January’s Fitness Update

Hey there, friends! Happy Friday!

Last month, like many of you, I set some realistic resolutions for myself to stick to this year so I can look back at 2017 and say, ‘Okay, amazing! I made progress!” Hah! I think we all want to be the best versions of ourselves, but put some of the goals that can get us there on the back burner. I know I have been totally guilty of that in the past! 

One of my resolutions was to make my health a priority. While I may be small and seem healthy from the outside looking in, I actually haven’t worked out in years, don’t drink enough water on a daily basis, consistently put two Sweet & Low’s in my morning Venti Iced Coffee, and I’m your friend who always opts for French toast at brunch instead of avocado toast and hard boiled eggs. While you may be sitting there thinking, ‘must be nice’ or ‘yeah, but you CAN do that because you’re skinny’, I want to remind you that you can be skinny but be way more unhealthy than someone who isn’t as skinny as you. My mom gave me her fast metabolism and, while it does have its perks NOW, I don’t want to set myself up for having horrible health later on in life when I want to watch my babies grow up and make families of their own! What we consume and how we take care of ourselves now can definitely affect our future and, at 30, I’m just now taking that realization seriously.

So, clearly, I’m not being shy about sharing my unhealthy habits here. I’m not proud of them, but I think when you can be honest about what your issues [or ‘areas of improvement’ – ha, that sounds so much better than issues] are, you’re able to put more effective goals in place to help you get where you want to be. After I shared my resolutions with you all, there were quite a few of you requesting that I take y’all on my fitness journey with you. I thought that was a really fun idea, so today, I’m going to share my first monthly fitness update with you today! Each month, I’ll give you a round up on my favorite exercises, favorite healthy snacks, favorite healthy dinner recipes, favorite song to work out to, favorite workout gear, the personal challenges I had throughout that month, what I championed really well, and whatever else y’all want to know about my fitness journey!  

Before I do that, though … I need y’all to read this little disclaimer, because I think it’s important to mention:

DISCLAIMER: Health and fitness is always closely tied to weight, for obvious reasons, and because of that, I feel like we need to stop here and talk about it for a second. We all struggle when it comes to our weight. I repeat we ALL struggle when it comes to our weight. I am not going to sit here and harp on the woes of being skinny, but I can say from my experience, it’s hard for me to gain weight and that can be frustrating. I sometimes feel like I’ll always be deemed a ‘cute girl’ instead of a ‘beautiful woman’ because I am short & tiny. I look at girls who have curves and can fill out a bathing suit top and wish that God made me that way … but He didn’t. And, I’m not wanting anyone to comment being like ‘no you don’t want that’ or ‘you’re beautiful the way you are’. I’m just illustrating that we’re actually ALL the same when it comes to this topic. We all have our “wishes” when it comes to our bodies, even the girls we consider #goals. What you want in a body may be what I have, but what I want in a body is what you have. There’s no science to prove that one is more beautiful than the other. We’re actually ALL beautiful. It’s just a matter of belief. But, honestly, I’m learning that when it comes to being healthy and reaching our goals … it has a little bit to do with how He made us but A LOT to do with the choices we make on a daily basis. Notice how I am separating beautiful and healthy. Just because one woman is super fit, and you aren’t doesn’t automatically make you NOT beautiful. We are all a work in progress AND we are all beautiful. Does that make sense? I hope so. And I hope you know you’re beautiful.

Another thing I’ll be sharing in these posts, that I’m especially excited about, is “Tips From Troy. Troy Troupe is a personal trainer here in Jacksonville who I met through mutual friends. I had told a friend of mine about how I wanted to take better care of myself and work out, but I wanted to do it in a way that was good for ME. Because, to be honest, what works for me, might not work for you and vice versa! We all have different bodies and issues, therefore different fitness needs so, we all need to be aware of that when we set out on these fitness journeys. She was like well, I’ve worked out with Troy before and he’s an amazing trainer if you’re looking for someone to help get you into a routine and identify what those goals should be for your body type, etc. So, Troy and I got together, talked about all of those things and set some health and fitness goals. For me, I’d like to:

Gain Weight

Gain Muscle 

Eat a Healthier Diet rich in Protein & Carbohydrates

Eat More Frequently

** Again, these goals are for me, personally. Everyone’s goals will look different. **

Personally, since I don’t ever go to the gym, I was really intimidated about that thought, just in general. I don’t know what to do with ANYTHING in there. I couldn’t put together a workout even if I TRIED! Hah! And, I just know myself and I knew that, unless I felt comfortable and competent, you willl never find me GOING to the gym by myself. So, for now, I knew I needed someone with knowledge to help get me started and, also, if I’m being really honest, someone who would also hold me accountable to get myself to the gym at a set time on a set day. So, since I was really impressed with Troy, his outlook on health, wellness and training, I hired him.

