So Much Mischief

So we all know that vacations are a fun way to "let go" and have a good time with no worries, right?

Well my trip to Belize was exactly that - a good fun time to not worry about workouts, not stress over foods - to just enjoy the results of my hard work with a promise to myself to get right back at it once I made it back to the routine in Portland.

Then I got back to Portland.

And I recommitted to redefining my motivation.

And I got excited about getting back into it.

Then things happened.

Work happened. Good weather happened. Bad weather happened. Unexpected playtime happened. Corporate parties happened.

Sangria happened again. So. much. sangria.

And then I let sushi happen and queso happen and cheesecake happen!?!?

And it all happened so fast. I mean, even a corn dog was eaten.... it was amazing and I don't regret it - but it happened.

With all of the good weather / bad weather / work and fun - it can also be confirmed that the only sweat I produced was while eating spicy foods - and maybe once in a hot tub that I shared with a 12 year old little league baseball team. (Really, I thought only girls would do this?)

It would be so reckless delicious to keep going down this path, but man did I miss my sweat. I missed my sweat more than I missed my blog more than I miss anything in this world. Sweat is as important to me as the air I breathe. 

I'm back on track, 110%. It's a choice and nothing more. 

Meat prep. Paleo foods. Mid-work day workouts. New shoes. Weights. Stair Steppers. Sweat. 

And I'm here to stay. Mischief you were fun, but you've been managed!

Oh and look, it didn't wreck my body completely - just a little cushion that will take some water, sweat and vegetables to take care of. Thanks metabolism!!!!!!!

Redefining My Motivation

Hi fitness friends!

Most of my fitness and health goals over the past few months were driven by a serious desire to confidently wear a swim suit on a tropical vacation with my family. This was kept secret from my blog considering the vacation was a surprise, so I’m sorry that I never mentioned that in my goals. Actually I’ve also been training for my flex pose for Instagram sweaty selfies. 

Judge me, I do. 

Both of these goals were purely aesthetic, but approached with patience and done with my sustainable health in mind. 

In my opinion, I far exceeded my expectations for myself and am proud of my attitude toward toning and firming the healthy way. 

For me, the “healthy way” meant ditching the scale, lifting weights, staying hydrated and fueling my body with the good whole foods that it could use for good and not store for bad. 

This is what that approach got me, along with a huge sense of accomplishment and confidence.

This foundation I built was different than crash diets I’ve tried in the past. 

This was the game-changer and a huge positive because ‘quick fixes’ don’t exist usually mean exhaustion, fatigue and quicker re-gain because the body wants to store and secure anything and everything to prepare for hibernation. Sorry body, I’ve been an asshole to you in the past. Never again. 

Now that I have this foundation down, I have my sights on much more than ‘looking good’ in a bikini. 

I have my focus on strength. 

I have my focus on push-ups.

I have my focus on testing my boundaries. 

I have my focus on inspiring others. 

I have my focus on fitting workouts into a busier work schedule. 

I have my focus on broadening my paleo food horizons.

I have my focus on maintaining and improving the work I’ve done. 

I have my focus on being kind to my body. 

I don’t need a race to train for, or a third Tough Mudder under my belt. 

I just want to keep health, fitness and balance at the forefront of my life because I’ve found that doing so brings me great happiness. 

Happiness from the stress-relief I gain, happiness from the way I inspire others, happiness from the way I feel - inside and out. 

What’s your motivation?

Linking up for Tough it Out Tuesday with the rest of my fit-fam ladies!

Confessions: Why a Second Blog

I bet that many of you are still wondering why I started a second blog.

Do you think I have too much time on my hands, or that I just really am that crazy? It's probably the latter, but just hear me out. 

In the "lifestyle blogging" world we joke that we only get out of our houses and see the world so that we have something to blog about other than Netflix, wine and our significant others (where applicable). While that's true for JumpingJE, it's far from the truth for Not the Average Bear.

The content that you find on Not the Average Bear is how I'm already living my life. Eating well, maximizing sweat sessions and balancing life's big dilemmas are daily activities of mine. In the past few months I feel like I've made some personal progress in both fitness and mental health - so I feel like I have earned the "right" to share with you. While this may be a false notion, sharing my world with you helps me to continuously seek ways to develop myself personally and hopefully enrich your world in the process.

Simple reasons why I started a second blog:

+ People ask me about fitness and nutrition - now I have a link to direct them to.
+ JumpingJE can be anything on any given day, this blog is focused and adds credibility.

+ I like food.

+ I like to sweat.
+ I like talking about food and sweating.
+ I like to put sweaty selfies on social media.
+ I want to read more personal development books.

+ I want to learn more about paleo.
+ I have weight to lose, too!
+ I want to show you my progress and inspire you!

The final big mega "aha!" reason is this:

When I add more things into my life (like a second blog or a second job), it helps me to organize the rest of my life and clearly define my priorities. What comes from that? I weed out all of the negative that's not helping me push any closer to achieving my goals! Make sense?

Good, because it's science! 

Linking up today with fit & fierce Kathy!