Finally, a good day. It's been a while since I've had one.

Ok so here's the thing. I started out this year at around 205lbs. My first goal is to be at pre pregnancy weight which was 173lbs. My last lowest weight was 186lbs. I was psyched because I thought it wouldn't be too long to reach my goal. Then July came....then the thyroid symptoms completely took over. I haven't been able to work out all week. I can barely get through the day. I decided if I can't exercise I need to tweak my diet. Bc I'm not physically pushing myself I don't need all the calories and carbs I was eating. My friend suggested going into ketosis (extremely low/no carb) but the thought gave me so much anxiety I couldn't handle. So I decided to be less drastic and just cut my carbs in half and up my fat. I did this yesterday and it was ok. Doable. Also allowing myself breathing room with fats made me ok with tracking my calories again (I had gotten fed up with it before). I found my sugars were waaaaay more under control. 

I went to weigh myself today so that I could be honest with myself and track my weight fluctuations. Even if I gain, if it's bc of the thyroid I should keep track. I had stopped keeping track bc it became pointless to me when I got on and I was heavier than 186. Saturday I remember looking and I was at 189lbs. Ugh!! Anyway this morning I get on and 186 is too heavy. What the wha?? I'm like 185.5. I wonder what that's about. But who cares. I'll take it!! I haven't had any kind of loss since early July! I haven't felt good about myself in over a week. So I'm really happy that I can be happy today. Also I found a new motivation. I can't do what I was doing before but at least I can do something. I'm not completely beat.


This morning, despite sleeping like shit, I woke up feeling OK. which is a lot for me!! I weighed myself and after that I felt so good. I haven't felt good in so long. I actually got out of bed, and worked out. sure it was a very tiny work out (walk treadmill for 10 min, then some weights) but it was something. and that's without any caffeine this morning. while walking on a speed of 2.0 i was like this is hard, i can't walk this fast. Dude, talk about a blow. that used to be too slow for me. I really don't want to lose the strength and stamina i've gained these passed months. That worries me. Hopefully not too much time passes by where i'm doing nothing. I will try to at least do a few reps with the weights if nothing else.

This morning's weightloss is nothing to throw a parade over. It could be for a plethora of reasons. I haven't been lifting weight, maybe i lost some water weight, or maybe my body just felt like it. That's been the pattern for a couple of months. I hit a new low weight, then i gain 3 more lbs. then i work really hard and it comes off plus a little extra. its a cycle that has been ongoing. this time i didn't do anything and it came off. no rhyme or reason. and i'm sure it will come back on. thats how slowly i'm losing. i lose, gain, lose. slooooooooow. anyway...i will take it. if nothing more than to lift my spirits. progress, no matter how slow, is still progress.

It's so nice to wake up feeling slightly normal today. I am thankful.

Maybe this will help you understand

Think of a pair of glasses. Great glasses. Crystal clear. Then you get a smudge on them. Hmmm...kind of annoying but ok. Then you get another smudge. Ok now your vision is a bit impaired but you still have enough vision to get by and get on with your life though it's quite annoying. Now imagine with every passing day the smudges keep popping up and up until you find yourself squinting and eventually you can't even walk because you can't see where you're going. You can't do anything. 

This is how I feel lately. It keeps getting worse, not better. I feel like I'm being hijacked. It's so unfair. This illness is making me look like a lazy nut case who can't cope. THIS IS NOT ME!! If I could take a magic pill and make it go away I'd be happy and have energy, be passionate about my fitness and be a better (not the best) mom. Yeah I would still struggle with watching my son a the time but to a normal degree. Not to this I need help every day degree. I feel like I'm falling apart. It bothers me that I'm becoming a burden on my family. That my husband has to worry about me and pick up the slack when he is already very busy with work.

I hate that I can't workout. I hate that I get anxiety attacks. I hate that all I wanna do is sleep. I hate that I have a date night once a week if I want one but I can't even think of anything I wanna do. I'm living in a fog and things don't bring me happiness anymore. That's very scary.

Right now I have decided since I'm not working out I will cut my carbs in half and up my fats. Low carb is what is right for me right now. It's giving me some piece of mind.

why i won't be talking about nutrition in this blog

though i may touch on it just as it pertains to my thyroid issues or i might discuss a certain way of eating i might be following for my particular situation, in NO WAY will i be trying to tell anyone how to eat.