He said, for the month of January and likely a good portion of February, our focus is going to be muscle conditioning and making changes to my dietary habits

The type of workouts we do are called Total Body Resistance Training. Outside of stretching and warming up, we do three circuits that consist of three to four different exercises and I do those exercises for 10-15 rep’s [depending on what it is or the weight involved] 2 to 3 times. We mostly work with weights and keep cardio to a minimum. Right now, I’m doing two work outs a week and we will eventually move up to three. 

Okay, now that I’ve introduced you to all of this information that y’all might have had questions about if I didn’t share, we can get in to the monthly round-up! So, here are some of my favorite things that pertained to my fitness journey:

FAVORITE EXERCISE: Lunges

FAVORITE WORKOUT GEARZella Live-In Leggings

FAVORITE SNACK: Apples & Peanut Butter

FAVORITE HEALTHY DINNER: Chicken Chili Verde  

FAVORITE PROTEIN SHAKE: Peanut Butter Banana 

FAVORITE PROTEIN POWDER: Don’t have a favorite yet but I’ve been using EAS & Gold Standard and just using whichever one I grab first.

FAVORITE WORKOUT SONG: I don’t currently listen to music while I work out because I’m paying attention to how I’m supposed to be doing these work-outs, how I’m supposed to be breathing during them, etc. I always want to make sure my body is in the correct position and all of that. But, I am looking forward to getting to that point where I have a playlist set up for my workouts 🙂

WHAT I CHAMPIONED: I think my strong point this month has been giving my all to these workouts. I really want to be a stronger version of myself and, even though they aren’t easy, I don’t let myself ‘cheat’.

WHAT I STRUGGLED WITH: I think my area of improvement is being more intentional about planning meals ahead of time to ensure that I’m getting the calories I need in each day to gain the weight I want to gain. I’m pulled in a lot of directions every day and have found that some days I really rock getting all my meals and snacks in at the times I need to be, and then other days … I just fail miserably. Planning better each week would improve my chances at reaching my goal. 

ALTA FITBIT REVIEW: Many of you have asked me how I like my Alta Fitbit that I introduced y’all to in this post from earlier this month. I absolutely love it! You can change the leather band to match whatever outfit your wearing. It tracks your sleep, steps and calories burned. You can track your calorie intake by using the app that is connected to your Fitbit. It also has Wi-Fi capabilities. So, if it’s connected to Wifi, it can tell you when you have a phone call or text message, who it is, and a short snippet of what they said. I also like that it is thin. The only thing it doesn’t do is track my heart rate but, because my workouts aren’t cardio-driven, I am okay with that! Highly recommend!

TIPS FROM TROY:

[1] Play the long game. Set longer term health goals to slowly build positive habits that will have big results over time.

[2] Celebrate the small victories. You’re working hard so it’s okay to congratulate yourself!

[3] Get uncomfortable! Switch up your normal workout routine! Try something new and see how your body responds. You’ll be surprised.

[4] If you want something to change, you have to change something! Start small but, when you start, try your best not to stop! Find someone or some reason to hold you accountable.

[5] Remember why you started! This should be the biggest motivating factor when you think about throwing in the towel!

I can’t pretend to be a pro at health and wellness after a month, and I want these posts to be helpful for y’all, which is why I thought incorporating these tips would be good! They come from someone who truly values health and fitness, is passionate about helping others realize its importance and reach their goals, and knows what he’s talking about because he’s been on a fitness journey for a long time!

