Feel the fear... and do it anyway!!!

Hi Everyone!

Many of you may know that besides being a blogger for BeautyFit Inc. my full time profession is as a makeup artist.

In my industry I work in so many different realms with all types of people from brides to actors, models to fitness competitors. But no matter the client or job, one thing is always the same... I'm BEHIND the scenes! lol

So when the opportunity arises for me to be in front of the camera or a large group of people, my first reaction is to avoid and shy away from the experience!
This was especially true when I was at my heaviest... oh the chances and experiences I missed out on because I was so worried about how I looked and what others may think of me.

I am still very apprehensive of being in front of the camera lol (the fact that 2 of my closest friends are photographers makes this especially difficult!!!)
So you can imagine my thought process when confronted with the reality of going onstage to present awards at the OPA London Championships... as one of their major sponsors... YIKES!!!

BUT... as the title says and I'm learning very quickly about SO many things... it's OK to be afraid!!! Feel the fear, embrace it, and DO IT ANYWAY!!!
I know, for me, I'm done passing up opportunities because of fear!

Here we are with the Overall Figure winner!

And here is the presentation to the Overall Bikini winner (oohhhh... recognize BeautyFit Inc' s very own Sandra Compton ;)

And here we are... having a photo op at the booth!

(from left...)

Nancy Barbosa Alaimo, Lauren Fazio, Katie Lesperance, Sandra Compton and Me :)

What did I learn from all this? Well, I went up onstage and didn't get laughed off! lol I didn't feel out of place AND I had FUN!!! Who knew?!?! lol

Til next time... 

Feeling free 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

I am Beauty Strong!

Hi Everyone!

If you all haven't heard the news... BeautyStrong is now available in Canada!!! 

What is Beauty Strong?! Well it's a pre workout drink that helps me dig deep, zone in and maximize my workouts with no jitters!!! 

The first time I used BeautyStrong, I felt the difference. My training was more intense because I could push myself beyond what I was doing normally!

As I always say, if you want to know all the scientific info about the product... head to www.beautyfit.com!

 I love that BeautyStrong is pre measured and it comes in Fruit Punch and Grape!!! Mmmmm!!!

At this point in my weight loss, the loss of pounds is slower than it was in the beginning. This I know is normal, I am in the "home stretch" of my weight loss goal.
Every day at the gym or cross training outside means one step closer to where I need to be. So why not maximize my potential and time there?!?!
Having said that, I am setting new goals and thinking about the "fine tuning" of how I want my body to look and what is important to me.
I want a strong, toned body. Not just a shell that is 100lbs lighter.
With this goal comes a whole new set of challenges, changes and, I'm sure... struggles! lol

I know what I'm gearing up for.... actually I'm looking forward to it! Why?!
Cause I'm BeautySTRONG!!! ; )

Til next time...
BeautyStrong Hugs... Crystal : ) xo

Common sense is apparently not so common!

Hi Everyone! :)

I am going to apologize in advance to any that I may offend... lol

The one question that I'm asked most often about my weight loss is.... you guessed it, "How did you do it?".
Well since you read my blog, you already know the answer! For those who ask, my new standard answer has become... "the two things no one wants to hear... diet and exercise!".
Sad but true. When I'm asked how achieved a 90+ lbs weight loss, people literally glaze over as soon as I mention the words diet and exercise.

Don't misunderstand, I was one of those people for the majority of my life. There must be an easier way, some soup, bar or shake that will make me thin and therefore make me happy! Yaaaaa.... NOPE! lol

You really can't blame people though, the result of millions of marketing dollars are all around us! Drink this and be thin, eat only watermelon and cabbage and have a killer body... (if thats all I ate there would be a whole lot of dead bodies around me, I'd be a raving b#*ch) hahaha.
I'm quite sure that if I drank the majority of my meals, ate only one type of food or just plain didn't eat at all, I would lose weight...probably lots of weight.... until I stopped. Then, what do you think happens? It comes back plus extra!
Worse still is the notion that companies promoting a healthy weight/lifestyle actually frown upon exercise or tell you its not needed?!?! Really?!

This is where the idea of common sense and balance comes into play. My entire weightloss has been geared around making sustainable lifestyle changes. Clean eating (its called clean eating cause I get to actually chew my meals, not drink them all) exercise (including cardio and weight training) and high quality supplements (supplements enhance results, they don't do the work for you) are the foundation of my success.
I was also blessed to find a trainer and coach that didn't buy into BS and truly believes anything worth having is worth working damn hard for!!!

Here I go... I went and said it lol HARD WORK.... it is NOT easy!!! If it was, there would be a whole lot of marketing people out of work lol.

So, if all of this is such hard work... why do it?!?! Because it's so friggin worth it!!!
The first time I made it through a full hour training, the first time I did a military pushup, the first time I did sprints on the treadmill, chest pressed 25's, did 15 reps on the captains chair, ran 5k.... the list is much longer... every sweaty day was well worth the knowledge that I can... and I did!

It really is not complicated... we just make it that way. Get up, move, eat well, repeat.... you'll be floored by the results ;)

Common sense hugs... Crystal :) xo

Baby got... BACK!!! ; )

Hi Everyone!