Why? because nutrition is so subjective. Even within the fitness community huge disagreements are had every day. And frankly I think there's always ALWAYS contradiction.  the RIGHT way to eat is always changing.

carbs are bad. no we need carbs. illuminate all sugars. limit your fat. add more fat! it goes on and on and on.

whether you're diabetic, paleo, vegan, have high cholesterol, etc we all have different needs. and we should eat in the best way to suit our own personal needs and stop comparing ourselves to others. what works for one person may not work for the other. i'm personally not a fan of extremes. i just can't live in a world with extremes. i believe in reducing certain things, increasing other things and when possible substituting things based on your needs. and when it comes to the pleasures in life i believe in moderation. plain and simple.

but that's just me!!! you might do really really well using the method you're using. the bottom line is, do what works for you.

i don't think anyone should be pushing their way on to anyone else. therefore i won't be speaking about food in this blog. its more motivation, emotional support and fitness.

Protein Review #4: SynTrax Nectar Whey Protein Isolate, Double Stuffed Cookie

Guuuuurrlll, we're talking  Double Stuffed Cookie.....aka Oreo!!!

I mean, look at this shit. You're trying to tell me you wouldn't be sucked in by this label?

Ok Same stats as the Fuzzy Navel. Remember this is for 1/4 a scoop so there's really 100 calories per scoop and 23g (why not 24???) of protein. 

Anyway y'all let's just get right to the taste. First of all, all of the nectar flavors seem to be very thin. It's not a thick protein. That's good for a couple of reasons. 1. that means it doesn't have a bunch of filler crap in it. 2. It won't fill you up. Which for someone like me with a small stomach who wants to get her protein in and a meal, is a very good thing. After all, this is not a meal replacement. Would it taste better if it was thicker? Sure. You could always double the scoop in the same amount of milk and thicken it up that way. Double the protein. But sometimes that can reak havoc on your tummy depending on the protein. Although I never had this problem with ON protein.

Taste wise it tastes awesome. Its like a really thin cookies n cream. The consistency of chocolate milk i guess. It has these little bits of cookie in there. They feel like real cookie bits. If you're looking for a good cookies n cream flavor this is it. I would rather have it thicker though. Just a tad. Perhaps blending it would help.

If you're looking for a thick filling oreo protein powder, check out Giant Sports. Honestly I can't even finish a glass of this stuff. But it's yummy.

Protein Review #3: SynTrax Nectar Whey Protein Isolate, Fuzzy Navel

Ok so my next sample from my sample pack was the yummy sounding (and looking) SynTrax Nectar Fuzzy Navel

 

Now, I'm gonna come out and say that I really don't like the way they label the nutritional facts. Those numbers are so misleading. They're based on 1/4 of a scoop. Who the hell is gonna take 1/4 of a scoop. What kind of bamboozling is that??? I don't appreciate that. So make sure you multiply these numbers by 4. Even then the numbers are great! I don't know why they feel like they have to mislead people like that.

Anyway as far as the taste goes, it was really yummy. A nice fruity flavor. But I just wasn't a fan of the texture. Even the fruity flavors taste better with milk to me. Water just makes protein have a gnarly texture. Ever tried Isopure? BARF!!!!! UGHH!!!! Anyway I think I will try the next fruity flavors with milk instead to get a better feel for it. If you like a fruity tasting protein this is definitely a good one. On top of that it's a whey protein isolate which is a great clean protein and no sugar. Good stuff. Thumbs up. Nectar has samples of all their flavors so I would suggest trying out as many as possible before you order a tub.

So where am i? This is where I'm at.

 I've pretty much diagnosed myself with hypothyroidism. After dealing with it this long I needed answers and all the pieces of the puzzle seem to fit. But I won't know for sure till I see a doctor. You know it's funny, people used to tell me to check my thyroid when I was very very heavy. I did. It was normal. And honestly I never remember getting these kinds of symptoms back then. But it always seemed like an excuse to be fat to me. I didn't think it was anything serious.

