The picture above depicts my life yesterday. Have you ever been so tired that leaving the bed becomes more like a chore and less like routine? The thought of moving makes you frown and you find every excuse to sleep in a little bit longer? Your body is off, you are used to waking up early with no problem but all of a sudden you have no motivation to leave your bed? You don’t quite fall bask to sleep, but instead either play on your phone waiting for the first text message of the day or find some other form of social media to keep you busy? You have something that needs done in the morning and you are steady trying to talk yourself into going, but after about 1 hour; you realize you aren’t going? You can’t seem to keep still for very long, you are trying to find a comfortable spot in the bed but the more you move, the more uncomfortable you are? Has anyone been through this period of their life, where getting out of bed seems impossible.  I had set my alarm clock the night prior because I knew I had CrossFit class in the morning; mind you I had gotten home after 11pm because I was working 8 hours. I went to bed around midnight or so, and I am not one who falls asleep as soon as I close my eyes, it takes me awhile before I fall asleep and normally it takes me trying to entertain myself to do so.  Well, anyways, I had woken up around 7AM and decided it was too early, I was thinking about CrossFit; which started at 9AM and decided I would sleep in for another hour before getting up and ready.  Well, 8AM came around and I was still debating about whether I wanted to wake up for the class or stay in bed/home, it was a back and forth fight in my mind.  I ended up drifting back to sleep, it was after 10AM when I had woken up and realized I had missed my class; I wasn’t too upset about it but it annoyed me because I could have used that workout since I missed 3 days at the gym.  Around that same time, I was slightly more functional, I had a text message from my mom reminding me to help my aunt with moving stuff to the U-haul and I made myself a decent breakfast and even had enough energy to make some homemade cheeseballs. 

Throughout the day, I was lagging and very slowly becoming irritable and bored.  I didn’t want to necessarily sleep but I felt fairly lazy; like my body wanted to rest but my mind didn’t.  I got home around 7PM and decided to have dinner, normally I eat dinner at 5PM but it was late dinner last night and if it wasn’t for a friend of mine, I would have either ended up sleeping before going back to work or laying down doing nothing productive.  Nonetheless, that is one of very rare other occasions where I just didn’t want to leave my bed, my body didn’t want to function or be productive and my mood was tired and exhausted but couldn’t bare having to go back to sleep. I think the cause could have been of many things but wanted your input on this, because I am sure others like myself have gone through this same thing and it bums ya out.  Luckily today I woke up on time and was able to function throughout the day with no issues.  I think what I will do is look up some information and might write a post on how to get a good nights rest and be productive for the next day and then maybe list some causes and effects; something like that. I think it will serve as good information for now only myself but others who may have gone through the same episode. I would love to hear from all of you if you have had this issue, or have some tips/advice you want to share with me and I will even add it to my next blog post on sleep and health. Thanks for reading! 

Your Fitness blogger,

Shay-lon xoxo

P.S If anyone also wants to add any input on how to make a good Youtube video that will attract people and be informative and fun about fitness and health, I would appreciate that as well. Tomorrow I am hopefully finally going to do my very first Youtube video (assuming my day goes as planned and I have time for it) I will let everyone know when it is posted though and would love feedback.  If you are someone who has used Youtube before and know the strings, please get ahold of me, I know very little about making a great video and channel and would adore tips/advice. I will also do my own research sometime today so I can be semi prepared for it.

I have a softball game today, so if you get a hold of me, please be patient, I will be sure to respond back ASAP. Thank you.

Today was my first time exercising outside.  I decided that instead of going to the gym this morning, that I would try something different and outside my comfort zone.  This idea came to me a long while ago but I was always worried about what others would think or say.  I noticed that on Instagram and Tumblr, many people were taking their workouts outside. I finally decided to give it a go and see what I would think of it and share with all of you my experience and workout.  I woke up around 8am this morning (normal time for me); and decided to skip breakfast because I had a late dinner last night and wasn’t very hungry this morning (normally I always eat breakfast and eat dinner on time).  I got changed into some fitness apparel, got my ipod ready to go and brought my phone along to keep up with my workout and steps.  To be honest, in Ohio the majority of people do not workout outside; I see some cyclist and runners but other than that, nothing much else (especially in my town).  I wasn’t quite sure how to go about my workout this morning or what all I wanted to do because I had nothing planned (it was a spur of the moment idea). Finally after pacing up and down my driveway, I decided I would go for a run and I don’t know my neighborhood all that well but I knew if I just managed to stay on the sidewalk and run in a circle I would somehow end back up at my place of residence (Aka, run around the block).  I didn’t do a proper dynamic warm-up so while running, I was fairly slow and breathing fairly hard less than half way home. I haven’t done a long distance run in awhile, but this is something I should do once a day everyday to help my oxidation and learn to keep a steady pace like I have in the past without feeling out of breathe at the end of the run.  I ended up running twice around the block, I would say it was probably somewhere between 5-6 miles if not a little bit more than that. The 2nd run, was a bit worse off than the first run but I made both runs around the block without stopping at all. 

