Fashion AND Function!

Hi Everyone!

I want to talk about fashion today! FUN!!! :D

For those who have seen me going to, at or after the gym... I do not prescribe to the idea of getting "dolled up" to train. Sure, if I am heading there after work or happen to have a full face of makeup on I'm not going to wash it off*

*side note: training in a full face of makeup is the best kind of research for me :P Tell me your eye primer will make shadow last 12hrs.... we'll see about THAT!!! ;)

Anyhoo! Back to fashion... like I said, I don't need to look pretty to train BUT what I have found as of late is that I really am seeing the value to proper, high quality training clothes!

You don't have to have lost 100+ lbs to see (or feel) the difference in training gear. I'm writing about how it helps me... take from it what you will :)

Coming from such a big weight loss, there are certain "things" that one can't control. One of those things for me is loose skin.
If you've been following my blogs, you'll know that this has always been one of my biggest fears.
I wasn't ready in the beginning to acknowledge that a large weight loss would result in loose skin... truthfully, it would've scared me off.
Instead my Coach had me focus on the things I could control... diet, exercise, water intake and taking care of my skin by moisturizing twice a day and using products like Beauty Bum to help break down cellulite.
To be honest with you, I truly believe that had my weight loss just come from diet alone, I would have a lot more skin to deal with.

So in dealing with the "skin issue" I have noticed that high impact training i.e.. running, jumping, etc can result in what I like to refer to as... reverb! lol It's my silly name for the little aftershocks that my body does during impact movements! (go ahead and laugh... its ok!!! lol) For women, think about running with no bra on..... picture it.... :s yep! pretty much the same feeling I get if I'm training in lack lustre gear!
HEY... my blog is ALL about honesty! lol

Sooooo... what's a girl to do?! FIND BETTER GEAR!!! ;)

On a recent sunny day road trip with Coach Compton I found myself finally investing in something I should have gotten a LONG time ago!...

My Lululemon Run:In the Sun crops!

Aren't they pretty?!?! And they WORK!!!

Not only do they have circle mesh in all the "right" places to keep sweaty stinky-ness at bay... they are also made of their Power Luxtreme fabric which I find helps keep me compressed in to avoid bounce but still super comfy!!!

I also bought this running shirt....

My Run:Swiftly tech long sleeve

I mainly bought it because its my fave colour blue lol and Coach laughed when I couldn't bear leaving the store without it :P 

BUT it is also super lightweight, has moisture wicking and Silverscent... which is anti-stink!!! 

And couldn't we all really use a little less stink in our lives?! ;) 

Now onto my next new fave...

My Reebok Shapewear Lux tank

This was actually something Coach had seen and hauled me in to try it on! lol

Instant LOVE... so lightweight to wear under other tanks and tee's but holy cow!!! the amount of "suck it in ability" is AH-MAZE-ING!!! :D

I have already worn it a couple of time awhile running and am happy to report that in combination with my new Lulu crops.... I am virtually "Reverb" free! ;) hahaha

So what is the whole point here? 

Just like in high fashion, the right "under garments" make the outfit... the gym is no different!

The right gear for me means less "reverb" which means less stress on my joints and to be truthful... my skin itself doesn't ache as much after training.

In the end... it's not about looking "good" at the gym (or wherever you train) it's about feeling secure in the gear you wear.... though having some style never hurt anyone ;)

Til next time...

"Held in" Hugs...

-Crystal :) xo

How to Lose 100lbs… Pt. 2

Hi Everyone,

So the last time I wrote about "How to Lose 100lbs" I ended with posing the question…how bad do you want to make a change?
I hope you’ve really thought about it, because part 2 is where you’re going to put it to the test!

