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Monday, March 31, 2014

April 2014 Challenge - Cardio

This month is a cardio challenge, and I originally had it written with 6 rest days, 3 exercises, and working our way up to 150 reps on each exercise. This would have put us at doing 450 reps between all the exercises on day 30.

But, after re-evaluating my goals and deciding at the last minute I want to really push myself, (and to be honest I think you can handle it too) I made the following modifications. I added the burpees, took out a rest day, and increased reps to where by day 30 we will be completing 300 reps on EACH exercise!

I do have a recommendation! When you complete the first few days, I would time how long it takes you, this way you can make sure you're allowing yourself enough time once you start getting into the higher reps. Your first day, by doing 60 reps of each exercise, you are doing 240 reps....AND THAT'S DAY 1!!!!! By the end of the month, you will be doing a 1200 rep cardio workout on day 30!

I know what you're thinking! That girl has lost her ever loving mind! And you're right, but as they say, "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you!". And I've got goals to meet! So, I encourage you to accept this challenge! And if you do, with each rep as it gets more challenging and you are cursing my name for coming up with this, I leave you with what Michael would say, YOU'RE WELCOME!




APRIL 2014 - CARDIO CHALLENGE
THE EXERCISES ARE: JUMPING JACKS, MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS, BURPEES, JUMP ROPES
You will do ALL 4 exercises each day, and you will complete the number of reps listed for each day on each exercise. For example, day 1, you will do 60 jumping jacks, 60 mountain climbers, 60 burpees, 60 jump ropes. The goal is to increase reps each day for each exercise to burn calories/fat and improve your endurance.
DAY # OF REPS PER EXERCISE DAY # OF REPS PER EXERCISE
1 60 16 180
2 70 17 190
3 80 18 200
4 90 19 210
5 REST 20 REST
6 100 21 220
7 110 22 230
8 120 23 240
9 130 24 250
10 REST 25 REST
11 140 26 260
12 150 27 270
13 160 28 280
14 170 29 290
15 REST 30 300

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Weigh-In Update - Get Results Like This!!!

What an AWESOME week we've had at Fitness Together! I'm so proud of my FT family, clients and trainers, for all the hardwork and dedication they put in this week and for sharing their successes!


As for me, I FINALLY met the goal I had set for myself a few weeks ago! With a few modifications Michael made, I lost 4.4 pounds this week, making my total weight loss 132.4 pounds! The modifications allowed me to not only lose weight this week, but I ended up getting more sleep and having more energy. It just proves once again, hardwork, dedication, and trusting the process truly pays off!


Now, I'm REALLY excited to brag about my FT brother and sisters! This week has been amazing and have many weight-loss and non-scale successes to share. Again, these are results that were reported just this week alone! Check these out!
  • Patty H. - dropped 3.3 pounds this week!
  • Jody B. - made it in for her sessions and was able to do the majority of the exercises without modifications. She is feeling stronger than ever!
  • Charla C. - didn't miss any workouts (in fact she did extra with the incubator program), stuck to her nutritional plan, and was able to clean and jerk 95 pounds! That's the most she's ever been able to pull overhead!
  • Casey P. - he hit a new PR by 20 pounds, clean and jerk 220 pounds!!!
  • Michelle B. - down 3 pounds this week! Total of 23.5 pounds in 9 weeks!
  • Julie W. - down 2.9 pounds this week!
  • Kari C. - down 3 pounds this week for a total of 9 pounds in 3 weeks!
  • Lisa B. - down 6 pounds this week for a total of 11 pounds in 9 days!
  • Rachel M. - excited for a major milestone because she was able to do lateral jumps continously!
  • Tara J. - was able to have those "back of the closet" clothes fit again!
  • Magge W. - had an assessment and in the past month lost 7 pounds, 10 inches, and 2% body fat!
I can't tell you how proud I am of all of them! I've said it many times, and I guarantee you I'll say it again in the future, but I'm going to say it again right now! If you want results like this and want to become a part of an amazing support system and family for your own health and fitness needs, I strongly encourage you to contact Michael Watkins (owner) or Keith Jacobs (manager) for an opportunity to check them out! Make sure to tell them I sent you! Check them out at Jenks/Riverside or Downtown Tulsa! I can't promise you won't have to do burpees, but I can promise they will give you all the tools and knowledge to get the results you want and need, it'll just be up to you to just do it!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Recipe: Apple Bacon Chicken Salad


Before posting this recipe I wanted to make sure it not only was something I would recommend based on taste, but wanted to make sure I had suggestions on how to serve and keep for future use. Because I prep my whole week's of meals on Sunday, I wasn't sure how this would be a few days after being made, so I have a couple suggestions.