The second workout was going to be sprints, because I wanted to work on some interval running and speed training. I did 10 200m sprints up and down the sidewalk (luckily with very littler interruption) and this workout was much easier for me to do since I am more anaerobic these days than I am aerobic. I ended my workout with 200 squats. I used my car as a way to measure how low I was getting to the ground to make sure I was going 90 degrees or lower. There was one gentleman that was breaking his neck to watch me do squats.  I think he was probably amazed that someone was doing such a workout outside but it didn’t bother me because I was already very amped up and ready to finish my workout.  I don’t have much exercise equipment, if any at all; so that is something I am going to invest in so I can have more to do outside. I also enjoyed being outside because I didn’t have to waste gas driving to the gym across town.  I will continue to go to the gym but decided when the weather permits I would also add this outside program to my gym program so I can get a good workout in.  I plan on experimenting with different workouts outside and possibly, at some point, I may decide to go to a nearby park and workout or expand my running beyond the neighborhood and venture about.  Anyways, this is definitely something someone should do at least once if they get the chance because it is a lot different than being inside a gym and you get to utilize things that you normally didn’t think would make for a good workout. Tomorrow I have crossfit class in the morning, so possibly after the class I may decide to do the workout outside again.  

If you are someone who works out outside, I would love to hear what exercises you do, what equipment you use if any and how long you workout, where do you workout and if you enjoy it more or less than going to a gym.  Also I would be happy to hear why some of you do not like exercising outside.  Thank you for reading!

Your Fitness Blogger Shay-lon xoxo

I am not the type to tell you what to do or make decisions for you, quite honestly, I won’t even make you feel bad about your decisions when it comes to wanting to lose weight, because at the end of the day; you will ultimately do what YOU want to do.  BUT, I have this topic that popped up and someone wanted me to discuss it because they wanted me to share my opinions/thoughts and share some knowledge with some of you who may be interested in this surgery known as the “gastric bypass surgery”.  For some of you who may not know what this particular surgery is, it basically takes fat from your body; but it has its pros and cons and it isn’t for EVERYONE! believe it or not, this surgery has stipulations that need met before you can just throw your hands up and get on the operating table. 

Firstly, I will share my opinion about this surgery.  In my opinion it is a “quick fix”, an “escape from having to take the long road”, a way for people to “start over”, causes more problems than helps (in some cases), and distracts people from wanting to correct their lifestyle before having to get to the point where this is their only option.  I feel as though reality TV shows give people this idea that this surgery will solve all their issues and everything will be the way they want it to be; when in fact, it leaves out the important information like the aftermath.  I will not say, it doesn’t do what it is supposed to do, but it has so many cons that the pros in my opinion don’t really matter so much when I have to think of how many people actually leave the table alive and come out from the surgery.  The truth of the matter is, the surgery is not 100 percent when you are gabbling your life and don’t know the outcome.  Yes, most serious surgeries all have a risk of you dying on the operating table, I do realize this; but this particular surgery isn’t something that EVERYONE should run to when they get too deep and decide their weight is now a problem. This surgery can be avoided if people would take action before having to get to this point, this surgery can be avoided if people would first try losing weight the “old fashioned” way if possible before raising your hand; this surgery can be avoided if people were more patient and didn’t want “results now” and were willing to take slow steps to the finish line because weight loss isn’t a race.   Now in the same light, I do believe that certain circumstances should allow someone to get this surgery; especially if they are unable to walk or function/do their daily routines because of their weight and health.  Again, I am not here to preach and keep you from making your own decisions in life, I am here to help guide you, inform you, and be supportive while you are on your fitness journey.  No matter what route you decide to take in wanting to be healthier; I want you to know I am here for you.

