Power Up Challenge

If you are my friend on Instagram or Twitter you've been bombarded the past 24 hours of pictures from me. I signed up and received my first Birchbox a few days ago and included was a packet full of 12 mini "challenges." In my previous post I discussed tasks and wanting to check items off a list, so needless to say I was only too happy to participate. Even more motivating was the opportunity to win a contest, but the only catch was I had to do it in a 48 hour time span because the contest ends tonight at midnight. Here were the challenges and what I did for each task. If you want to read more specifics about each challenge, visit https://www.birchbox.com/magazine/article/power-up-challenge

If you want to see the pictures that I posted, check out my Twitter page: https://twitter.com/crystalmdking

Challenge 1: Write it down
A few of my close friends use the app MyFitnessPal. I joined about a month ago and have been logging my workouts and calorie intake. It really does make a difference when you can see what you are consuming and burning off.

Challenge 2: Part your hair differently 
For as long as I can remember I've parted my hair on the same side. I parted it a different way and this sounds silly but it kinda threw me off for a little bit! It's funny how the smallest changes can make a big difference.

Challenge 3: Eat veggies for breakfast
I bought some tasty spinach and quinoa cakes at Costco and paired them with some veggie bacon. Delicious meal! You could even put some eggs over medium on top. I need to get better about putting spinach in my morning smoothies.

Challenge 4: Get out of your color comfort zone 
I wore purple lipstick to the courthouse this morning. Definitely out of my comfort zone, but it was fun to try out.

Challenge 5: Sit smarter 
My trainer has been working on some back exercises with me. A lot of people slouch because they don't have the back muscle support! I've become cognizant of sitting up now every time I am seated.

Challenge 6: Skip the mirror 
I don't spend too much time looking in the mirror to begin with so this really isn't a "challenge." Only if you are putting on makeup, I guess! I skipped putting on my makeup in the mirror this morning and just went for the purple lips. I'm sure that was all I needed anyways!

Challenge 7: Up your sleep quality 
This is an area where I know I need a lot more work on. Go to bed 5 minutes earlier than the night before, and turn off that technology! I've been getting really bad about playing around on my iPad instead of reading a good book this summer. I'm looking forward to continuing with this challenge.

Challenge 8: Log 10 minutes of outdoor time (daily) 
Not really a good time of year to be doing this but I did it anyway. Julian loves being outdoors so this is a good way to bond with him as well. There are days during the school year when the only time I am outside is walking to or from my car. Fall is my favorite time of year for weather so I can't wait to do more outdoor activities.

Challenge 9: Go on a blue streak 
I wore some blue eyeliner! And actually liked it! That was seriously my first time to do that. It makes my green hazels eyes pop out more than just my black eyeliner.

Challenge 10: Sneak cardio into your day 
I've been going to the gym pretty much every day this summer so it wasn't too difficult to "sneak" some cardio in. Really, going to the gym is the only alone time I get to have in a day so I try to make the most out of my time.

Challenge 11: Take a cold shower 
Yuck, not a fan of this one. It's supposed to energize you and all that, but I prefer my showers to be scalding. Even after going to the gym I prefer a nice hot shower. This was my least favorite challenge and not one that I'll do again.

Challenge 12: Perfect your push up
I've been working on push ups and planks at the gym. Add in the stability ball...not fun but funny to watch, but I've been getting better each time working with the trainer!

If you try any of these challenges out yourself (or all of them!) let me know. It's fun and takes no time at all.

If you check out Birchbox and think it's something you would like to try, I would appreciate it if you use my referral code. But don't worry, I'm not going to beg you for referrals ;-) https://www.birchbox.com/invite/crystalking

Let's get physical

In May I turned the big 3-0. "Uh oh, 3-0" is what my mom taught Julian to say to me. If you know me well, you know how much I dread birthdays. I get really morbid and depressed and start thinking about my time on earth. I'm not kidding; before kids I would usually take my birthdays off and lounge in bed and listen to emo-ish music and get very existential. I had been dreading this birthday for some time. Your 20's are all about having the most fun in your life and making the most mistakes with the least amount of consequences. Your 30's are your "growing up" time. People expect you to have it all figured out, and if you don't then what's wrong with you? Your success to other people goes from how much "fun"  you are having in your 20's to how much you "have" in your 30's. When people say you have your whole life to figure things out, you are forgetting about the now. How do you even know if you have a "whole life" to figure things out (see, a little piece into my birthday mind haha)?

