Love thyself

Why do you workout?

Why do you get dressed/buy a new shirt/put on makeup?

Why do you want to change/better yourself?

I hope it comes from a place of love and not low self esteem.

When it comes right down to it, no one will love you more or put you fist more then you can. Fo I love my family? Of course!!! More then I could possibly explain. My friends?  Yes..a thousand percent! But that doesn't mean that they all come be for I do.

Sure...sometimes it feels like you are running around and giving everything of yourself. We do that often, especially as mothers.. .give give give .. and we do it happily...  but always.. I am very serious when I say this.. ALWAYS take some time for yourself.. to grow yourself, and to love yourself!

You will be better at everything if you do.

You will be more consistent  with diet and exercise becasue you are coming from a place of growth. You want to see how amazing your body can be. You want to hit those elusive milestones (maybe be on stage in bikini, maybe run 5k, maybe do a triathlon,  maybe walk up three flights of stairs without wheezing) becasue you know you deserve to and not for someone else.

If you love yourself you will see clearly when you are being taken advantage of. You will be able to make decisions based on whats best for you and those important to you and not be skewed by feelings of being worthless or less than.

When you love yourself you are more confident and draw amazing people I to your life becasue you freely give out compliments and look at others like how you look at yourself. You dont tear others down to try to build yourself up to fill in that love deficit.  You are a strong person and make others strong too. Ego, rejection, loss wont rattle you as much.

The bottom line is.. if you dont love yourself how can you truly love anyone else?

Listen to me.. hear what I am telling you LOUD and CLEAR. YOU DESERVE to feel good in your own skin. That comes from self love.   YOU DESERVE to be healthy, to be happy and to surround yourself with incredible people. Start by throwing those negative voices in your head away. You deserve LOVE! !!

Xoxoxox
Kara

No equipment Leg Day

I wanted to incorporate a work out that was intense but also that you could do at home.

Many people dont have the luxury of going to the gym, or feel uncomfortable there,  or have no idea how to use most of the machines.  There are many exercises that are great to do at home.

Here is a leg workout that can be done any time any where..and boy.. do you feel the burn.

One leg bridge. You would not believe how much this burns. Want a nice round booty? Do these. 20/leg..keeping back straight and leg extended. Push with the foot touching the floor until you are in a bridge for a one second count and slowly lower. Switch feet. S-t-r-e-t-c-h.

Fire hydrants with extension. On all fours you raise bent knee up and then extend your foot out. 20/leg .

Rainbows. Keeping a tight core slowly move leg from right to left creating a rainbow in the movement. This works the inner and outer thigh in a big way. 20 each leg!

Curtsy lunges. You cross your leg over the back before lunging. This is so much more intense though I find it hard on the knees so I do 20 regular lunges and curtsy lunges were 15reps.

Sumo squats. Feet slightly turned out so that you are hitting your inner thigh. Up the burn by raising your heels. 20 like this, 20 with single heel raise, 20 with other heel raise..all done consecutively. Your feet will be shaking by the end of this!

No pictures but then we did calf raises. We used the weighted machine but find a stairs, hang your heels off and press up and release. 20/leg

We followed those with kick backs. Again..we used a weighted machine but it is not necessary. Stand holding onto a chair and slowly raise your leg back behind you squeezing your bum, lower and repeat 20/leg.

If you can do the circuit more then once, great! If not..work up to it or do as many as you can. You will feel it.

Xo
Stay healthy
Kara

PROGRESS!!!!!!

There are very few things that are as rewarding as seeing progress. ...in any aspect of life.

I am so proud of my workout partner and I as we have been really focused on achieving a goal of unassisted pull ups.

When Maddy and I started we could do ZERO wide grip and 3 close grip with a little push on the rear end for the last ;) .

We work chest and back once a week and have been doing pull ups (as many as we can!) consistently every week for the past 4ish months... and drum roll please......

We currently do 4 wide grip pull ups (yaaaahhhooooo)
And 3 sets of 7 close grip
**dont mind the faces..this is hard sh*$

This is a celebration blog post :) and though we are no where near our goal (which is typewriters ..google it..amazing!!) We are getting there,  seeing progress and celebrating it!

Xo
Kara

Kickboxing kicks a*&

I'm in,  100%, full on..love love love hitting.

Jab, cross, hook, uppercut, knee, front snap kick, back kick, round house...love.it.all.

Any workout that combines power, strength, brain, core and cardio totally fits me to a T . I have yet to try anything else that can totally wreck (in a good way!!) your body, have you gasping for breath, and clear your mind so fast as kickboxing.

I will be starting two days a week next week with Maddys class and though I am typically not a class type person, I am really looking forward to this. With Mercy leading the class -my regular boxing partner :(  -I am paired up with a strong and very fit friend which I am psyched for...but may bring my mouth guard as she apparently has a killer right hook ;) ..looking forward to it Steph!

Below see pics of some of the basic moves as well as some ladies boxing inspiration.

If you have a chance to take a class, dont hesitate!!! Such an excellent way to get in shape and blow off some steam as well. When im stressed I always hit the gym, and when im really stressed...I box.  Problem solved (well at least it feels better anyways :)

Xo
Be healthy, be strong, be happy!
Kara

Chia seed pudding.. my new favorite snack

Snack.   Snack. ..dont you love that word? Say it a few times... i love how snappy it is, and I also love the meaning behind it!

Chia seeds.. (pronounced cheeeaaahhh) im sure you have heard of them as they have quickly become a household name and with their incredible health benefits..i hope you not only try them but keep as a pantry staple.

Seeds are small but mighty!

A very quick, easy and delicious snack is made with this powerhouse superfood. It will give you long lasting energy,  keep you feeling full and prevents this blood sugar dips that make us crave sugary sweets... Chia seed pudding.

1/4cup chia seeds I to a mason jar or bowl. Add 1c milk (cows milk, almond milk, cocount milk, brown rice milk..your choice!) A teaspoon of maple syrup or honey and a splash of vanilla. Let it sit for three hours or I will make it the night before and throw in the fridge.. morning is just grab and go!

The seeds become gelatinous makeing the pudding thick and creamy.  Yesterday I used coconut milk and i felt like I was eating something very sinful!!

Yiu can add pretty well anything you want to the mix... peanut butter, cocoa, pumpkin, pureed fruits.. anything at all!

Such a yummy snack.

Xo
Kara