Here are a few things to know about this surgery:Gastric bypass surgery refers to a surgical procedure in which the stomach is divided into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower “remnant” pouch and then the small intestine is rearranged to connect to both.

• It will greatly change your lifestyle
• Recommended if your BMI is 40 or more, if your BMI is 35 and over and you have developing health issues that require you to lose weight
• can have allergic reactions to medicines during surgery
• Develop breathing problems during surgery
• bleeding, blood clots and infections can happen during surgery 
• Gastritis could happen (inflammation of the stomach lining), heart burn, or stomach ulcers
• Injury to the stomach or other organs during surgery
• leaking from the line where parts have been stapled together
• poor nutrition after surgery (people will choose to eat what they ate before the surgery; in thinking it won’t effect them)
• scarring inside your belly that could lead to a blockage in your bowel in the future
• vomiting from eating more than what your stomach pouch can hold

Alright so you wouldn’t think I would have to speak on this topic, but again.. some people just don’t get it and for those of you struggling with weight issues, no matter what the issue is, it really isn’t anyone’s business unless you choose to make it their business and want their advice, tips, help, commentary, etc. Some people are happy with their weight and others might not be happy with their weight, regardless of what we think, it really isn’t right to make light of other people’s flaws (especially weight, among other things). I feel as though, even though I want to help people stay in shape, lose weight, gain weight, gain muscle, etc.. I never want to have to make someone feel less than because of their weight or battle. I know some people will think this is bullshit because we should not want someone obese walking around thinking it is okay to be obese, I get it.. it angers you and you want them to take their health seriously. Fine, I will side with you, yes.. I want people to be confident and healthy too! but lets find a better way to make it so we aren’t blatantly making them feel lowly than they already do. How about instead of making side comments, laughing, pointing and even allowing our children to make comments about someone’s weight; we grow up and find a solution that better suits their needs. The LAST thing they need is another person to tell them what they already know and guess what? they sure the hell don’t want to hear it from someone who is considered “in shape” with a bag ego and scum personality. 

The ones who want our help, or need help.. will either seek it or find a way, and the ones who don’t give a flying care or don’t want help will stay complacent, allow them to make their own decisions.  As a matter of fact, be their go to friend, their motivation and their cheerleader, teach, give them encouragement and surround them with love.  If you want them to see changes and make positive changes, you have to be willing to be patient and help guide them not force them or put them down. Like I said previously in my last blog post, if someone doesn’t want it, then I am not going to waste my time with them because they have to want it to get it. 

The problem these days is, we judge a person by their weight before getting to know their story. Who knows what made them go down the path they went down, who can tell them they had no right to take that path when you don’t honestly know how they felt at the time.  People have weight issues for various reasons, I mean I can list at least 10 reasons off the top of my head.  As mankind we have the power to either make someone feel good about themselves or make someone feel like shit, we hold the key to some people’s moods, mentality, and sometimes we can control how they perceive themselves with words alone. I think we are all guilty of making judgement, even myself included; we have all passed judgement on someone who may have been different then ourselves without truly knowing who they are or what they are about. It is called being human, but it doesn’t make it okay to call someone a fatass or to point out that someone has an eating disorder and needs a burger. I mean come on people, would you want someone picking on your family member or friend? if not, then why are some of you choosing to do it? save that answer for the comment section.  If you are someone who loves cracking jokes at people’s well-being, shame on you and grow up. If you are someone who is battling weight issues, please know there are people who care and want to either be there to help you through it or be there to give you incentive to strive for what you want. “We all have skeletons in our closets, some of us have more than others; just because someone can close their closet door doesn’t mean they can hide all their problems”-Shay-lon; take this quote as you wish. 

As a closing, I just want to say if you are someone who can relate to this post, leave a comment or message me, or contact me anyway you feel comfortable, I would love to hear from you & hopefully you can find comfort in talking with me and sharing your story. I always enjoy feedback, whether it is positive or negative and if someone disagrees with me, also never be afraid to leave a comment.. letting me know why and how you feel about the matter. 

Thank you for reading!