Because some of my meals I freeze and pull out the day before to heat up for my lunch or dinner, I tested a serving by freezing and seeing how it would taste the next day. My suggestion is DON'T freeze it! It still has a good taste, but the apples do become soggy. The two servings I didn't freeze, I kept in the refrigerator and even after a few days still tasted delicious and also the apples were still crisp.


Now, how to serve! If you are carb cycling, you can eat this on a high or low carb day. For a low carb day, being served on a bed of raw spinach is filling and tasty. If you are eating it on a high carb day, eating with a whole grain or Ezekiel pita bread or tortilla is what I would recommend.


You can get the recipe directly at this link on Read Set Eat website. Tasty version of a healthy chicken salad and only 185 calories for one cup!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Be My Buddy - For FREE

I hear A LOT of "I wish..." when we talk about my workouts. And now, what a great opportunity you can have to check out Fitness Together for a whole week with me for FREE! It's bring a buddy week and you can come to any or all of my sessions!

Here are the times I train, all at Fitness Together Downtown Tulsa

Monday - Friday: Lunch group workouts starting at 11:30 am
Tuesday/Thursday: Private session at 5:30 am
Friday: Private session at 5:15 am

If you're interested, shoot me a message! Only way to get results is to stop wishing what you could do and just start doing it!


Saturday, March 22, 2014

Weigh-In Update

Just felt compelled to include a little humor with this week's weigh-in update. As I've mentioned before, this whole becoming healthier journey can be very emotional, and this week has been one emotional roller coaster! And I'm not here to only talk about only the positive things that happen, but when things aren't going quite right as well.

So, this week I was up 1.8 pounds, and yes it REALLY bothered me! But, as usual, Michael keeps me from getting too far off track by his encouraging and motivating talks. We discussed moving forward and I'm taking his suggestions. The thing is, I think I'm having the opposite problem of some people, my eating is very clean but I'm struggling in other areas. And like Michael said, not to use it as an excuse, but I am working through an injury and didn't get my cardio in like I normally do. Plus, I've had a lot of other stuff going on that has my mind racing 100 mph and not sleeping well some nights. He didn't modify much on my meals since what I'm eating is clean, but making a minor change as far as the time I eat breakfast. The other suggestions involved me getting more sleep and trying to eliminate any unnecessary stress. First rule is I can't wake up before 4:00 am and he suggested I also keep a daily journal for just myself.

So, I'll take all his suggestions and "Trust The Process" as he always reminds me I need to do, and we'll see what happens next week. Hopefully will be back on track, because if I don't start making progress he might be tempted to call Keith Jacobs in who gives no mercy (but in a good way)! :)

And speaking of Michael Watkins and Keith Jacobs being some awesome trainers....these two were on air with KRMG's "Man Show" this morning and had some great advice for people wanting to get healthier! Want to know how Fitness Together and their team of trainers can help you meet your own health and fitness goals? Contact them here in the Tulsa area at Fitness Together Downtown Tulsa or Fitness Together Jenks/Riverside and they will make sure you have all the tools and knowledge to be successful, it's just up to you to do it!




Michael Watkins - Owner     Keith Jacobs - Manager

Sunday, March 16, 2014

You Must Be Willing To Change!

So I was inspired to write this post after standing in line behind a couple ladies at the grocery store. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation because they were really frustrated. By the conversation I could tell both ladies were very unhappy about their weight, health, and how they looked. They both complained of the weight they have gained over the past several years, and one even mentioned about all the meds they were having to take. They discussed the various "diets" and diet pills they have tried. As they continued their discussion, they started to put their groceries up on the counter, I couldn't help but notice what they were purchasing. For starters they didn't have any type of fruits or vegetables. They had cookies, pop, several bags of chips like Doritos, various processed lunch meats, frozen pizzas, and a lot of other items that are not healthy options. And in all this discussion these ladies had, I never once heard any mention of exercising.

