Day 6 and 7 Mommy Boot Camp

Hey guys I know this is a day late (well two days now) but trust me it was because of a good reason! I was DOG TIRED.

SHE RAN ME 9 MILES YESTERDAY (day before yesterday)! We are staying in Negril.. we ran OUT OF NEGRIL. I said mom.. that sign just said "Goodbye from Negril" she of course replied.." Un-huh.. keep moving"

(We passed him at about mile 5...personally I was all for stopping right there and waiting for him to cook up that fish and lobster to eat... but of course mommy said we had to keep it moving)

Not only was the run longer but it was the hottest day that we had been here. I couldn't believe how hot it was there were multiple times on that run that I didn't think I was going to make it. I even got injured during the run.. but that didn't stop her. Despite my injuries.. that was not the worst part of the journey....

(see this...lucky for me Ms. Janet was there to help rub my leg for me.)

Did u watch BGC5? (I know this season was terrible) but if you did remember when they went to Jamaica, and the hotel the stayed in.. that was like the "sexual" hotel... Well basically it's nothing more than a hotel for old people that lay around naked all day long.. My eyes burned when we ran through that part of the beach.. And I'm talking NUDE.. saggy body parts and everything. But I do have to admit.. that I did pick up the pace with my jogging cause I knew what I didn't want my body to look like!

(Not only did it make me pick up the pace in my jogging but it made me want to make better food choices for dinner as well.. Vegetable salad anyone?)

(With a extra side of cucumbers?)

Day 7

Day 7 No running, I was injured.. remember (read a few lines up if you forgot) So we went swimming. I love the ocean here.. its soo clear! We swam up by Ricks Cafe.. and watched the sunset from the water...I liked this work out the best so far! Plus.. I got to parasail.. afterwards to dry off! Lol.. I guess I am beginning to enjoy putting my life in the hands of a parachute.. (for those that don't know I recently went sky diving at 14,000 ft)

(mommy coming out the water from a swim.. my pretty toes)

(600 feet above the ocean)

(Always a safe landing!)

Day 5 Mommy Boot Camp

Hi guys.... This morning my mom got up to run, and woke me up.. but my body said.. "hell no I wont go" so I rolled back over and went to sleep.

So to make up for the workout I missed this morning.. my mom took me on a drive to where we are running to tomorrow... its an additional  3 miles down....which means I'm running 12 miles tomorrow. Wish me luck... If I survive..I'll post tomorrow!

Day 4 in mommy boot camp

It's a lovely night in Jamaica as I sit at the restaurant in our hotel over looking the Ocean. (Its the only place there is internet, but it creates a nice calming experience to write and reflect on Day 4 in boot camp)

Today was the earliest that we have gotten out for our morning workout.. I guess my mom wanted to make sure that I couldn't write that we overslept, LOL. I was hoping that the 6 mile run would get easier, but the three miles down might have been the hardest to get through yet. My legs are really starting to feel the impact of running on the sand. There are a lot more joggers out now days, and everyone gives each other "the nod" the "I got to give you respect nod for being out here because this sand is kicking my butt too" nod. The hotels along the beach help me get through it though. I tell myself as soon as I get to the next hotel I can take a break and walk, and I keep doing it until I make it to the end!

(Remember to stretch though guys! stretching is important)

When it was time to turn around we did a different routine. Instead of running back on the sand, we ran on the street and did sprints the whole way back. Its amazing how intense you can feel your legs muscles with each stride you take. Although it's intense it gives me the energy to keep going.. I guess that's what's referred to as "a sprinter's high". That is going to be our new routine though.. jogging down in the sand then sprinting in between hotels on the way back.


Day 4 in boot camp was the first day that I put on a swim suit, and although I'm not where I want to be right now... it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but I definitely will not be slacking in my workouts.

( I think I see the beginning of a Four pack coming on.. ya'll know u see it. LOL, maybe kinda? squint with one eye?)

For Day 5 I asked my mom can we do some water sports she said yeah, I was excited!! I mean I had only been asked every 2 seconds since we stepped foot on the sand if I wanted to jet ski.. So that what's I definitely wanted to do! Well guys.. her jokes don't stop coming.. she said we can go Kayaking that way we are working our arm muscles! Never a dull moment with her I tell you! However when we hit that boat she is going to have to listen to me! After all I was the one on the rowing team for four years in high school!

Till tomorrow! Guys!

Day 3 in Mommy Boot Camp

Day 3 in Jamaica and guess what guys... Still have yet to put on a swim suit. Grand I know.... but hopefully next week I will be able to put on a swim suit and feel good in it...also I'm starting to feel the burn in my legs.