Now that I'm researching I'm shocked to find just how serious it all is. And just how complex. Because I already have PCOS I'm susceptible to more serious thyroid diseases like Hashimotos. Not only that but I'm finding out that doctors like to do the bare minimum when it comes to diagnosing and treating  treating thyroid diseases. They do simple bloodwork and if you fall I the "normal" range you're fine. Except you still have symptoms. There are so many different blood tests to do and so many diff medications to consider and even then the dose has to be tweaked. The bottom line is you have to know your shit before you see your doctor. We have to be our own advocates. My appt is one week from now. I couldn't even get in to see a doctor after waiting an entire month for an appt. I'm seeing a nurse practitioner. But I really need to be seeing an endocrinologist. I'm hoping she can write up a referral but I'm pretty sure a doctor needs to do that.

This month has been a real game changer for me. For 2 months prior I had been getting minor symptoms every 2 weeks or so. I thought (with my self diagnosing) that they were minor and would go away by making minor changes. They went away but always came back. After a while they came back stronger and brought more symptoms with them. That's when I started to take things seriously. I went from having mostly good days and a few bad days twice a month to where I am now. Which is mostly bad days and some not so bad days. The good days are getting fewer and further now. It's really thrown a wrench in my fitness routine. I have to take things one day at a time now. 

I read some things and talked to some people and it left me discouraged. But then I went online and looked for other ppl with this disease who are still fighting, still in the fitness game, still reaching goals. It's been so inspirational. It can be done. It will always be a struggle, I will always lose slower than normal people and it will take more effort but it can be done. I can have good days again. I just have to make sure I go in to that doctors office knowing my shit and not taking no for an answer.

This is all still new to me. I'm still in the beginning stage of my research and its kind of complex. Technical things take a long time for me to wrap my head around and understand. But I will keep looking for explanations and information. When I have a better grasp on it I will post my findings on here so that you can understand what it is and what your options are. I will include links to articles and websites too. For now I'm still digging through all the info.

I will keep you updated on my doctor appt.

What kind of motivation works for you?

In my experience, I feel like there are three general categories of people.


Group A:
there are some people who fit into the category of what i like to call "tough love". these are usually the strong silent types who don't wear their emotions on their sleeves, don't talk about their problems to anyone who will listen and frankly don't have patience for nonsense. they're usually hard working, many with stressful jobs, who some how seem to manage it all better than the rest of us. i could rattle off 6 names off the top of my head that i know are these types. these are the types who, from what i've gathered after hearing this from most of them, like a doctor to give it to them straight. tell them how it its, no sugar coating. they want that band aid off quick. and a stiff drink. and punch in the face. lol just kidding. but you get the idea.

incidentally the moms i know like this tend to have, from what i can see, great relationships with their kids and are definitely softies for them. it funny to see someone who's tough on themselves and other adults be softies for their kids. its endearing.

these are the ones who tend to enjoy bootcamp/crossfit settings or personal trainers who don't let you get away with anything. they don't like excuses. they're problem solvers. they're blunt. they might come off harsh but they're also the ones who will celebrate your effort and hard work.


Group B:
other people fit into the "sensitive" category. i feel like i could be the president of this category. we basically want people to tell us everything is gonna be ok. that we're doing it right. and basically give us the easiest and less painful solutions to our problems. lol. we're the highly suggestible types. if you heard someone say something worked for them, you're ordering it the next day. we're the ones who have spent ooooooodles of money on every quick fix there's ever been. you might say we're naive. i like to call us optimists. we want the easy way out. always the easy way.

as long as its easy, we'll do it. we're determined to do it as long as its not uncomfortable. we live in the comfort zone. here's our address 123 comfort street. and we have no interest in moving. oh and we complain. alot. to anyone who will listen. we love to talk. we have a tendency to wallow in our own misery and complain how we have all these problems instead of actively trying to fix them.


Group C:
then you have the in betweeners. i like to call these the "happy mediums". the in betweeners are willing to work. they're willing to do what it takes as long as its with the right attitude. they believe in positivity. they're sensitive but tough. and often times they've been through quite a journey and hardships but are able to still see the positive in any situation. often spiritual, they believe in uplifting those around them. they are also human. they have their bad days. they like cookies and cake as much as the rest of us. they don't judge. they're the ones you can tell your troubles to and they will try to help you see the silver lining. they're the ones who will say you're gonna have to work for it but look it can be fun and if i can do it anyone can. they are reflective. they are more self aware. they actively try to solve their problems though for them its an ongoing process and takes deep introspection. Where Group B tries to find answers outside of themselves (placing blame on others, finding happiness in things), Group C accepts their own blame and tries to find happiness within themselves.