So once again, time has gotten the best of me! lol

Even though I haven't been blogging weekly, that doesn't mean I haven't been in the gym doing what I need to do.

I realized that I haven't updated my weight for you all so...... here it is!
As of this past Saturday, I broke the 150lb mark and am sitting at 149.7 (hey I didn't say I broke it by much! lol) still, I'll take it!!! YAY Me!

I thought it would be nice to give you all another peek into what my training looks like... this time (as the title says) I'm training BACK!!! lol (and you all thought this was going to be a post all about BOOTY!).


Lucky for me I had a partner in crime to take photos for me :P Thanks Nancy!

So first off on "back day" is the assisted pull up machine (3sets of 12reps).
Can I just say that this thing scared the crap outta me the first time I saw it... it"s one of my faves now!

Next are seated rows (4sets of 15reps) this exercise really makes me focus on my "muscle/mind" connection (I can hear Sams' voice every time I say that lol). I really have to concentrate on the muscle group I'm working to make sure I'm doing this right! I also like that the majority of the exercises I do involve primary and secondary muscle groups. This means, basically, that I'm killing lots of birds with one stone! lol

Alternating dumbell rows (3sets of 15reps) and Lat pull downs (3sets of 15reps) are next... the pics were too blurry! lol I'd like to think it's cause I'm such a ninja when I train :P ... ya lets go with that! :)

Last in my back work out are back extensions (3sets of 20reps). As you can tell in this photo... I'm working VERY hard to hold this position as to ensure a clear photo! lol Btw... that's a 25lb plate I'm hanging onto for dear life!!!
I have always liked back extensions, I have always been "large" chested and have always had lower back pain. This exercise really helps to strengthen muscles that would otherwise be ignored.

Why train your back? It may not sound as sexy as training glutes, abs or legs but without a strong back what's going to help hold the "girls" up?!?! lol Nothing is worse than bad posture!



In weight training, as in life, it's all about balance!

Until next time...

Sexy back hugs... Crystal :) xo

What would I do without it?

Hi Everyone!

Do you ever feel like you stop to "smell the roses" only to find that almost 2 weeks have passed?! CRAZY! lol That's how I'm feeling right now.

Don't get me wrong, I'm loving life...The good, bad and everything in between!

We all have our day to day stresses with work, family etc. but I've found that I rely more on the new habits than on my old ones (thank goodness!) Lol
I was definitely an emotional eater, a bored eater... lets face it, I was just and eater in general! It's how we as a society interact. Celebrate = Cake, Sad = Ice cream... food, food and more food! Don't get me wrong here... I still LOVE food.

The new ways that I deal with things now though, are not based around eating ALL the time. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, stressed or just needing clarity, nothing helps more than kicking my own ass on the treadmill (someone who knows me just dropped on the floor in disbelief right now hahaha) OR putting the hand wraps on and punching the bag BeautyFit boot camp style!

It's a long cry from sitting down with chips or whatever else, to munch away aimlessly. I like this new "multi tasking" lifestyle. It's getting mental and physical therapy all done at once!

I'm also the type of person whose brain doesn't stop... this is especially frustrating when trying to sleep. When I can't sleep I feel like munching.... not a good combo!!!

Because BeautyFit is a line made for women... they know what we (I lol) need.
I've used BeautyBurn PM since it came onto the market and it has always been phenomenal. Having said that, in the last couple of weeks with my brain going into overdrive and finding myself getting the urge to snack out of old habits... My BeautyBurn PM has really been saving my ass! Literally!!! hehehe

Like I've said before, I am not a scientist. What I do know is that this product does away with my need to munch on crap food at night and when I finally get to bed... I'm relaxed and ready to actually sleep, not toss and turn. Ahhhhh sweet Bliss!!! ; )

Til next time...

Well rested and munchie free hugs... Crystal :) xo

On to a New Phase... Online Training!

Hi Everyone!

We're into September and even though I'm not headed back to school, this time of year brings on the feelings of a fresh start and new beginnings!
With this in mind, I have been reflecting a lot lately... about where I started (with my weight loss), all of the speed bumps along the way, the BeautyFit12 week transformation and where I am now... venturing out to train on my own... with the help of my online training with Sandra. Like any good Momma bird, she needs to kick my a$$ outta the nest... with love of course! lol

Many people have asked how having a trainer online could work? There isn't anyone there to "kick ass" or keep you on track.
Well, while having an online trainer isn't for everyone, there comes a time when you have to take responsibility for getting your s#@t done! :) After all, even if you have a trainer beside you, they don't control what you do the other 23 hours of the day. Having an online program consists of nutrition and a complete breakdown of what I'm training each day. The invaluable bonus to this program is that even though I'm training by myself, I'm never alone! Sam (Sandra) is still there for me whether via email, skype, text or just a call away!

I have been with Sandra for a year now, part of her training with me has always been to help me build confidence. I need to be able to train on my own... period.

So now I have knowledge... and knowledge is power lol. Pair that with my new program and I'm ready to bring it!!! BOOM (in the words of Coach Compton ;)
With each of my days outlined, I enter the gym solo. I've got my folded paper in hand... my roadmap to success... my job is to execute!!!

Stay tuned for exciting (and probably comical) updates on how things are going...

Flying solo hugs... Crystal :) xo