(Rubber shorts, see and the bunched up thing under the shirt is the waist band sweating away the fat so I can finally get into a swim suit)

This morning my mom overslept so we got up late so our morning workout wasn't as early as we'd have liked it to be. Ya know.. before the sun is at its peak and we don't bake and die in all that rubber. (For those saying why is it your moms fault you overslept and not mine, clearly you all don't know me very well. I can sleep for forever). And boy o boy do I regret that we overslept. That sun glaring on my legs in that rubber there were a few times that we had to stop in the shade to catch out breath so that we wouldn't pass out. This also left for a crazy looking tan line!

(Do you see that tan line??? That's crazy right?!?)

Despite the heat that tried to take us out we made it! And we ran our 6 Miles! When we made it to our halfway point, we didn't run sprints today, but we did do lunges. IDK what made my think it was a good idea to suggest lunges in the sand it was intense I tell you.. INTENSE. But it felt good though.

(Welcome to mommy boot camp... Ya'll see she aint playing with this full wet suit on.. and the rollers in her hair.. lol she don't care. Its all about getting it in)

My favorite part about our workout is that in the afternoon when we go on the beach for a nice walk everyone waves to us and tells us "hey saw you working out today! looking good" I didn't realize that anyone was paying attention to us, I was too busy singing and running along to my ipod, but it was nice to hear those encouraging words! That means I can't slack on the workout... everyone is watching!

But its time for bed! (yes I know its 7pm.. but hey I got to get up EARLY in the morning to get my workout in!) Write tomorrow to update about Day 4 in mommy boot camp.

Jamaica

WELCOME TO JAMAICA!!!!!!
What an exciting and fun place to be after leaving freezing cold Atlanta. My mom came down to Atlanta and surprised me with a trip to Jamaica. My first thought was GREAT! White sand beaches, relaxing on a beach chair with a fruity drink with the little umbrella. When I started packing for such trip that I imagined a lot of my cute little lounging beach outfits were replaced with work out gear. I asked my mom what the deal was she laughed and said "O you thought this trip was for relaxing and lounging? You bout to go into boot camp pookie" (as if adding the pookie would make it better) So clearly I had to adjust my packing for this boot camp.

Packing List:

• Work out clothes 
• tennis shoes
• sunblock (hey I'm light so yes, I burn)
• suntan lotion (after block for a few days time to leave #teamlightskin)
• bug spray (Off won't work with these mosquitos... you need that exclusive bug spray)
• Ipod ( The most annoying thing ever is trying to run on the beach and getting harassed by people trying to sell you what they have made or asking you jet ski)
• Rubber shorts (of a full wet suit if you are advanced like my mom)
• Rubber waist band (sweating that tummy away)

4am we headed to the airport, and to further confirm that we needed to get to Jamaica ASAP I bust my stuff on the black ice in front of my house. My arm still hurts from landing on it. 

Day 1 of Mommy Boot Camp: 

When we first arrived to Jamaica and got to our hotel, we barely were able to get settled. I sat down and the first thing that my mom said was, "Alright bust out them workout clothes we got time to get a quick workout in." Lol.. quick workout.. yeah right, we walked 6 miles along the beach (even though she said we were only going to do about 3). When we got back in to the room to go to bed that evening I promise I never hit the pillow so hard in life. And that was only the beginning. 

Day 2 of Mommy Boot Camp:

After a good night rest I was awaken bright and early from my mom who was already dressed saying "Let's Go, got to get the first workout in before the sun comes up" Sleep in eyes I put on my workout gear and headed to the beach. 

The first part of the 6 miles journey the sand is really soft, so its like a thigh master on steroids trying to walk through there. So this is where we warm up and power walk. While walking my mom is constantly reminding me suck in the stomach to work my stomach muscles. And to squeeze and release the gluts. 

Well when were were just about to hit the part of the sand where we start running, it began to rain..my initial response was to turn around, I wasn't ready to give up my hair bouncing and behaving just yet. Leave it to my momma to find a solution though... she walking into a little store hut and came out with two plastic bags and told me to get with it. (Take em out the hood but can't take the hood outta em. I tell ya) When we reached the end (halfway point) where its time to turn around, we took a break from the jog. The break was not to catch our breath, but to do some sprints. There was about a 200 yard distance that was marked off by some ropes in the sand and we did 10 sprints the distance. Right before it was time to pass out she started jogging back and told me to keep up. I thought we would never make it back to our hotel but once we hit the thigh master sand I couldn't have been any happier. 