Like I said these are general groups. Certainly there's some overlap, but I'm talking in generalities here.


During my journey of self improvement i have run into all three types. Some I have tried to distance myself from and some I have gravitated towards. I see myself moving away from group B and evolving into a Group C person. I'm not there yet. It is a journey and change takes time but i feel like i've made some vast improvements. I still feel like Group A people judge me for not being like them. I feel like the very things that are Group B about me disgust them. Perhaps thats my own insecurities but I can't help but feel there's some truth to it. Group B people definitely have lots of insecurities. Although I have to say I have learned a thing or two from Group A people. I've learned that I am stronger than i give myself credit for. And I guess that the payoff for being tough, you toughen up. After all, if someone is letting you get away with quitting all the time (enablers, like my husband, god bless him) you're never going to know what you're capable of. In the end you're happy they were tough on you because it got you to accomplish something. And that is something that you have to experience on your own, no one can do that for you.

It's all about what kind of motivation works for you. This is what I'm trying to get people to understand. What works for one person may not work for the other.

If someone who wants their ass handed to them in the gym gets a trainer who is soft on them and doesn't push them pass their comfort zone they will feel cheated and like they're not getting what they need. they probably won't see the changes they're looking for.

If someone needs to start at easy in order to mentally accept that this is something they can do and then gradually move up to harder and harder things, that person will be turned off if they get a trainer who is super intense and wants to push them hard right out of the gate.

I'm not saying any of these are better than the other, I'm saying it depends what you're looking for. By the same token you don't want a trainer who is never going to push you. How many of us have gone to the gym with a friend and just ended up talking and not really working out? Sure it was fun but its not going to get you anywhere with your fitness goals.

The goal is always to push yourself. But I believe it should come at your own pace. I also believe in positive reinforcement. I believe in making it fun. I believe in lifting each other up and not tearing each other down.

And I strongly strongly believe that until a person is truly ready to change nothing anyone says will get them to change. It has to come from within. I've had people tell me things all my life. In one ear, out the other. It wasn't until I was ready to listen that things changed.

Protein Review #2 - BSN Syntha-6 Orange Smoothie

Ok first up from the protein samples I received is BSN SYNTHA-6 Protein Powder, Orange Smoothie

Now, calorically speaking, this is a bit high. I mean 200 calories can really add up depending on how many of these you drink and tack on meals, well it can be a lot. 22 grams of protein is pretty standard. Sugars are pretty good but fat seems a bit high for a protein powder.  I mean compare this to something like ON 100% Whey Gold Standard which has 120 cals, 1g fat, 1g sugar and 24g protein. Those are just better stats. However, if you want a yummy tasting protein it's gonna cost you. You just have to see whats more important. If you're not on a calorie strict diet and you just want something to drink once a day after a workout, this is perfectly fine.

Now let's get to the important part, the TASTE!! ok right off the bat i wanna say the powder had a very powerful fake orange smell. Like Tang or more specifically like that really sugary orange drink they give you at the doctor's office before they do a glucose test on you. Think sunkist syrup. So I was weary. It seemed like a pretty big scoop. I mixed it in my blender cup with 4oz of cold water. It was nice and thick and tasted alot better than I thought! It was like an orange creamsicle. Very tasty. Now, could I drink this every day? I think I would get sick of it. Orange creamsicle is not my fav flavor. But if yours is, THIS is the protein for you!! I will say that the after taste is that fake orange syrup taste. yucky. gimmie a stick of gum or something.

Consistency

So for those of you who don't know, for the passed couple of months I've been battling with something and not knowing what it is. Every 2 weeks I would get fatigue and moodswings. Every time it came back it got worse and more symptoms came along with it. Extreme fatigue, moodswings, depression, anxiety, body aches, joint pain and more. 4th of July weekend it all just came to a head. Instead of two week spurts it was coming regularly and there was no rhyme or reason to it. Several people told me it was my thyroid. Looking up my symptoms, they seem to all point to hypothyroidism. I've had to wait (thanks to my insurance and doctors) to make an appt. I will hopefully get a proper diagnosis on my Aug 1st appt.

