I am notorious for putting pressure on myself and just generally being pessimistic. It makes me cringe to admit that since I like to think I'm a generally optimistic person. I'll tell you whose optimistic, my husband...Andrew. Ha, it's almost sickening sometimes (and I mean that lovingly). I would LOVE a pair of his rose colored classes but alas, I think he possesses the only model ever made. Seriously, it's not a "being naive" thing for him. He truly is always able to see the silver lining. In a way we balance each other because I tend to bring the healthy dose of reality and he injects just enough hope to make all of our dreams seem possible. Though I'm typically able to see the bright side, it's not before heading down the "how catastrophic can this situation get" path calculating and planning for all the bad things that can happen, preemptively determining course corrections, etc. I very much buy into the, "I'd rather be prepared for the worst than hope for the best" approach. Not that there isn't some inherent value in that, but by and large, I really have room to look on the bright side much more often than I do.

I frequently challenge myself to do this and have placed special focus on this mindset recently, especially since little life stressors seem to be stacking up. We've been making some big decisions and changes in careers and finances, and we're about to have a second child. I was getting myself down, big time. Obsessing. I know I've gone over the edge when Andrew looks at me and asks how many hamsters I'm slaying in my head. I guess I get a "look" in my eye and sort of zone out and he says he can see the hamster wheel turning as I over think things...and not in a good way. Apparently I give hamsters on my little brain wheel heart attacks. Oops.

So, in an effort to be more positive, and in turn happier, I spent some time reflecting the past few days on what I would offer as my five most important tips for being more upbeat. I think it's a pretty solid list and one I know has helped me turn my internal chatter around to a more positive place. 

Forgive

This is a big one. And the hardest. So worth mentioning first. If at all possible, really train yourself to exercise forgiveness. The past few months I have been hurt and disappointed by colleagues, family, and friends. And that's ok. Truly it is...it's life and it will happen virtually every day. (God knows how many people I disappoint on a daily basis. If you're reading this and I've wronged you, my heartfelt apologies! Please let me know if we need to talk it out or hug it out.) Thankfully, I don't think any of the transgressions I've been subject to have been direct or malicious, at all, but they still slice. Some have quite frankly pissed me off. I may have even shed a tear or two (pregnancy hormones, ha!) But you know what, hanging on to the hurt or disappointment is toxic. I was telling Andrew recently that I wish forgiveness came a little more naturally to me. I think it's because I tend to overanalyze situations...I'm always seeking out answers and the "why". I believe that makes me tend to hold on to things because I like closure, justice, and discussion and planning on how these things can be avoided in the future. But you know what, that's not real life...and not even necessarily worth it. Honestly, many times it's better to just let things go. You can be pissed for 5 minutes, punch a wall, bawl your eyes out for an evening...but then do yourself the biggest favor you can and move on. Sometimes, if it's possible and appropriate, you can share your feelings with the party involved and hash it out a little but mostly, it's better to just let it go. Until you try it I can't really illustrate how liberating and good it can feel. I think this quote from motivational speaker Wayne Dyer sums it up:

"Forgiveness is the most powerful thing that you can do for your physiology and spirituality. Yet, It remains one of the least attractive things to us, largely because our egos rule so unequivocally. To forgive is somehow associated with saying that it is all right, that we accept the evil deed. But this is not forgiveness, Forgiveness means that you fill yourself with love and you radiate that love outward and refuse to hang on to the venom or hatred that was engendered by the behaviors that caused the wounds."

And if nothing more, at the end of the day...I just don't have time to be mad. And I love my friends, my family, and everyone else that comes into my life more than to allow stupid little transgressions become irreparable catastrophes.  

Trust Your Guts
This one is particularly important to me, and something I used to be good at. Interestingly, as I get older, I find myself trusting myself less and less. I used to be a go-getter, a risk taker (albeit calculated), and generally fearless. I wasn't base jumping or dabbling in illegal drugs...but I was putting myself out there in relationships, school, and career. I've never been afraid of failure or to try new things. I always approach things with a healthy dose of reality but if I wanted something, I generally went after it. Maybe I just have more on the line these days. I'm no longer responsible for just myself. I have a husband, children...a family to consider. Still, I'm trying hard to reconnect with that sense of adventure and gusto that I once possessed. Consequences of my decisions scare me a lot more now since there is so much more riding on their successes and failures. The other day I discussed some changes I'm making in regards to my career and role in my family. This terrifies me. I know it's the right decision but that doesn't prevent me from talking myself out of it on an almost daily basis. Right before writing that post I was talking to Andrew and it was sort of the final stake in the ground...I'm doing this. We're doing this. It's decided. Trust your guts. So maybe you can challenge yourself to do the same. If you've been waffling over life decisions, large or small, challenge yourself to make a decision and stick to it. Trust your instincts. In the grand scheme of things they've rarely led me wrong.