Your Fitness Blogger Shay-lon xoxo

So first off, I will apologize for my lack of post in the last 7 days. I allowed my mom to borrow my laptop and had no way of posting without using my phone and that annoyed me so I decided to wait until she returned my laptop.  Next time I will try to make sure I am more prompt at letting everyone know so that you don’t think I have disappeared. I will mention that I spent all weekend busy so I would not have had the chance to post this weekend, and the month of June is going to be busier so I will make post as much as possible whenever I can. Now while I was away, I had time to think about what my next post would be about and it came to me when I was in the car speaking with a friend of mine briefly about going to the gym.  This particular person, recently started working out (wanting to lose weight) and was working with a personal trainer in the beginning (they only started working out with the last couple of months, maybe?) Well as far as I knew, it was going fairly well and they were going twice a day everyday, and I was proud of them for making the effort. Now just recently, I asked this particular person how their sessions have been going and their reply was “I don’t use a personal trainer anymore, everything they did with me, I can do myself”. This response in itself lets me know they gave up or the personal trainer dropped them because they didn’t put any effort in because why else use this excuse.. if you wanted to lose weight.

With all that being said this post is about people and their excuses and lack of effort & how to downplay a personal trainer when really you are the problem not the trainer. Now let me just say this, There are horrible personal trainers out in the world who are not good at their job just like any other occupation. The problem with this particular situation isn’t the fact the personal trainer wasn’t good at their job (because they lost some weight) but the fact you weren’t committed enough to continue and you wanted to use an excuse for your actions.  With me becoming a personal trainer, I would drop a client who wasn’t serious and didn’t show up to their sessions as they should have with no notice, I honestly have a hard time believing they are doing the exact same workout as they were with the personal trainer when they spend 30 minutes on a treadmill going less then speed 3. lol. I also have a hard time accepting their attitude when it comes to this situation because with me being in the fitness industry my motto is go hard or go home and anything in between doesn’t exist to me. I can understand that the journey of losing weight is hard, I have been there and it sucks sometimes but if your trainer is giving you results, then you probably should continue; especially if you aren’t motivated or disciplined enough to do it on your own time and you go back to your old ways.

Now that is just an example of what I had to go through, I didn’t really tell this particular person anything because I didn’t want to allow myself to get that frustrated because it wasn’t my body and my life. I am happy with me but I could imagine that personal trainer’s frustrations and time wasted. I used this person’s story as a way to share with all of you the importance of putting in effort, giving the trainer respect, sharing with them your concerns, and stop making excuses for your actions. The most important part of working with a trainer is showing up and showing up on time and ready. If you aren’t ready to show up and show up on time with a positive attitude and an open mind then you are not taking yourself seriously enough. Everyone is allowed to have bad days, sick days, fuck my life days; I have those days too but guess what? the difference is, I endure the pain to get the results. one of my biggest pet peeves is when people talk about wanting to lose weight and wanting to lose it by a certain time, they hire a personal trainer to help them, they lose weight (small amount) and drop the personal trainer because they think they know and have all the answers or do less than 50 percent of effort with the personal trainer then blame the trainer when they start to skip out on sessions.  I will always stand by this no matter if you are my friend, family member, peer, etc; you hire me because you trust me to get you the results you want in a certain amount of time and to help you feel confident and give you valuable information.  If I don’t give you want you want in a certain amount of time with no logical answer; I may agree that I am not doing my job well or at my fullest potential but if you don’t show up, try, go hard, and take your health as serious as I do; I will drop you or we will have a conversation discussing why you are not getting the results you want.  It all comes down to what you want and how badly you want it!

Luckily nothing like this has happened to me but I know that it could and if it does arise I will handle it appropriately.  I am patient with my clients, whether they are low functioning or high functioning, always have patience, the difference is no matter what, they come prepared to do something. Some days are harder but I know they want it; even when they don’t go 100 percent, they show up and are ready.  They are making a difference day by day no matter how slow or fast, not the person skipping out and making excuses. “YOU EITHER WANT THIS OR YOU DON’T, EITHER WAY IM NOT SWEATING IT” -Shay-lon

Sorry for this mini rant, but I want to know how others trainers feel about this and how clients if you are a client how you feel about this?  Do you think it is wrong to have a personal trainer expect these things out of you, such as myself? Are you the type to skip out when you make excuses? share with me and let me know how you feel and give some feedback.

Your Fitness Blogger

Shay-lon xoxo