So, as I'm listening to this discussion and seeing everything they are buying for their meals, I couldn't help but think of how many times I've heard conversations like this before from other people I actually know. The thing is, I've been there! I used to be this person who continued with the same habits, yet expected different results. But thankfully I realized how crazy that sounds and did something about it by taking responsibility for my own health. Are you tired of not getting the results you want? My personal advice is figure out what you need to make those changes and then just do it, because you won't get different results if you continue your same unhealthy habits!

If you're here locally in Tulsa area, I encourage you to contact Michael Watkins - owner or Keith Jacobs - manager at Fitness Together Downtown Tulsa or Fitness Together Jenks/Riverside and tell them you heard about them from me, Sherrie Bullock. If you're outside the Tulsa area I encourage you to contact a local Fitness Together to get the same motivation, encouragement, and tools as I do to be successful with your own personal health and fitness goals.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Weigh-in Update - Getting Long-Term Results

Let's just go ahead and get right to the weigh-in! It wasn't what I expected, or what I wanted, but at least the scale was down! I lost .6 this week, which means I only need to lose .9 next week to meet my next goal. Keeping it positive! :) Besides my weigh-in update, I also wanted to talk about what I feel is important to keep in mind as you go through your own health and fitness journey. I bring this up because we have several new clients at Fitness Together who are going strong and getting great results, and I want them and anyone else who is just beginning their journey, to know it's okay if you're not doing everything perfect.

I have found from personal experience when I would try to change everything at once and attempt to do it perfectly, the first time I mess up or don't get the results I want, I become discouraged and give up. That's why I feel it's important to let people know it's okay not to change everything at once. I'm still making changes and I've been doing this for three years. Also, having that long-term goal is great, but in the process you want to have short-term goals to focus on. This is another reason why people become discouraged, they focus on the end results and when they don't reach their goal as fast as they think they should they give up.

So, if you have a final goal in mind, set some weekly and monthly goals that will help you get there. Make small changes and improvements so you don't feel so overwhelmed. But more importantly if you're not seeing the results you want, don't give up, re-evaluate your plan and adjust where needed. Now, I know all of this is easier said than done, but having a great support system will make it better. Obviously the best support system is having your friends, family, and co-workers working out and eating healthy just like you are; but, I know this is not reality. So, the best way to make sure you have the best support system around you, is be honest with yourself and the people in your daily lives. What I mean is you have to be honest with yourself in what you need and what you want, then you have to make sure the people in your life understand this is important to you.

Some things I did was I made a commitment to myself that I would not miss or reschedule a workout just because someone wants to go have dinner or lunch. My session is 45 minutes, I can catch up with them afterwards, or they can wait until I'm done. In the three years I've been with FT, I've only missed sessions when I was sick and my doctor or trainer told me to stay home. Another thing I did was I stopped participating in food days at my job. We were always having them and so to avoid the temptations, I just didn't participate. Yeah, some co-workers made comments, but I didn't care. First of all, the majority of the food brought isn't healthy, and then also I wasn't strong enough to say no to the things I shouldn't eat. Now I have my eating habits under control, so I'll participate in a food day from time to time, but not every time.

Everyone has their own challenges when making changes with their health and fitness, and I really believe making small changes along the way will get you the long-term results you want. The other important thing, is to remember, ALWAYS do what's best for YOU!!!! Because your health and fitness journey is about making YOU a stronger and healthier person!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Planning And Prepping

Meal planning is very essential when it comes to meeting your health and fitness goals. I've been planning my weekly meals for quite some time now, but the last few weeks I have taken Michael's suggestion on prepping my meals for the week and it has really made a difference! I take the weekend to plan my menu for the week, and then Sunday I prep all my lunches and dinners for the week. It's been nice knowing when I get home from my day I don't have to cook dinner or prepare a lunch for the next day. All I have to do is heat up my dinner and then grab a lunch out of the freezer and pack that along with my snacks for the next day. This has also allowed me to stay completely on track with my meal plan for the week.