I've gone from thriving and excelling to feeling like I'm lost in a fog. I have good days and bad days. Now it's all about taking it one day at a time as I have no control. Which bothers me but I have learned to accept it right now. I hope that I can get the proper medication but for now this is my life.

While I'm doing better mood wise thanks to an herb I found called Rhodiola Rosea, I'm still having issues with my weight. The fact that I've worked out 5days a week for months and only lost 12lbs is not normal. I would beat myself up because I see ppl losing up to 50lbs in those same months. And I'm watching my calories and working out regularly, I mean what more can I do? But it turns out part of hypothyroidism is weight gain or trouble losing weight. Great. I thought I beat that demon when I lost 90lbs 4yrs ago and my PCOS cleared up. So on the one hand it's nice to know it's not for lack of trying. On the other hand it's frustrating and discouraging.

My biggest problem now that the fatigue and moodswings aren't as debilitating anymore, is the weight. I got down to 186lbs and now I'm at 189lbs. But it's been like this for months. I'll lose 2lbs, gain 3, stay the same weight, work really really hard and lose 3lbs but gain 2, etc etc. to the point where I'm not getting anywhere. At least scale wise. It does make me feel better that my pictures show slight changes. I have to do a seperate post on the scale another time. 

Anyway the whole point if this blog is that the fatigue and moods have affected my workouts but more so my eating. I haven't been tracking for a couple of weeks. I just get this whole feeling sorry for myself thing that you get when you're sick or something. That whole I'm hungry I'm just gonna eat what I want. Now I'm not going to eat mcdonalds or anything. Nothing major. But I have had sweets here And there more than I should and just....not tracking and not trying to get my protein in. I've just had a fuck it kind of attitude. Like I'm not well, I can't focus on that now. I'm gonna give myself a break. Which is ok here and there but it's definitely become a pattern.  I decide I needed help holding myself accountable. 

I figured if I drew up a calendar and crossed off the days I worked out that it would motivate me to stay on track. I'm very visual and seeing just how much I worked out this month tells the story of why I haven't lost any weight. You think you're just taking breaks here and there but couple that with my bad eating habits and it's clear as day (it's really more the eating than the working out). I'm hoping that seeing this and physically crossing off the days will motivate me to stay on track and that will transfer over into my food tracking. 

I will admit, it's very hard to keep it up all the time. It takes a lot of discipline and focus to track everything I eat and workout and stay on schedule with my duties as a stay at home mom/housewife. Sometimes I think about how much easier my life would be if I didn't wake up early to workout. If I didn't have to log everything I ate. But then I wouldn't change. Change isn't easy. 

And despite all my setbacks I keep moving forward towards my goal. Dust myself off and try again. Here we go.

Protein samples!!!

Hey guys!! You know I'm constantly on the look out for a good tasting protein and it's so hard to find samples. Some companies don't even make samples. Which leaves you blindly spending $30+ on a tub of protein you don't even know you'll like! This has happened to me SEVERAL times. Well I recently discovered Nashua Nutrition. They offer protein samples of stuff that doesn't make samples. They will scoop a serving into a baggie and ship it over. They have a huge selection of samples. I purchased 8 of them!!! I'm hoping I can find at least one winner in this bunch! 

I'm always super excited when I get a new protein. Or a package in the mail. Well yesterday I got both!! hee hee!! so excited!!!! 

CHECK OUT THE LOOT!!! 

Certainly worth the money to try 8 diff flavors, in my opinion. But that's just me.

I will be back to review them one by one as I try them. If you're not sure what kind of protein you will like I suggest going this route and trying some different samples.

10 weightloss mistakes people make

Shout Out! linamarie4243

I will occasionally highlight people who have touched me or inspired me in some way in this blog.

This post is about a mom in NYC who has completely transformed herself and linamarie4243

Not only is she a total inspiration physically, but she is constantly posting positive empowering motivation. She writes:

For those coming to work out with me tomorrow 6:45pm to 8:45pm ill be there with my equipment working out this is what the park looks like 108st riverside drive all the way down stairs by the high way! PLEASE eat SOMETHING bring plenty of water n gloves if you have one :) see you tomorrow...FREE of charge only thing you will be spending is TIME NOTE: I AM NOT A PERSONAL TRAINER IM JUST A FRIEND HELPING A FRIEND! LETTTSSSSS GOOOOOOOO

Her purpose is to motivate others. She is paying it fwd. She is indeed an inspiration. Follow her on instagram for daily motivation. 