See the Positive Side

This one is pretty simple. Switch the script in your mind. Just do it. Change the negative that you say into something positive. I'll give you a good example. Lately, I've been obsessing that Connor seems to come home from the sitter (who he pretty much goes to full time until recently) in a terrible mood. Not that he is poorly cared for there or having a bad experience, he's just worn out from fun with little friends and all of the activity. As I mentioned in a previous post, I often feel like I see him at his worst on weekdays. Until recently, I was working full time and felt like our interactions were extremely limited on weekdays and when I did get the opportunity to spend a few quality minutes with him in the evenings, he was tired, cranky, whiney, hungry, and exercising his right as an 18 month old to throw tantrums. I complained to Andrew about this and he said that rather than focus on how unfortunate that is 5 days a week, he savors the weekends where we have two full days with a smiling, happy, adventurous boy that we get to enjoy taking to the park, playing with the dogs, hanging around the house, and otherwise finding adventures to get into. Touche. In a nutshell, I'm a master at identifying what is going wrong or what can be better...I need to practice identifying all of the things that are going right and focus on that.

Challenge Yourself 

This is sort of an extension to my "trust your guts" tip. For me, personally, I generally find happiness in a challenge. Nothing necessarily insurmountable, but I gain a lot of personal satisfaction from achievement. I'm never really competing against anyone else except myself, but there is something about being able to say, "hey! I did it!" that feels pretty amazing. Of course, this type of activity can be an incredible form of stress so I really try to evaluate the projects or goals I am taking on and pair them down into more realistic and manageable pieces. I tend to dream HUGE so this can be difficult...but it is possible. Lately, I've identified that I would gain immense happiness and satisfaction if I take some of the new found flexibility I have in my schedule to focus on some additional fitness certification goals including more Les Mills certifications, my AFAA and ACE certifications, and possible even my personal training certification this year. While these goals take work and some sacrifice of time to achieve and are challenging both physically and mentally, they aren't so huge that achievement can't be tasted. I'm going for it! So what about yourself? Maybe your challenge is similar. Maybe you want to get through a stack of unread novels to carve out a little personal time. Maybe you're gunning for a promotion at work? What challenge can you pose to yourself that would bring you greater happiness?

Find Something You Love and Do It!
Everyone needs a hobby. This is especially important for all of my parent friends out there. Andrew and I have discussed at LENGTH that it is important and healthy for us to keep our personal identities and identity within our marriage in addition to our kids. Don't get us wrong, we love our child(ren) (<-- 3 weeks!) but we just won't let the world revolve around them. Each maintaining our own hobbies not only sets examples for our kids and perhaps even gives them something to participate in with us in the future, but it affords us the opportunity to unwind, recharge, have something interesting to talk about with one another, and keep our minds active. For me, my hobby has really becoming health and fitness, both leading classes and blogging about it. I have a million other things I'd like to do to but this, and getting into the occasional good book, is about all I have time to focus on right now so I'll immerse myself in these areas as time permits. For the record, I should state that if you sit back and allow time to "permit" it will never happen...so I rephrase and say, make a conscious effort to carve out some time as well. Literally schedule it. I try to work on blogging during Connor's nap time for example. Set aside an hour and savor something you enjoy.

So, while many of these "tips" are personal to my life and experiences, I hope you gained something valuable that you can identify with as well. I posed several questions throughout my post and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section. Let me know all of the ways that you try to find some happiness in your life. How do you struggle? How do you succeed? Also, I read a book called The Happiness Project last summer. I loved it! While I just don't have the mental fortitude this year to conduct my own "happiness project" the book had some great take-aways and I know there are many individuals out there, bloggers and non-bloggers alike, who have taken this journey. The author, Gretchen Rubin, has a great website as well if you'd like to take a look.

I mention the book The Happiness Project because I thought it was relevant to this post. I have no relationship with the author or publisher and have not been compensated for mention of the book or website. I purchased the book myself and found it valuable and a good read so wanted to mention it as a resource here. I have included an affiliate link to my Amazon shop if you'd like to purchase the book. I get a small commission for it's purchase at no additional cost to you. I use the Amazon Affiliate program to generate commissions to support the maintenance of this blog :) Thanks!