Alright, that is about it for the January fitness re-cap! Let me know if you liked this post! They will certainly NOT be this long in the future. But, with this being the first time I posted about my fitness journey, there was a lot of introductions to make! Just remember – what Troy & I do may not be what you need to do to reach your goals, so identify your goals and talk to a friend who could help you strategize the way you could achieve yours! Remember … you’re beautiful & you can do it! 

Thanks for stopping by! And, I apologize for going a little quiet this week. I literally had posts drafted for every day this week but … I had something else that needed my attention after I got back from Amelia Island. That’s all I can say for now but you will know what it is SOON and it will all make sense. 😉 Any guesses?

Enjoy your weekend! xo.

SHOP THE LOOK

thoughts?

24 Comments

  1. thank you so much for sharing this- its so inspiring reading other people’s fitness journeys!
    that first picture of you guys is so cute.

    xo, brittany
    weekend links + steals on my blog today
    http://www.notablob.com

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
    • AlysonHaley wrote:

      You’re welcome! I’m glad you think so! 🙂 xo.

      Published 2.3.17 ·
  2. Jaci wrote:

    This post is great. In our house we use SFH pure protein. The dairy component is from grass fed cows and it’s sweetened with stevia. Although no protein powder is inspected by the FDA for proof of ingredients this company does seem reputable and we feel good and normal using the powder. Good luck finding the right one for you!

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
    • AlysonHaley wrote:

      Oh great! Thank you for sharing! I’ll look into it! 🙂

      Published 2.3.17 ·
  3. La Bijoux Bella | by mia wrote:

    So very inspired … I love fitness! 🙂

    ❤LA BIJOUX BELLA❤ | BY MIA | A Creative Lifestyle Blog

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
    • AlysonHaley wrote:

      Aw, good! Thank you! 🙂

      Published 2.3.17 ·
  4. Maggie P. wrote:

    Ok this sounds weird but I’m really proud of you!!! lol I think it’s so important to talk about the fact that being “fit” isn’t always losing weight. Some people need to gain, some people need to lose, some people just need to maintain and sculpt! Wishing you the best of luck on your journey.

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
    • AlysonHaley wrote:

      Exactly! Everyone is in a different place and that’s okay. We just need to focus on where we want to be, work hard to get there and encourage others along the way – even if their journey looks different than yours. I’m tired of hearing and seeing girls hate on each other for where they’re at. We need to love each other better! Thank you for. your comment! 🙂

      Published 2.3.17 ·
  5. Hank wrote:

    Keep working hard! Love your progress. I believe in you!

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
  6. Kim P. wrote:

    Great post Haley! I’ve been working on upping my fitness game this year too, and it’s always fun to see what other women are doing. Not to compare, just for inspiration and tips. And new workout wear never hurts either! 😉 Hope you keep doing these posts.

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
  7. Kim P. wrote:

    Great post Haley! I’ve been working on upping my fitness game this year too, and it’s also fun to see what other women are doing. Not to compare, just for tips and ways to stay motivated. And new workout wear never hurts either 😉 I hope you keep doing these posts, and good luck with your new fitness routine!

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
  8. Jennifer wrote:

    Great post! People need to understand that everyone is different. One of my ex friends didn’t understand when I complained about the smallest size in a store being too big on me. She would get bitchy about it.
    I used to work out everyday until I injured by foot back in September. I miss the gym. I still go to ballet on Tuesday’s but I’m still not able to do everything yet. Have a great weekend!

    xx Jennifer
    http://www.effortlesslysophisticated.com/

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
  9. LoLo wrote:

    I LOVED this post! I am one who was chunky in elementary school and after puberty got super duper skinny. I’ve struggled with body image because I have been both called both “fat” and “anorexic” in my past. I have come a long way with those insecurities and try to put a lot more of my focus on my actions {eating clean and heading to the gym at least 2x/ week} than the perceptions of others. every persons body is so different that it isn’t even worth comparing yourself. thank you so much for sharing about this. I can’t wait to hear more updates!