How did you start?

I actually get asked this quite a bit. Where does one even begin? I mean the thought of joining a gym is so daunting. It's enough to make a person say, its too hard or I don't have the money or the time. I get it. I have been there. Here's the secret, you gotta change your whole mindset about exercise.

It doesn't have to cost money.

It doesn't have to take a lot of time.

It doesn't have to hurt. 

You don't have to start big.

You don't have to do what other people are doing. (this last one is crucial)

My best advice to someone just starting out is:

- Start small

-Keep it simple

-Do what you can

How did I start? Once I had my A-HA moment (honestly you can start and stop a million times, but when you have that A-HA moment, that's when you become completely committed) I knew I was going to do something about my unhappiness. I knew I wanted to get back in shape. So I started small. I downloaded some apps by LOLO. They had simple 5 min routines with little workouts that although seemed simple i felt like i did something and i felt it the next day. Two great signs that you're exercising. 

Is there a right or wrong way to workout? The answer is no. Now, when you get into heavier workouts and form and weights and things like that, than yes. You don't want to hurt yourself. Also never do too much too soon. But as far as feeling like what you did wasn't a REAL workout, thats bullshit. Because as long as you're doing SOMETHING, you're good. If you're motivated that something will turn into something more.

Once I started to get really motivated, I wanted to step up my game. But I was really overwhelmed looking online. So many exercises, so many routines and programs. Where do i start? Not to mention sets and reps are very confusing terms to me. So I asked my friends and my friend Anthony came up with something for me. I went on google and modified these moves so that I could do it all using my bodyweight. Here's how i started:

Monday- Workout A

Deadlifts
Chinups(Assisted till you can do them on your own)
Dips
Plank

Tuesday- Active Rest Take a leisurely walk

Wednesday-Workout B
Squats
Pushups/Bench Press
Pullups(Assisted till you can do them on your own)
Barbell Row
Leg Raises

Thursday-HIIT Sprint 20 sec rest 2-3 minutes 8x

Friday-Workout C
Squats
Walking Lunge
Military Press
Side Plank

Saturday- Yoga or some extreme stretching

Sunday- Active Rest take a leisurely walk

I think that's a great place to start because it was really doable.

Once I was ready to up my game from there I purchased an ebook from http://www.seansarantos.com/ and started doing his Fit Freak Home Edition. Sean is someone I found on instagram. I follow alot of fitness people on there, I find it very motivating. Some other great people on there with ebooks you can purchase are Erica.fit.love and KmaeCags. But you don't have to buy an ebook, you can go on bodybuilding.com and find lots of programs for free. It's just a matter of what speaks to you.

I have workout a.d.d. I'm constantly changing it up because I get bored. Especially when it comes to cardio. Who the hell likes cardio??

Some things I've done for cardio include:

-long walks

-jogging

-sprinting/hiit

-dancing around (my personal favorite)

-jazzercise DVD

-jumping jacks/jump rope

-riding bike

What qualifies as cardio? ANYTHING that gets your heart rate up.

Try to do some cardio and some kind of strength training, whether you use your own bodyweight or weights or weight machines. You want to build muscle and burn fat. And don't you just want to be stronger?

The bottom line is, find something you like to do and do it. Make it fun. If you're doing something you don't like, you won't want to do it. But if you make it fun, its not a chore.

What do you like to do?

-kickboxing?

-martial arts?

-Dance?

-sports?

-swimming?

-playing outside?

Whatever gets you moving. Don't worry about what other people are doing. Do what feels right for you. And I encourage you to change it up. Don't do the same thing every day. Its not helping your body and its not gonna keep you interested. Break up your week.

So remember:

It doesn't have to cost money.

I have yet to set foot in a gym since I started my journey

This is my workout room. My home gym, if you will.

It doesn't have to take a lot of time.

When I first started with those apps I was doing 5-10 min a day. Do whatever you can. 20 min, 30 min.
Whatever you can do. I ended up getting so into it that I would love to spend 2 hours working out every day. but I don't have that luxury. Lately i've been having to shorten my workouts to 30 min.


It doesn't have to hurt. 

I think that was my biggest fear. That pain of huffing and puffing and my chest hurting. You don't have to start with that. You can work your way up to it.