Les Mills Smart Start Program

This post is for all of you who are new to exercise...especially group fitness and Les Mills programs. This program also serves you well if you've been on a fitness hiatus for at least 3 months and are looking to get back into the swing of things.

One of the aspects I LOVE about being a Les Mills instructor is having the knowledge that the programs I teach are backed by solid and current scientific research and development. Les Mills puts countless hours into testing programs, designing workouts based on current exercise science principles, and bridges the gap between the physical AND mental nature of fitness. They put equal emphasis not only on the physical aspect of the workout but on the mental aspect as well...what keeps you coming back to class feeling energized and like you are getting results...it seriously often boils down to music selection and training their instructors to deliver the hallmark "fitness magic" which is the buzzword that described how we are guided to create a completely immersive experience for you.

Recently, Les Mills embarked on some research focusing on helping participants who are new to group exercise gain the confidence and skills to begin coming to classes and most importantly, building their fitness to keep returning and reaping the ultimate reward which is SIGNIFICANTLY improved health and fitness. I adore that this brand places such emphasis on affording you the proper tools and encouragement to be energized and successful on your fitness journey.

What came out of this research was a program dubbed the Smart Start program. I'd like to quote the following brief blog post from the Les Mills website regarding the development of the Smart Start program:

"This new year, thousands of well-meaning rookies will join gyms and fitness facilities with their resolutions at the ready.

By the end of 30 days, almost half of them will be back to square one, defeated, discouraged and no closer to a healthier life.

It turns out that fitness is just like any addiction - it all starts with a small dose. Too many people make the mistake of leaping into exercise when baby steps are what’s needed. Here are three key things to keep in mind:

• Start slow – Don’t push your body too soon, leave classes when things are feeling tough

• Build gradually – Aim towards staying for a full workout as your fitness builds

• Mix it up – Include a mix of strength, cardio and flexibility training

But don’t take our word for it, we’ve got the science to prove it.Get Fit Together, a study conducted by Pennsylvania State University, followed 25 sedentary adults through a 30-week program of LES MILLS™ Group Fitness classes including a mix of cardio, strength and flexibility.The group saw awesome results – so awesome that they extended their life spans by an average of 3.6 years. You can read more about the results of the study here.But the really interesting news was that over the 30 week study, 20 out of 25 study participants never missed a workout – a compliance rate of 98.8 per cent – almost unheard of in studies of this type.Despite each of these programs being highly engaging, the real key was the gradual way in which the exercisers adapted to their new routine. An initial six week period encouraged them to “dip their toes” into fitness before ramping up the intensity with a full six-day-a-week exercise schedule.So instead of being overwhelmed by it all, feeling sore from overworking unfit muscles and giving up, they actually enjoyed it."

For my local friends, you're in luck. If you are looking to get started with Les Mills group fitness programing, we offer just enough programs through the local club I teach at to fulfill the requirement for cardio, strength training, and flexibility. At Gainesville Health and Fitness you can find BodyCombat, BodyPump, and BodyFlow. I'm pretty sure I can speak for any instructor on our team that we would LOVE to chat with you about getting started in each class. Most of us teach several formats and are happy to chat with you before or after class to offer advise, form pointers, modifications, weight selections, and guide you through the program. We love to keep you accountable and have fun doing it! Some of my participants have become great friends not only with each other but you with me and I with you.

Ready to get started? Les Mills has created a fabulous guide to help you plan your workouts and track your progress. I've included them below or find the Smart Start guide here. 

So, what are you waiting for! There is no time like the present. Please don't hesitate to comment here or email me (thefirstrepblog@gmail.com) with any questions on how you can get started. I'd love to help reach all of your goals this year. You can do that and so much more by coming to classes. Improved fitness, check. Improved mental health, check. More confident in your appearance, you will be! New friends, absolutely!!! Can't wait to see you at class.

I have not been compensated or otherwise encouraged to promote my local health club or the Les Mills Smart Start program. Just a passionate Les Mills instructor sharing awesome tools with her participants and readers. 

On Becoming a Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador

Happy Monday morning! Hope you had a relaxing weekend. Ours went fast and was filled with errands and random chores. T-minus 4-ish weeks until Declan makes his appearance so we're just trying to fit in as much time as we can as a family of 3 and mentally prepare for our new love bug.