Before I started prepping my meals for the week, I would come home each night and cook my dinner and also cook something for my lunch the next day. Even though I had it planned out, by doing this, I was still risking getting off track. I would have nights I wouldn't feel like cooking so I would throw something simple and quick together and a lot of times may not have been the healthiest options. Because of some of the conversations I had last week, I thought this would be a great reminder about the importance of not only planning your meals ahead of time, but the benefits of also prepping them ahead of time. So, what are you doing to plan and prep to ensure you meet your own health and fitness goals this week?

Saturday, March 8, 2014

No! I'm Not On A Diet!

I had a couple conversations this week that has inspired this blog post. I've talked before about the word "diet". When the word diet is mentioned, the majority of people automatically make the assumption you are trying to lose weight. But, over the last three years, my opinion of the word diet has changed drastically, and that's what I want to share in this post. In my opinion, no one is ON a diet, but we all HAVE a diet. Your "diet" is what and how you eat. The other common assumption about a diet is once you lose the weight, you don't need to be on a "diet" anymore; and most people revert back to old eating habits and typically gain all and plus some of their weight back.

I'll use myself as an example. I became drastically overweight and very unhealthy because I had a crappy diet. Before starting Fitness Together, my diet consisted of a lot of unhealthy and even fast food that supplied very little or no nutritional value; and it didn't help I had zero activity in my life. I definitely wasn't eating for the right reasons. Obviously I ate when I was hungry, and then also when I was depressed and even bored. But, now my diet consist of healthy and nutritional foods. I time my snacks and meals around my work and workout schedule to ensure my body is fueled with healthy foods at the proper times to get me through the day.

As I mentioned, a couple conversations triggered these thoughts and this post. Earlier this week I had various conversations with different people, but they all were very similar. They are frustrated because they aren't losing weight or getting the results they want. They workout (very hard), but when asked about their meals it's anything but healthy and nutritional. There's a quote, "You can't out train a bad diet." A typical week for me consists of six days of training, and five of those days I'm at the Fitness Center two or three times a day. All this training will not get me any closer to my goals if outside of the fitness center my diet is crappy. Now, I do allow myself one reward meal a week, and there's nothing wrong with splurging on one meal from time to time like that. Where this becomes a problem, is when people allow these type of "reward meals" to become a daily part of their diet.

The second conversation I had was with a lady from work. She has only been with the company for a couple months and she isn't aware of everything I've accomplished over the last three years. This is how our conversation went in the break room as I was heating up my baked chicken, broccoli, and cauliflower.
  • HER: Are you on a diet?
  • ME: No, I'm not on a diet.
  • HER: Well, it looks like you've lost weight.
  • ME: I have. My trainer modified my meal plan and I've lost almost 10 pounds in the last month.
  • HER (with confused look): Oh...but you're not on a diet?
  • ME (getting a little irritated she keeps asking if I'm ON a diet): No, I'm not on a diet. These are foods I eat regularly and the carb cycling meal plan I'm on allows me to eat my protein and healthy carbs at the right time to ensure my body is properly fueled.
I then went on to explain my thoughts on the word "diet". I also explained, even though I still have some weight to lose, that once I do hit a healthy goal weight I'm not changing my diet. I'll continue to eat the same foods, but with Michael's help, we will modify my meal plan to ensure I maintain that healthy weight. And because I know how these conversations go, I didn't give her the opportunity to ask if I'll continue working with a trainer once I get to my goal weight. I just said, "And no, I will not stop working with my trainer once I get to where I want to maintain." I'll not only need, but will always want his guidance and support so I know I'll never revert back to my old habits. Then I proceeded to tell her I've lost almost 130 pounds total in the last three years. I think at this point she didn't know what else to say, so she said, "Wow, great job!". And then she walked out of the break room.

And let me point out, I talk about my meal plans. And that's because I continue to eat the same healthy foods, but one of the most effective things someone can do to be successful with their health and fitness goals is to plan their meals ahead and stick with the plan. So, next time you think to yourself, I need to lose weight; don't ask yourself what kind of "diet" should I go on, but ask yourself what is my current diet like and how can I change it to ensure I'm eating healthier and getting the results I want.