And that was just the morning workout.... I have to do it all over again in the afternoon. Wish me luck!

Finals Week, I give myself a F

The semester is finally over! And I have to admit that I failed miserably on sticking to my program. Remember that entry I posted a little while ago "A few helpful hints" Well lets go through that entry and see how I received an F, during finals week.

• "Drinks Lots of Water": I drank lots of Pop "soda for you southerners", energy drinks, and anything else with high sugar and caffeine. In my defense though this week I had to submit 4 10-15 page papers along with 3 final exams. Needless to say I really did need that Pepsi or two to stay awake.
• What I should have done: I know I was staying up late and I needed the energy, but that is no excuse to not have had much water. For every energy drink and pop that I had I should have doubled that amount in water that I had.  Plus the excessive amount of water that I drink, the more I'll have to use the restroom, and the going back and forth should help me stay awake...right?
• "Eat 5-7 times a day": With all the work that I was doing I barely ate, and when I did finally eat it was almost midnight and I was going through the drive-thru of McDonald's or Checkers. (I have Tina to prove it)
• What I should have done: I know that I am going to be hungry and I should have been better prepared for it. I could have right before finals week make me a healthy meal that would last me a couple of days so I wasn't running to Checkers. I also could have went to the store to purchase some food for finals, that way I was making sure I was getting in my 5-7 meals, in a healthy manner. Fruit, granola, and apple sauce are just a few examples of foods that I could have eaten instead of a double cheese burger that would have made great snacks. I have to be sure next finals time I am choosing snacks that I can eat in the day or night that wont kill my insides and make Tina grow.
• "Cut Down on Salt": See previous bullet point about McDonald's..... yeah what's some fries without the salt? 
• What I Should have done: Put the car in reverse and slowly pull back onto Northside (where McDonalds is ) and Drive away from McDonald's. Kroger's is 24 hours as well, get some lunch meat, make a sandwich..buy some fruit...anything but proceed straight through the drive-thru
• "Exercise a little everyday": This is about the only thing that I did manage to kind of do. I didn't exercise everyday but I did manage to get a couple mornings in on the track with my friend Brooke. (A mile, some sprints, some lunges, and of course my favorite good old stadium steps) I should get a few points for this right? And I know its only a few points because its not just about exercise, it's mainly about your diet, and well my diet was TERRIBLE.
• What I should have done: I should have made sure that I did at least 30 minutes of cardio everyday. Those 30 mintues could have helped when I was ready to fall asleep. Jumping jacks are always a warm-up, so it could have been a warm up to tackling some of those papers!

So although I gave myself and F this time around, next semesters finals I'll be sure to get an A. OO as far as the weight I gained during these trying times.. my mom has a plan for that... but that will be the next entry... I'm really about to get it in Just like my momma

Kia's Story

Meet Kia as she talks about her journey:

My decision to start taking care of my self, by working out and eating better, is completely selfish. I'm doing this for me. When I first began college, I was pretty thin. Gaining the "Freshman 15" was an understatement. By the beginning of my spring semester of sophomore year I gained roughly 25 pounds. Beginning of my 4th year, and a total 30 pounds heavier, I decided I had enough. I was no longer happy with myself. I got to the point where I didn't feel comfortable wearing jeans, because i couldn't find any to fit me. And overall, I didn't feel pretty. So I decided, no more saying I was going to get in shape, no more going to the gym for 3 weeks and then never going back and no more over eating! 

This is Kia...(Cutie aint she)

About a month and a half ago, I began working out 3-5 times a week, controlling my portions and eating more of foods that will help and not hurt me. So far I have lost 9lbs. I'm glad to see results, but I know I have a really long way to go. Some times I get discouraged with the idea that I haven't reached my ultimate goal (20 pounds), but I remind myself that it took my 3 years to put on all of this weight, so it's going to take some time to lose it. 

I love this blog, not just because I love my sister and think she's awesome, but I love that she's taking control of her life, working towards achieving a goal that she set a while ago, and inspiring others to do the same. It definitely helps that she's going through this journey with me. I know both of us will reach our goals, because we have already achieved so much in our lives. 

(Me and my sister Kia)

I don't want to be 125 lbs again (my weight when I began college), but I want to be happy with myself, because fat or thin that's what it's all about, inner happiness.

We will have more updates later on from Kia! on her journey...I am very proud of her on making a plan and sticking to it and keeping a positive attitude! She inspires me to keep going on my journey.

Send me your stories advice etc.. to ritagetfit@gmail.com