When the big day finally came Justin asked me that question I knew I was going to have to answer. He said, "Most people work their whole lives to accomplish what you have accomplished the last 5 years of your life. What do you want to accomplish now that you are 30?" Hmmmm. I have the husband, the career, the degree, the house, the car, the kids, etc. etc., what now? I'm a goal person. Always needing to move to the next goal; check it off my list. What is it that I want from life right now? What is it that I need to check off my list?

The answer was right there and had been there for the past few months but I was too "afraid" to vocalize it before then. I don't like it when I have to admit there is something that I need to do better about (or apologize about). It drives me crazy when people vocalize complaints but never do anything about it. If you don't like the relationship or job, change them. If you don't like something about yourself, change it! If not there is so much wasted potential. Nobody likes complainers; they like success stories. There is always something we can change about ourselves or become better at.

My answer is, I want to get healthy and physically fit. I'm somewhere in the middle of the road when it comes to how healthy I am. I'm a pesceterian (the only meat I eat is fish) and enjoy eating healthy foods. When it comes to being physically fit, though, that's definitely the area where I'm lacking. I'm not overweight but having 3 kids in two years does crazy things to your body. Up until that point it had been all about the kids and their well being. But that left me feeling like I wasn't spending enough time for myself. And then the mommy guilt starts kicking in and I'm left feeling like I can't win.

I told Justin my answer and he was immediately supportive. That's one of the things I love most about him-any goal or task I want to achieve, he is my number one cheerleader. He doesn't push; he motivates me and holds me accountable for my dreams. He encourages me to do whatever it is that will make me happy. He told me he wanted to help me achieve this new goal and asked what he could do to help. What a great guy. I told him I probably needed to spend some time going back to the gym and he said "whatever I can do to help, I will do."

So right before summer break hit I started going back to the gym. Every. Single. Day. Doing the same thing in the short amount of time I had. Hop on the treadmill, burn 800-900 calories in 50 minutes, and call it a day. 5 days a week. And...not seeing results! The math just wasn't adding up. How can you burn that many calories and not lose weight? I hadn't changed my diet either so that wasn't the problem. I'd talked to a few of my fitness savvy friends and they mentioned where they thought I was going wrong. I'm stubborn though and thought I'd stick it out and I'd eventually see results. I did that for about 4 weeks and then one afternoon I was on the treadmill killing myself and I thought, this is crazy! What am I doing? I'm not a fitness expert, I need somebody who is telling me what to do. So I hopped off the trainer and went and got a personal trainer.

I've been seeing a personal trainer for about 3 weeks now and I just love it. What a great investment-I'm investing in my own health! My personal trainer is great. He's not a "mean" trainer; he's very motivational. If there is something I don't think I can do, then he does it with me. If I start to doubt myself or my ability to do something, he tells me I'm being too hard on myself and that I'm more powerful than I give myself credit for. And he's right. In the 3 weeks I've been seeing him I've been noticing some incredible differences. I just feel better about myself. And ultimately that feeling is priceless, right? Some people have asked, "Well, how much does that cost? Where do you find the time to do that?" I want to respond with, "How do you not take the time to do that? How do you not cut back on eating out or going shopping in order to get physically healthy?" Instead, I just smile and tell them it's totally worth it. Because it is.

Is there something on your own list that you'd like to accomplish right now? If you need an accountability partner, I'll be there for you. Take the time now to accomplish the things on your list, whether it's a honey-do list or a bucket list. It feels so good to check those items off the list instead of feeling guilty about what you would still like to accomplish. You don't have as much time as you think you have!