100 Days & Counting

I woke up on Friday, and it was an interesting feeling knowing that I had an actual choice to workout.  The 100 Days of Fitness challenge was complete, and through the thing I told myself that I would take day 101 off. When I got there though, I didn't want to take a day off. For the last 100 days I've told myself that there would be no excuses not to workout, so as day 101 approached I found that I've conditioned myself to that mindset.  I still don't have excuses, so I'm still going strong.

What does that mean now?  I am not limiting myself to any number of days, I'm just going to keep going.  As for the videos, I'm not going to be posting daily because it is really kind of a hassle, especially when I'm in the gym on my own.  But when I do cool/different things, I'll definitely be posting, but probably more on Snapchat than any other outlet - so follow me @JennileaL if you don't already!

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for...my results:

I didn't take measurements the day I started, which is a bummer! The only measurements I have are from about 8 weeks ago, so I know I've lost more than what I have documented, but here is what I have from that point:
Weight Loss:  19 lbs
Inches from 8 weeks ago to now:
Hips: -3 inches
Thighs: -2 inches on each side
Arms: -1 inch off of each arm
Chest: - 1 inch
Glutes: - 2 inches
Calves: -.75 inches on each side.

The photo on the lefts side was taken in September of last year. From the time that photo was taken to the beginning of my 100 day challenge, I had gained about 6 lbs - so I was actually in worse shape by then.

Today, I am confident and so incredibly proud of the changes I've made, the new habits I've formed, and the "no excuses" mentality I've adapted to.  My new motto is definitely that "discipline always wins over motivation," which is something my trainer Jamie has instilled in me.  It's completely true too!  There were several days where I didn't have the motivation to go, but the discipline from this challenge was enough to get me off the couch and into the gym!  This challenge has been completely life-changing for me.

Thanks for following my journey!  I'll be sure to keep updating you along the way as I continue to make changes!  If you're looking to see some results, start the challenge.  It may feel impossible, but I promise it can be done...and it's completely worth it. :)

-jennilea

Discipline Over Motivation

I've been on this journey now for 72 days.  Guys, I've worked out for 72 days straight!  It certainly hasn't been easy and yesterday I hit a wall.  I'm seeing progress, but for some reason I was completely lacking any sort of real motivation.  I didn't know what it was that put me in such a broken state, but it sure had an impact on my attitude as I pushed through 300 reps for the night. 

It all got a little more clear today though, when I was able to rest up and step away from how I felt last night.  I'm exhausted in life.  Work is really busy, wedding planning has become slightly more stressful as choices are getting harder to make, I miss my friends and family - those relationships that I've worked so hard to build but hardly get to enjoy these days, and I'm working out for 100 freaking days straight!  These are certainly smaller problems to what I've faced in the past, but I'm just tired.

That's where discipline comes in though.  Why did I start this journey?  Because I wasn't happy with where I was.  I wanted change.  I wanted to create a new habit. I wanted to better myself.  So that means that several things in life are going to change in order to make this fit into any and all areas of my life.  If I want to see change happen, I have to stay disciplined even when I can't see exactly what motivated me to start.

If I've got work or plans to hang out with my people, that means I'm waking up early or shutting the gym down.  I'm wrapping it around my life and forcing it to fit in because I know that once I hit my goals, it will be worth it. I know that even going in there for at least 30 minutes of my day is going to make me feel better. 

I'm tired right now and life is busy, but it's worth it. I just have to stay consistent.

"Discipline always has victory over motivation.  We aren't always motivated, 

but discipline always wins." 

                                                - Jamie Gomez.

Discipline tells me that I am going to keep going even when I feel exhausted and can't see where I'm headed.  The minute I step away from the consistency I've worked so hard to build is the minute I break and return to old habits.  It's not easy to change your body.  It feels foreign and challenges you in some pretty major ways - but it's possible.  You have to want it.  You have to give up excuses and chase after it with everything you've got in you.

I'm not giving up.  When I'm tired, I'm going to push even harder.  There are 28 days left in this challenge, but I know it won't stop then.  This is my passion.  I'm making changes and going places.

-jennilea

Results Are My Addiction

My friend sent me a photo of me he had found - and I hated it. I looked in the mirror and cried at what I saw.

I hated my body and the fact that I had come so far - and then let it all go again. I felt defeated and as if my body was just not meant for change. I thought to myself, "This is who I am forever...."

I was wrong.

The problem wasn't in my body, or the fact that it would never change; the problem was in my mind. Your thoughts are convincing. Of course, right? They come from us, so why wouldn't we believe them. The problem is that those thoughts were the easy way out from making a life changing decision.  Thank God I had made progress before - because I could have easily believed the lie that my body was just this way forever. I wasn't meant to be fit.

After being sad, I went through some other photos until I finally stumbled upon my progress photos from when I first started with Jamie at The Dungeon. Within the first 8 weeks I had lost 32 inches! If I could do it then, what exactly would be stopping me now? So, I made a choice to change my mindset. I told myself I could do this - and that I would see results and they would become an addiction.

4 weeks later, I'm seeing results and, sure enough, I'm addicted.

I'm not just addicted to the fact that I'm seeing inches and points leave - I'm also obsessed with the PRs I am setting each week! When I first started at The Dungeon, I was doing all of these crazy workouts, thinking to myself that I would never be able to complete the sets Jamie had planned for me. Sure enough, those sets would turn into my warm-ups. I started adding weights and numbers to my sets, pushing myself even harder and further each week.

Not only am I doing better in the gym, but also in the kitchen. Jamie gives us these individualized meal plans and they really go hand in hand with our training - both with the same objective, which is to meet our personal goals. A huge part of building the body you want is to stop filling it with garbage, and start feeding it the fuel it needs to continuously see change!

In the 4 weeks that I've been eating right and making every single workout, I have noticed I feel better, look better, and am even starting to enjoy taking photos again.

This is just the beginning. I can't wait to see where another 4 weeks will take me.

If you're wanting to make a change in your life, please check out The Dungeon if your are interested in making a change to your physique. Whether your focus is to stack on muscle, compete, get rid of fat, tone up, be healthy, or wherever else you might want - Jamie can help you get there through amazingly priced personal training as well as a personalized meal plan.

Don't be afraid to make that change you've always been wanting. You can do it.

-jennilea