Anyway, I wanted to share some exciting news. I have been accepted as an ambassador with Girls Gone Sporty!

I'm very excited about this ambassadorship opportunity. One of the main reasons I started blogging was to share my passion for health, fitness, and overall wellness with likeminded women (and men!) and hopefully inspire others in the process. Blogging and social media has proven to be an amazing (obviously) way to connect with a network of people who share this passion. It affords many of us the opportunity to share our expertise and personal experience with a huge network of individuals and hopefully change some lives in the process.

While I'm passionate about breaking down barriers between the men vs. women debate in fitness and sports, I also feel like there is still a huge opportunity to empower women with knowledge, skills, and community to bust misconceptions about women's participation in sports or how they approach fitness. I also think it remains very relevant to use discussions regarding health and fitness to promote positive body image and self esteem issues in women. For the record, men aren't exempt. As a mother of (soon to be two) boys, I plan on setting the same type of example for them as I would hope to set for daughters. Positive body image, the importance of living a healthy active lifestyle, challenging yourself physically and mentally, and respecting others for their capabilities and differences both physically and mentally.

I'm excited to become an ambassador with Girls Gone Sporty since this affords me an amazing opportunity to network with other bloggers and individuals who embrace these values. The ability to contribute to this conversation is so energizing to me. I'm not only excited to share but to learn.

Here's a little more about the mission of Girls Gone Sporty:

"Girls Gone Sporty is an online editorial magazine and a social community for women dedicated to living and leading sporty lives. In addition to providing cutting-edge content, we’re committed to creating a support system for women who are striving to be their best selves."

"What is the “sporty life”? It’s more than just fitness and nutrition; it’s an attitude that’s focused on embracing fun and adventure. The sporty woman says, “I can do anything I put my mind to, I just need the resources to do it.” That’s where GirlsGoneSporty comes in. Owned and operated by Laura Williams, a self-proclaimed "sporty girl" and her husband Lance Williams (an equally sporty guy), GirlsGoneSporty is dedicated to sharing the top products, trends and ideas for advancing the fit and adventurous lifestyle."

I'd love to invite you over to visit the Girls Gone Sporty website and follow the GGS social media channels:

Girls Gone Sporty Facebook

Girls Gone Sporty Twitter

Girls Gone Sporty Instagram

Girls Gone Sporty YouTube

Girls Gone Sporty Pinterest

You'll discover great blogs and have loads of resources for workouts, recipes, and new fitness experiences. Become part of the conversation and keep checking back here at The First Rep to follow along with me as I navigate a healthy lifestyle. Please give me a follow on my other social media channels found above to stay in the conversation. I'd love to connect with you!

Jaime Eason's Post Pregnancy Fitness Trainer Coming Soon!

 I have been waiting for this!

I have been a HUGE Jaime Eason fan for years. I have followed her through various publications and on social media and just love how down to earth, knowledgeable, and motivational she is. Not only is her physique a source of inspiration, but she has been incredibly generous with connecting with fans and using bodybuilding.com as a forum to offer a completely FREE training program which I'm sure many of you are familiar with. It's called the LiveFit Trainer. I had started it approximately two years ago and then became preggo with Connor so I had to switch gears. Jaime gave birth to her son a few months before I had Connor and not too long ago announced that she was working on a new project with bodybuilding.com to offer a free post-natal training program. I've been CHOMPING at the bit for info and announcements and as luck would have it, she posted to Facebook today announcing the official countdown. T-minus 5 days! The timing could not be more perfect. With 5 weeks of this pregnancy to go, I'm already making a plan of attack for my post-natal training. I am already incredibly grateful to have this free and accessible resource to jump-start my program. It will be comprehensive including training plans, meal plans, and supplementation. It also sounds like many of the workouts can be performed in a short amount of time and AT HOME! Woohoo! Take a look at this amazing video introducing the program:



I also really admire that Jaime shared a peek at her post-baby body. She is HUMAN. I love how she is acknowledging honoring the hard work and changes our bodies go through to build a human and how with a little diligence, support, and a focus on fitness and nutrition, women can achieve their goals. Whether it be general health and fitness for energy to chase after the kids or for true changes in physique and body composition to achieve a specific look.