You don't have to start big. START SMALL. Trust me on that one. Every journey begins with one step. No matter how small. Work your way up to the hard stuff. The most important thing is just get moving.

I hope this helps!!! You may not realize this but you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to. You may not feel that way but you will.....eventually you will. You're stronger than you ever imagined and you can do incredible things. Your body will surprise you.

Protein review #1 : 1st Phorm Phormula-1 Loop D Fruit

One thing you must know about me is that I am constantly on the hunt for the best tasting protein. I have tried endless protein powders over the last 4 years. I am not an expert in ingredients, let me put that out there right now. I'm basing my reviews on taste. I do however try to find powders with higher quality protein as opposed to the low shelf stuff they have at the supermarket.

Now, many people seem to stick with chocolate. I'm not that girl. I'm just not a big chocolate person. I'm more of a fruity person. So when i find fruity sounding protein I get excited. I'll start with the very latest one I've tried first, and go from there. 

Now, I follow a lot of fitness ppl on instagram. Its a great motivator. I read things in the comments and see pictures and sometimes you get turned on to something new. One of those things was 1st Phorm. What is 1st Phorm? I dunno but everyone was singing its praises. Well shit, let me look into it. So I did. Its some company that sells workout supplements and protein and pre workout and such. Small but growing. 

-They only sell their stuff (from what i could find) via their website and in person at a Supplement Superstore to which it turns out they have a relationship or some kind of steak in the game. I hear they really do the hard sell and try to push 1st Phorm products at those stores. 

-The only reviews I could find were glowing reviews but when I looked a bit deeper it was all people who were sponsored by or had some kind of relationship with 1st Phorm. 

hmmm.......these are 2 red flags. But you know, I'm an optimist. #theHIGHLYsuggestableType #sucker and I mean, who could pass up a protein that tastes like fruit loops?!!! all those youtube videos that said it was so good were very convincing. So I went to their website. Most protein is sold in tubs of 2lbs or 5lbs. This one was a little less than 2lbs. Cost? $50. what? YES....don't choke girl, $50!!!!!! Ummmm hi I can get a 2lb tub of Optimum Nutrition protein for $30. So $49.99, thats the base price of this 1st phorm stuff, then tack on the shipping. The cheapest shipping they have is $11. So this stuff ended up costing me a grand total of $60!!!!!!!! FOR PROTEIN! Listen, this shit better taste like a unicorn farted rainbow colored sugar thats for fucking sure.

I was sooo excited to get it. Beautiful packaging. So much promise!

I smelled it. Mmmmmm....smells divine! I dipped my finger in the powder and was shocked to find it tasted like the powder at the bottom of the cereal box! Oh joy! I mixed myself up a cup with cold milk. Oooooh oooh baby, I can't wait. Ohhhh....oh..noo....no no no no no. UGH! There was this weird chemical bitter flavor. Overwhelming. You could tell the background had that great fruity flavor I was looking for but the foreground nastyness was way too overpowering. I tried again, using the instructions on the tub. Mixing in cold water and letting it stand for 1 min. Ok this has to do the trick. But no, same nasty ass taste. What was a girl to do?! I'll tell you, choke that shit down. I spent $60 on it!!! So now i have to LITERALLY hold my nose and choke it down. The after taste is nice, burping it up is pleasant. But that's about it. 

Now maybe I got a bad batch (i doubt it) or maybe my taste buds are just off and maybe YOU will like it. Especially if you're being sponsored by them or paid by them in some way. But this is just MY honest review. I figured the internet needed one. 

To top it off, as much as they boast about it being super high quality cold pressed protein, I didn't notice it help with my muscle recovery at all. Optimum Nutrition (hence forth will be referred to as ON) however, made a huge difference with my muscle recovery. It's good stuff. 

So there you go. Sorry 1st Phorm, but that's a thumbs down. They have delicious sounding flavors and you might wanna try them for yourself, you might actually like them, but for that price is it really worth the gamble? 1st Phorm should offer a sample pack. I'm kind of glad I didn't like it because could you imagine spending $60 every month for this? Yikes!

Intro

Hey guys, I created this blog as an extension of my FB group. I wanted a place where I could share reviews of certain products as well as stories/pictures of people who motivate me and also a place where i can give myself peptalks and ramble so it won't be too annoying. The fb page is more for conversation. so here we go...