Today's post is in collaboration with Pat from Pat Lives Fit. Be sure to read through for a discount code on his programs & to see my transformation pic! xo
I have so much to say today, and don't even know where to start! I guess I'll start by rewinding to the beginning of the year when I did a reader survey and wellness was an area that you guys wanted me to touch on a little more this year. Better late than never, huh? I did post a couple athleisure looks (here, here, and here), but I never really dove into what I do as far as working out, diet, and just wellness in general. SO let's start talking about it, shall we?!
In case you're new here and haven't read my about page, here's a little background info. I graduated from college in 2014 with a degree in Health & Exercise Science. I then went back to get my degree in Health & Physical Education. (Currently pursuing neither & you can read more about why here). I've been an athlete my entire life (field hockey being my fave), and I've always had more of an athletic body type. I was never the skinny girl, I never had washboard abs, I never thought twice about eating ice cream whenever I wanted to, but I was always strong and considered myself to be pretty healthy.
I definitely struggled with body image at times and I haven't always loved the way I look. I've had my fair share of being called fat, etc. but I never really let it get to me in a way that broke me down. Once I graduated high school and sports were no longer a part of my life on the reg, I started to really get into going to the gym. I wanted to remain active and I loved the way I felt after a solid workout. I understand the gym isn't for everyone, but if that's the case, I definitely encourage you to find a way to be active by doing something you love. Whether it's playing sports in a rec league, doing yoga, walking your dog, or even playing outside with your kids for an hour every day, find an activity that you love and keep doing it.
If the gym is your thing, or you love working out at home, today I'm going to tell you about the six week personalized workout plan that I've seen major results from. I've been working with Pat Livesey from Pat Lives Fit. He writes custom six week workout plans based on what your goals are, the types of activities you like to do, what equipment you have available, your current activity level, etc.
Pat has his Masters in Exercise Science and a list of top notch certifications that make him more than qualified to be a trainer. I personally value this about him because it truly shows that he is invested in his clients and career. It can be so easy anymore for anyone to just get certified through a cheap program and then call themselves a trainer. That's not the case with Pat. He is super knowledgeable and knows what he's doing.
Choosing his program was the perfect option for me for a couple reasons. First, I was in a habit of going to the gym and doing the same thing over and over without really challenging myself or being held accountable. Second, even if I wanted to work out with a trainer, setting a date & time is hard for me because A. I'm always late and B. my schedule isn't always the same. Now, I'm able to go to the gym whenever is convenient for me and have a customized plan to follow rather than making it up as I go along. If I have any questions or want to switch something up, Pat always gets back to me same day which is super convenient.
Before you ask why I don't write workout plans for myself since that's essentially what I went to school for, let me tell you. It's more than just, oh that's what I went to school for. You have to keep furthering your education by reading articles, doing research, keeping up with certifications, etc. and honestly the passion isn't there for me, neither is the free time. When I do have free time, I'd rather be pinning hair inspo pics or reading a blog about how to style fall trends. It's all about where my heart is and as much as I love being active and living a healthy lifestyle, it's not what I'm invested in career wise at this time.
And now for the transformation pic. I'm definitely nervous about posting this on my blog for everyone to see BUT I read a quote the other day that said something along the lines of - don't be embarrassed about who you used to be; be proud of how far you have come. I look at the before and I'm like wow. Did I really look like that? Yep. Pictures don't lie. SO the middle photo is three weeks complete, and the right pic is four weeks complete. I honestly forgot to take a pic after week six was complete, but I'm going to do another six weeks with Pat so I'll keep you updated and share another before and after!
I also want to mention that I have cleaned up my diet over the past month. Rob and I have been trying to be diligent about going food shopping and prepping some meals. I also cut out dairy after watching What The Health on Netflix (this is an extreme view on being vegan and as with anything, you have to look at both sides, but it did make me feel a certain way about dairy). I've been trying to incorporate more salad and fruit, while also cutting back on snacks, etc. Pat also offers nutrition plans in addition to workouts. I’m going to see what nutrition advice he has for the next six weeks and take it from there! It's definitely a two way street between diet and exercise, but after the great results I've been seeing, I'm feeling motivated to stay on track!
As always, thanks for reading!! I hope you feel inspired in some way! Leave a comment and let me know how you live a healthy lifestyle!
xo
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR A CUSTOM WORK OUT PLAN WITH PAT - CLICK HERE - USE CODE PINEBARREN10 FOR $10 OFF! (HIS PLANS ARE ALREADY REASONABLY PRICED TO BEGIN WITH & YOU WILL DEFINITELY SEE RESULTS!)
LET'S DO THIS TOGETHER BABES!
OUTFIT DETAILS: top I'm wearing a small / sneaks I sized down one full size / leggings are TTS
