the journey.  Struggling is part of our story.

We can't give up.  Ever.

We are too valuable to give up on.

We have too much to do, too much to offer, too much to give.

So chin up.  It'll get better.  I promise. I know.

Much love to you my dah'lings!

~ Mychal

Feeling v. Seeing

Hello Lovelies!

It's a beautiful Saturday and I hope that you've all had a wonderful week!

I suppose it's "update" time.  I have some exciting updates, and some kinda not exciting updates.

I'll start with the exciting things first.

Yesterday & today, for the first time I can remember... I nailed my two Focus T25 workouts.  By "nailed" I mean that:

• I didn't have to pause the DVD to catch my breath
• I did every exercise for the entire time allotted
• I pushed through the burnouts and kept up with the T25 Crew
• I embraced the burn and never let up on my energy and focus

It might sound silly to some of you.  But to me that's a big deal.  That is a HUGE improvement in a week.   A mere week before I was pausing the DVD, stopping mid exercise section, and going at half the speed the Crew was exercising at.

I feel so great!  I can feel the change in my body (and I can feel it too.)  My abs and core are getting stronger and I'm able to put more energy and force behind every exercise movement.

My husband even noticed that my pants fit better.  *smiling huge*

NOW

While I can feel the changes in my body, I can't really see anything (though maybe my husband is onto something with the pants).  This week I didn't gain or lose weight.  Which is disheartening, but not.  If that makes sense.

I'm hoping that the high intensity and strength building exercises in my workouts built some muscle (which, if I was losing fat at the same time could explain why I didn't "lose" anything. I did lose, but I gained muscle at the same time.) and building muscles is a good thing.  Being stronger is a good thing.  It means I can work harder and more intensely to lean up.

Regardless of numbers, I am happy and I feel good.  I will never give up! Ever.

I hope the rest of you are doing well! Fill me in on how you're doing, please!

As always, feel free to email or message me if you would like to chat or need some encouragement!

I sure love and appreciate you all!

Much love,

Mychal

Ab Workouts

I just want to take a moment to hate on, and love & praise, ab workouts.

I hate them.

They make me feel inadequate.

They take every shred of self-confidence I've acquired and light them on fire with a maniacal laugh.

BUT

They also make me feel like a RockStar when I start to see myself doing better at certain exercises every few days.

I try to do interval workouts, so I only focus on an ab workout every 2-3 days... which is enough to both make me shout in elation, or cry with humiliation.

Anyone else have this problem?

Regardless... I'll keep moving forward!

Only a couple days away from a weigh-in.  *Holding breath*

How's everyone else holding out with their goals to live a healthier and happier 2014?

Much Love,
Mych

It's Only Been 5 Days...

BUT -

I'm trying to establish a habit and routine, so I apologize for all the blog posts and the obnoxious updates.  My goal is 2-3 posts a week, so hopefully when there are two more days in the week it won't feel like I'm force-feeding you Blog Posts.

On the off chance you don't follow my Facebook Page (Changing My Life Today) I'll update everyone about "The Plan" (duhn duhn DUHN!)

The Plan

• Eat 1,500 calories a day (can be augmented as more will be earned with exercise)
• Eat between 120 & 150 carbs
• Exercise vigorously 30 minutes a day
• Be active as much as possible (always find reasons to get up and boogie!)
• Enjoy life, enjoy food, enjoy the journey
• Don't be too critical if you can't live The Plan everyday... (you're only human!)
• Oh, and Weigh-in Days are Saturday

The end.

Ish.

Yesterday was the first Saturday of the New Year, so that meant it was a Weigh-in Day!

I weighed in and was 5.5 lbs lighter than I was on January 1st, 2014.

Now, don't get too excited... I tried not to be.  That weight was mostly water weight and the bloating alleviating as my body was becoming accustomed to less carbohydrates. 

The additional updates to the New Year, it's goals, and my health status are as follows:

1. I have worked out everyday for a hour (excluding Sunday's which are my rest days... Hey, even God needed a rest day. Just sayin').
2. I have managed to live within my calorie and carb goals.
3. I've found some fun new music to dance to while I clean my house.
4. My medications for Insulin Resistance are working (I think) but now, I've noticed that my throat is especially tender these days.  My throat feels tight when I swallow, and the side of my neck that is home to the extra long part of my thyroid is much more noticeable these days.  I'm looking forward to going to see my endocrinologist next month.

But overall, I feel pretty awesome.  My energy level has picked back up now that my body is used to the birth control medication.  I've also noticed that working out has really helped my stress and tension levels; along with helping me sleep better at night.

So life is good. 

I feel good. 

So now I want to know... how're you guys doing?!

How are you and your New Year Goals panning out? Is there anything I can do to help? 

I'm realizing more and more that an uplifting and supportive community is a critical foundation to lifestyle change. 

I posted this little diddy on my Facebook, Instagram, and Happier accounts... but I thought I'd share it with you guys today as well.

You're incredible, amazing, remarkable, valued, & loved. Whoever you are - where ever you may be on your journey - please know that you ARE important.

I hope you guys really know and understand how important you are to me.  Have a wonderful day, because you are wonderful and you deserve it.

Much love,

Mychal

Being Creative

After I got my blog updated, my workout done, my house cleaned, my errands run, and my laundry done... I was feeling creative!

Check out my Flipagram on YouTube at: http://youtu.be/Fc7BemzoErk

It's a collage of my wedding photos. I hope you guys enjoy it! Even if you weren't able to make it, I hope it makes you smile. 

Love, Mych

New Year - NEW ME!

Let's get real my Lovelies!

This year is going to be tough... because challenging yourself means pushing yourself to the limit.  And  I NEED to push myself to the limit.

I'm putting my health and happiness at the forefront of my goals and I'm gunning for 50 lbs of weight loss by Christmas.

Time to crank out my T25 workouts and get serious about my diet.  A high protein and a low carb diet is what I'm shooting for.  One cheat meal a week.  And I'm not completely nixing carbs, I'm just being REALLY conscious of what ones and how many I'm putting into my body.

I'm going to kick this insulin intolerance and thyroid garbage and have the health body I've always wanted!

Who else is ready!?

What are your goals for the year?

Love,
Mych