A few days ago, I asked Sam (Sandra) what the "hardest" part about training me was when I first started. Her answer surprised me…

I thought she was going to say something about all my "limitations" of being so overweight. I honestly thought she’d file me under lost causes after our first training session :P
Instead, Sam said that the hardest thing about training me (or I’m sure anyone, for that matter) is what I did the other 23 hours I wasn’t with her.
Hmmmm…. Made you think huh!? Lol

Lets be honest here, I remember one of my big excuses being that I had no idea what to eat!… Really?! I’m pretty sure I know what not to eat! (quote from Jimmy Mentis himself lol).
I can do exactly what I’m told for one hour of training but if I follow it up with a cheeseburger… what good is that? Add insult to injury, it’s the trainer that gets s#!t on when the client doesn’t see results.
Wow… that was harsh! But totally true ;)


If I sound like I’m on the proverbial soap box, I don’t mean to honestly! Lol Truth is I was that person for a VERY long time! Starting a new "diet" or exercise routine or whatever. I never achieved my goals because I wasn’t really ready. Ready to do EXACTLY what needed to be done to get the results I wanted.

Sam told me (and this is my big GOLD STAR!) that I was the "ideal" client because I listened to her… always!
I’m not looking for a pat on the back here lol
This time was different because I had made the choice that enough was enough and I was READY.

If it meant getting up an hour earlier to train… OK
If it meant skipping lunch with friends… OK
If it meant cooking separate meals from my family… OK
If it meant making a sacrifice now for a result later… OK

In the words of Coach Compton (Sam)… "the food will always be there" lol.
Cheesecake is not going to go extinct right before I reach my weight loss goal! Hehehe

So here’s the next step for you…. If you’ve decided that you’re really ready.
Commit to what you’re choosing to do!

If it’s the gym, boot camp, a trainer, weight watchers… whatever! DO IT!!!
If you’ve hired someone… listen to them… see what happens when you honestly give it your 100%!!! No more, no less!

Something that I heard (no clue where, forgive me if I’ve used it before lol) that really stuck with me is that… time is going to pass regardless of what you do… so why not use that time to your advantage and each day get one step closer to where you want to be.

While we’re on the subject of "goals"… I told Sam when we first met that in my wildest dreams I would want to look like the girls in a Pitbull video!!! Lol Totally still true! Matter of fact… that’s my next focus. Shaping and toning!
I’ll keep you posted on my "bootylicious" progress!!!

Til next time…

Badonkadonk hugs... Crystal :) xo

Failing and quitting... there's a difference!

Hi All!

Here's a great quote to get us started...

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually, it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever" ~ Lance Armstrong

The "universe" works in amazing ways... I love it when I come across exactly the right motivation when I'm most needing it. 

With all victory, there comes defeat and with all success, there is some level of failure.

It is what you do with the defeats and failures that ultimately determine whether you reach your goals.

I remember vividly my first attempt at a military push up... hahaha It was BAD! I could barely hold myself up, let alone go through the full range of motion! I thought to myself, is this EVER going to be possible for me? 

Well, after attempting one... and face planting lol, I figured it couldn't be that bad again :P Even if I did one push up and wiped out on the second... at least I did ONE! lol 

Eventually, one turned into 10 and then to 30. The point is, after the face plant I could've said f#*k it and not ever tried again. What would be the point in that though?!

 So here I am... doing military push ups! Wow, that's a bad angle!!! hahaha Oh well! Point IS that I'm doing them! :D

I know I've thought about quitting, the days when I'm sore or tired or when I have guilt over all the time I'm putting into making ME better. In the end its what you can and can't live with. I choose not to stop where others would be comfortable. That's my choice.

Its not just about being "not fat" anymore, its about being the best Me I can be. Exactly the way I see myself in my head, but was always afraid to hope to become.

For me, once I got a taste of a healthier body and mind, having anything less is now unacceptable.

I don't want to be stick thin. I am, and will always be curvy. I love the look of hips and booty... and boobs lol

I do however, want to reach the goals I've set for myself. Regardless of how many people tell me that I look "good" now and I don't need to continue. I'm not "there" yet. ;)

So here I am with Sam on back/shoulders day, that was a push to failure workout! lol

Each day we all have the choice to either push til our body fails OR to try a little and then quit before we ever see our full potential OR not even try at all... which do you choose today?

Remember, no matter how slow your pace... you're still out running the people on the couch! (I take no credit for that quote but I love it! lol).

Til next time...

"You can do it" Hugs... Crystal :) xo