So, I was thinking. You may be aware I am a Beachbody Coach and run challenge groups using the companies amazing fitness products and supplements. I receive a commission on the sale of these products. While I intend to offer some challenge groups using these programs in 2015, I know so many new Mom's who have had kiddos or kiddos on the way that I would VERY much like to offer a FREE challenge group starting this Spring. We will all go through Jaime's new program together. No purchase necessary. Just a completely free support group hosted by ME where we will share our experience, keep one another accountable, and get through the 12 weeks as a community of awesome women. What do you say!? I'm thinking May/June time frame and we'll utilize a private Facebook group for all of our motivation and communication. Message me here or via email (see my contact info above) to let me know you're interested and I'll keep a list going. After I deliver Declan and settle in, I'll message everyone and we can get a better idea on when to start the program and finalize some details. More to come!!! Can't wait!

Coaching with Team Beachbody

Happy Sunday everyone! Today, I wanted to formally announce my reinstatement as a Team Beachbody Coach. I'm so excited that I decided to reinstate my business. A few months ago, I had started my business as a health and fitness coach with Beachbody products on top of my group fitness instruction and full time job. Unfortunately, it coincided with some time consuming changes at work and my discovery that we were expecting baby #2. I had started my business off strong and was several weeks into my first challenge group when I just completely lost steam. The first trimester exhaustion got the best of me and my type A personality was having an up hill battle with trying to fit it all in. I was trying to take care of myself, take care of a group of women dedicated to improving their health, chase after my thriving toddler, and do my best at work. Something had to give. So, I sadly had to disappoint my challengers and disband the group (they were all working so hard, I felt awful) and take a step back to re-evaluate. I let my business hibernate but it's been on my mind all of these months.

Today, I took another leap of faith and decided to reinvigorate my business. Those of you who know me know that, for the most part, my job as a Speech Pathologist doesn't exactly fill my cup. I've been very vocal that some of the most rewarding hours of my week are spent with my group fitness participants or "coaching" family and friends in improving their health, fitness, and lifestyle. I truly see this as a full time career transition in the future but I'm trying to be patient and let that happen organically. As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago I was this close to purchasing a local business franchise, Fit4Mom Stroller Strides, which focuses on fitness for mom's of all ages. The franchise was for sale and in many ways, the program aligned with my goals and current business ownership capabilities. Unfortunately, the opportunity to purchase the business coincided with a few stressful weeks for us in regards to work status, childcare, and finances and left me unable to commit. I had to pass up the opportunity. I moped about it for a few days but since I always believe everything is timed for a reason it was probably all for the best. While that entrepreneurial dream and career move didn't come to fruition, I still have the opportunity to continue working towards my goals in other ways.

At this time, my Beachbody business is perfect for the time and financial investment I can make. It directly achieves my desire to help others and connect us all in the effort for improved health and wellness. Why only reach those who can actively participate in my live group fitness classes when I can help so many more of you who I don't get to see several times a week, who are interested in another method besides trekking to the gym, or who don't even live in my community...or who I don't even know personally, yet?!  Since my teens, a large part of my fitness regimen has been home based through workout DVDs and home based equipment. Beachbody uses these exact methods to make fitness accessible to everyone. Honestly, gym workouts are great but I know I've mentioned many times that some of the better workouts I've ever done are home based. Don't let those DVDs fool you! There are some TOUGH programs out there. I know myself and others have been able to achieve some of their best results with home programs. Once upon a time I paid for an expensive trainer and I swear my results were the same if not worse than sticking with home based workouts. Why not achieve better results at a fraction of the cost with me? Of course, I love the energy of a live group fitness class but our challenge groups, personal coaching from me, and the support of the community we can create will more than fill in for that gap... all while affording you the flexibility to meet your fitness goals on your terms, with the time you have, and the financial commitment you can make.

Some of my favorite programs:

I'd love to help you achieve your goals so feel free to message me or email me at thefirstrepblog@gmail.com or bbcoachcatie@gmail.com (I check both!) I'd love to give you guidance and resources on picking the perfect fitness program for you and offer nutritional coaching and support. Once I pop this baby out, we'll start a challenge group to get in shape! I'd love to invite all new momma's to join me. And if you're not, that's ok too! Stay tuned this spring for challenge group announcements.

Finally, does my passion for all things fitness resonate with you too? Wondering how you can help help friends, family and beyond with the tools to improve their life? Then we should chat. I'm building a team of like-minded men and women who can join me on this journey. A little extra income doesn't hurt either :) Message me!

Check out all of the info and resources over on my BUSINESS PAGE - www.beachbodycoach.com/bbcoachcatie