2015 has come and gone and I had only one resolution that was to hit a 300lb, yes you read right, 300lb deadlift aaaaand sadly I didn't accomplish it. The reason being was that it was EXTREMELY ambitious of me which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  Let me tell you, I was NO WHERE near 200lbs at the time which only makes it that much better that I was able to get to a 255lb max which is only 45lbs shy of 300.

I personally love ambitious goals because it only makes me work that much harder to get as close as possible to it. I know this doesn't necessarily work for everyone and a lot of people struggle to stick to their fitness goals so here are my top five ways to stick to your fitness/gym new years resolutions.

1. Write Them Done:
I am a visual person so for me it helps to write down my goals and be able to see them. I have a set of 3 5.5 Inch mini lined notebooks where I write everything down. Not only my new years resolutions but my weekly goals as well. Mine are floral and just solid colored but you can get yours on amazon super cheap! and they're JUST as adorable if not more! And they're only 5 inches so they fit perfectly in your purse or gym bag





2. Track Your Progress: 
This one is a BIG part of why I was able to stick to my goals. There is no better motivation than seeing how your body is changing. Now, when I say track your progress I don't mean weigh yourself every day. As a matter of fact join me and throw out your scale. i stopped weighing myself long ago, we are trying to live a healthier life NOT become obsessed with numbers because the numbers on the scale don't define us. A better way to VISUALLY track your progress is by taking pictures! Trust me, you'll wish you started taking progress pictures sooner. I usually like to take mine every 2 - 3 months.

3. Ignore the Negativity: 
Im sure you've seen the memes, the Facebook status, the social media posts of people complaining about the 'Resolutioners'. IGNORE THEM. They are nothing but an ignorant and selfish bunch. You deserve to be there as much as everybody else. You don't owe them or anybody anything.  I, along with others, started as a resolutioner and I know what it feels like to be new in the gym but you can do it.

4. Have A Plan:
Wether your going in to lift weights or do cardio make sure you have a plan. I personally recommend doing a combination of weight lifting and cardio but I know it can be hard and intimidating so i suggest looking at www.bodybuilding.com. Don't let the name intimidate you, they have a huge variety of workout plans, meal plans and workout data base for everyone regardless what your goal is. And oh yeah, did I mention it's all free? Free plans and free date base with every lift and videos on how to perform it. Write down your plans and exercises for the day in your handy notebook and you'll be good to go! Visit www.bodybuilding.com it will make your life so much easier.

The good thing about this site is that it also gives you a list of recommended supplements. I'll leave a list of my favorites below just in case you don't know exactly what to get. 

5. Find Support:
When I first started my journey I didn't have a lot of support. Till this day the only one who I can share my love of fitness with is my brother so earlier on in my journey I turned to social media. Don't ever feel like you're in it alone, there are a ton of other people who have been where you're at right now or who are also just starting. I find instagram to be the best platform for this. All you have to do is start using the hashtags! Search the hashtags #fitfam and just scroll through the posts and you'll find a lot of like minded individuals. Most are really friendly so don't be afraid to befriend them!


I hope these tips help you in starting your journey. Remember that you are not alone. If any of you need some support comment below or feel free to find me on instagram. I am extremely active there and actively post my meals.  Enjoy & Goodluck Sunshines!


Proteins I use:
I swear and live by Dymatize Products. I've gotten my hands on countless of proteins but nothing beats Dymatize. There is no artificial taste or nasty after taste. I like this with my coffee, oats, yogurt, pancakes and everything else! And no, I am no affiliated with them so this is a genuine review. These usually last me for over a month depending how often I use it.
Here are my favorites:

 

Todays Shoulder Day went a little something like this
nice and fast to keep my heart rate up. I warmed up with some weighted arm circles and stretched prior to this.

-Seated Dumbbell Military Press x 4 increasing the weight every set
-Smith Machine Over Head Press  super set with Side Laterals to Front Raise
-Seated Bend Over Rear Delt Raise Super Set with Seated Barbell Press (behind neck)
-Barbell Rear Delt Row super set with Barbell Upright Rows  3 x 10 each
-Front Plate Raise (drop weight) super set with Car Drivers 
-Side Lateral Raises (drop weight 3 times) x 10 reps each for 3 sets

I finished off with some
Cardio Circuits

30 Sec Battle Ropes 
Push Ups x 12
Cruches x 12
Jump Squats x 12

for four rounds 


give this a try and tell me how you like it! 

I began to feel uncomfortable wearing shorts to the gym and one day I just decided that I had had enough. I didn’t want skinny legs. I wanted muscle. I didn’t want to be frail and weak I wanted strength. I wanted to find balance in my life. So I stopped worrying about what I ate and started lifting heavy focusing solely on strength gaining. Of course after restricting for so long my body was craving ALL THE FOODS and I fed my body ALL THE FOODS. This led to some weight gain for a good while but I didn’t care, I was finally gaining some strength. It was then that I fell in love with heavy lifting and although my body wasn’t where I wanted it to be the confidence and the strength I was gaining was unbelievable.There is just something that changes or clicks in your mind when you’re able to dead lift 200+ lbs off the floor, its like nothing else matters. You realize that you are capable of so much more and you are more than your weight.  

After two years of indulging I finally decided I wanted to start taking care of my body, nutrition wise, and decided to make the switch to IIFYM. I contacted the lovely Emilia Hogan, she does custom macro programs and a training programs, so she could calculate my macros and get me on the right track to lean down. Its been 4 months since I’ve been her flexible dieting macro program and I finally feel like I’ve found balance. I've never felt stronger, faster and at peace with myself. I no longer restrict myself or look at foods as a negative thing. I am able to eat the foods I love and enjoy without guilt.