friday favorites

I'm back!  I'm back!

I am sad about the hiatus...and I know it's cliche to say that 'life got in the way', but it did!  I started committing myself and my time into multiple areas of my life and typing on the blog just fell off the wagon.  I committed my time to teaching and my fourth grade team.  I committed to my 6 week challenge! (more on that in a later post!) and I committed to getting our new house underway.  Spring Fever hit me hard and I felt like I wanted to organize, clean, and get ready to be successful!

I wanted to start out with my Friday Favorites because I've been up to a lot!

- Favorite Food:  Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Dill Weed and Garlic Salt. Seriously.  Ask everyone at my school (because they can smell me a mile away!)

- Favorite Exercise Move: BURPEES!  PW has us do a LOT of burpees and it's crazy how much easier they have become.  The way I was taught to do burpees is jump, push up position, chest to floor (basically drop, this isn't a controlled pushup), push back up, feet to hands, jump! The burpee is more about cardio than strength, so going fast and not concentrating on the pushup is key!

- Favorite Stretch: using a foam roller on my hip flexors and IT band.  Magic in my Muscles right there. 

- Favorite Workout Accessory: the Contigo water bottle.  I swear I should get sponsor money on how many people I convert to this amazing bottle.  Usually, I show people a demonstration about it's awesomeness but I will let you figure it out. 

- Favorite Random Thing!: I love cats/kittens.  A lot.  I love all animals and my heart strings pull for any of them.  I lucked out that two rescue cats fell into my lap when they were 8 week old kittens.  I've been a crazy cat person ever since!  They are just TOO funny and cuddly not to love!  Google Funny Cat Videos and there goes your entire day. 

beam me up scotty!

...or just find me my actual body fat % and fat free mass.


Chad helped me out with a caliber test the other week.  Now I can see if a professional does it, you'll probably get more accurate results.  But as I perused the internet at pictures of people at certain body fat percentages, I realized quickly that there was NO WAY I was 17% body fat.  That's like my IDEAL body fat!

My results for this challenge aren't weight loss.  They will be for body fat and mainly my fat free mass. So insert the BOD POD! (Star Trek quote worthy right?)

No this isn't me.  However, smiling is my favorite! 

The Bod Pod is an air displacement test that calculates your body composition.  It's really quick and easy.  15 minute appointment from beginning to end.  Painless!

My body fat percentage is at 21.6% and my fat free mass is 110.015 lbs.  And that body free mass number includes my bones and organs too.  The goal is to lose some body fat while gaining muscle  (fat free mass!) I'm talking with my trainer tomorrow to get actual numbers so I have an actual goal.  :)

I definitely recommend checking your local universities to see if they offer a test like this.  The weight scale means nothing people!  Skinny fat is not cute....right Miley?

ewwww...my eyes! my eyes!

Hello! Let's jump in, shall we?

Well, here I am blog.  A way for me to talk, ramble, and share my fitness/health journey.  I feel like everyone else who wants a way to hold themselves accountable.  And ya know what?  I'm okay with that.  Those people are trying to figure out their lives and what makes them happy.  I am passionate and excited about changing my body - inside and out.  In a few short weeks of really staying fitness focused, I have felt an increase in energy and confidence. These quick results give me the boost and direction I needed to continue and kick butt along the way!

I wanted to start a blog called Jump into Fit because to 'jump in' means to take a chance and leap into something new.  This something new can be something your comfortable with or not.  In my case, it's out of my comfort zone.  And I LOVE the comfort zone.  Change scares me - it always has.  (My inner Sagittarius has always wanted change!)  Now, I love adventure and new events/moments in life.  But I like to always come back to what is normal and safe.  It keeps me sane and stress-free.

But where has being 'safe' gotten anybody?  Anybody who lives their life to the fullest takes a hell of a lot of risks and makes a lot of mistakes.  But they are living!  They are jumping in with both feet and hoping they land somewhere they want.  If they don't, then they just jump somewhere new until they find what they want.

And that's exactly what I want to do.  I want to 'jump in' to my health and well being with an enthusiastic huzzah!  I am sure I will fail.  I am sure I will lose direction. But, I need to not be scared of the journey.  I need to embrace and LIVE the journey.  Who wants to sit on the sidelines of their own life?