    XO Lo
    thoseprettypieces.com

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
  10. Jessica wrote:

    Thank you for this update girl! I love posts like this! Also your arms are ripped. and you are definitely lucky to have a fast metabolism, I totally understand what you mean about not always being the best because then you make unhealthy choices and inevitably don’t FEEL good despite looking good!
    Thanks again girl, you are amazing!

    xo, jess

    alljessedup.com

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
  11. Regina wrote:

    I loved this post! Everyone’s fitness journey looks different and has different end goals, but it’s always so interesting to read about other people’s experiences and about how their personal journey is progressing. I also actually love when you write longer posts, so please never feel like your posts need to be shorter! Excited to see more from you on this topic 🙂

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
  12. Lauren wrote:

    i love reading all of your posts! i cant wait to hear the exciting news! 🙂

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
  13. Terrific post! I totally agree with you that everyone is different yet still beautiful. My whole family is thin so therefore I am thin too. I get the comments from girls too about how I need to gain weight and I’m so skinny and I dont’ need to worry about exercise and all that. Just fyi–I’m 5’51/2 and I range from 120-127. The lower end being in the summer. I always gain that extra 5 in the winter. I don’t have a problem with my weight-I acutally think that is about average for my height, but I would like to tone up. The only kind of exercise I like is walking, dancing, and riding my bicycle. LOL I hate working out in a gym, especially if I was by myself. I prefer to do workouts alone or with a friend. So I am with ya girl on everything you said and I think you look great! Also can’t wait to hear your mysterious news!!

    Published 2.3.17 · Reply
  14. Stephanie Terrone wrote:

    Your honesty is so refreshing. We can definitely tend to focus on our flaws when others don’t even see them. You are such a beautiful woman – and this is such an awesome step you’re taking. Back in January of 2016 I made a similar commitment – I hadn’t really exercised regularly and I overate in some areas – causing me to gain weight. Long story short – I stuck with it – lost 25 pounds and I now workout 3-4 times a week without fail. Keep it up! Thanks for sharing.

    http://www.stephanieterrone.com

    Published 2.4.17 · Reply
  15. Sara wrote:

    Great post! You look beautiful! I love reading about the body positivity and I’m so excited about your fitness journey, since I’m going through the same thing myself.

    Published 2.4.17 · Reply
  16. Rebecca @ Hello Creative Blog wrote:

    Great post, and I love that you’re being so transparent with your health. I, like most (in one way or another), have always struggled with weight/body image and as I get older I realize that it’s so much more important to focus on a healthy body rather than a size or weight. I look forward to following your journey, and keep up the good work!!! 🙂

    Published 2.5.17 · Reply
  17. April wrote:

    I really love this post and the message it sends. I’ve also been very thin my whole life (filled out a little since I had 6 kids, but I’m still a size 2 or 4). You can be thin and super unfit, thin and super unhealthy. Due to a liver defect I have, I found out I have fatty liver disease, pancreatitus, low thyroid and borderline diabetes, even though I had a pretty healthy diet. I’m genetically predisposed to these things (got the DNA test to prove it).

    That means pretty healthy isn’t good enough for my body, and I have to be much, much stricter with what I eat. My body can’t digest fats properly, so I have to be careful. When my doctor saw me last month she said, “Looking at you I forget how very sick you are because you always walk in here looking like a million bucks. No one would ever look at you and know how sick you are.” People give me the stink eye or say snarky things when they see me make virtuous menu choices, like I’m being a show off or something? They are judging my size, but they can’t see that my liver is dying, and I’m trying to resurrect it.

    Published 2.5.17 · Reply
  18. Mary-Katherine wrote:

    Your disclaimer was AMAZING! Just wanted to thank you for including that, and for being so eloquent as always. You really have a way with words and I couldn’t agree more with what you said.

    Published 2.6.17 · Reply
  19. Lynn wrote:

    Regarding weight gain, your BMI may be normal—lower end but okay. Because most Americans and people from Australia and England are overweight or obese, people who are thin or even normal in weight now think they are abnormal b/c they are surrounded by people who are overweight. Our world has changed with processed foods. Hard to find think people these days.

    Published 2.6.17 · Reply
  20. Kelly Hoover wrote:

    YESS girl! Get it. I have these pink shoes too and I love them. I have always wanted to try the Zella leggings….and now you are convincing me!!
    I loved your Disclaimer too! That is soooo true and important to remember.

    Love you!!

    xo,
    Kelly Hoover
    http://www.theglamorousteacher.com

    Published 2.10.17 · Reply