I want to be a Supermodel...

I was sitting on my couch a couple of weeks ago doing a little online shopping when I heard my husband holler at me from our bedroom. He said, "Hey babe, did you know that the Victoria's Secret fashion show is on?" I said, "Yes, why?" Jud said, "Oh I thought you may want to watch it...it's kind of gross though, all I see is ribs." I laughed and then thought to myself, "I am so glad my husband likes a woman with meat on her bones". After I got some of my shopping done, I checked facebook (I know, I'm addicted) and I swear every status I saw was about the Victoria's Secret fashion show. Some of the statuses I saw said things like... 
"I want to be an angel." 
"Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, thanks for the confidence boost."
"Watching the VS fashion show...I'm never going to eat again." 
"Watching the Victoria's Secret fashion and I really need to hit the gym."


After reading those status updates, I was pretty sad that women actually compare themselves to Supermodels. I mean, come on... Those women come from all over the world and they are few and far in between. According to Victoria's Secret Chief Marketing Officer Edward Razik, fewer than 100 women in the world have the potential to be a Victoria's Secret model. To be a Victoria's Secret Angel you have to be at least 5'8" and your measurements have to be 34-24-34, or smaller. Not only do the models have to meet these specific size requirements, they must have specific facial features such as full lips, a small nose, and high cheekbones. So unless you possess all of the above...forget about it. If you do, call me...I'll be your manager. ;)


Seriously though, why are women so obsessed with being so freakin' perfect? I mean, I am guilty myself. I have been so fixated on my imperfections, that I can't even appreciate what God has blessed me with. 
When I turned 26 I got so obsessed with aging... I looked in the mirror one morning and felt the urgent need to get botox and juvederm. True story...I googled everything there is to know about both. I got over it though...after I realized I was too broke to fix my face. Ha! So, I learned to love every wrinkle and every line and now I like to think they tell a story. I will admit though that I spend about 15 mintues a night exfoliating and applying serums and moisturizer, because I don't want my face to be a open book. ;) 


But now, lets focus on my best feature... how about my 34A chest? Yes, thank you Lord for blessing me with boobs... Oh wait.... that was my mom and sister you gave those to. Totally skipped me.  I can laugh about the fact that there are 12 year olds with bigger breasts than me. It doesn't really bother me much...I am athletic, I'm a dancer...those would just get in the way. 


Ok, ok...enough joking around and completely embarrassing myself. The point I'm trying to make is... we all have imperfections and we all have things that we don't like about ourselves. I'm willing to bet a million dollars that even those Victoria's Secret Angels don't always look in the mirror and like what they see. They have their insecurities just like everyone else in this world...not to mention they are probably really hungry. So, I say... Let's stop obsessing. Let's stop comparing. Let's stop wanting to be someone or something we are not. Instead, let's focus on what we LOVE about ourselves. Let's focus on letting our beauty shine from the inside out by serving our God who made us and loves us...just the way we are! 


"People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting".
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Imperfections is beauty. Madness is genius. It is better to be absolutely ridiculous, than absolutely boring."
Marilyn Monroe

Yours in Health,
Brittany

'Tis the Season to be...fat and happy?

The holidays are right around the corner and I couldn't be more excited. I absolutely love this time of year! It's all about enjoying yourself, spending time with loved ones and of course...EATING! So, it's really no surprise that the average person gains 8lbs over the holidays.
 Now, I am not going to sit here and pretend that I don't enjoy a huge Thanksgiving meal and that I'm not the first in line for my mama's red velvet cake at Christmas. I absolutely love to eat and I do often splurge on the holidays, however, I put in extra time at the gym to ensure that I can afford to splurge. I'm sure you're thinking, "Oh, Brittany.. You make it sounds so easy.", but trust me...I struggle this time of year just like everyone else. The cold weather tries to put me in a slump and  I have to muster up energy to workout. I stare at equipment all day at work, but yet making myself actually jump on a machine or pick up a dumbbell sometimes just seems so...BLAH! In the past I made excuses like... I'll just kick my workout and  diet routine back up in January. Sound familiar? I'm sure I'm not the only one that has ever thought that. 
Did you know that the average person consumes 4,000 calories at their Thanksgiving meal? Keep in mind that if you blow your fitness routine on just three days- Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years- it won't cause too much damage. What gets most of us into trouble is the nonstop feasting mentality that goes on from Thanksgiving through January 1st. 8 pounds is a lot of weight to have to lose come January... and if you are not at your ideal body weight...think about the weight you are trying to lose now and add 8 pounds to that. If you plan on being the "average person" this holiday season and packing on a winter coat...I sure hope you're ready to spend MONTHS working it off. Below I posted a picture of what just 5lbs of fat looks like...

Lovely isn't it? haha! Let's all try to avoid that this holiday season. I suggest you sticking to your workout routine, eating light and clean throughout the week, and only splurging on those special holidays. I realize that there will also be Christmas parties with tons of food and alcohol. If I'm realistic I'm not going to tell you to "avoid alcohol" and "eat before you go so you are not tempted with the treats"...Come on, who REALLY does that? What I will say is...you better get your butt to the gym the next morning! ;) Good Luck and may you and your family have a blessed holiday season! 


Yours in Health,
Brittany

My Lifestyle...

For those who have been asking me what I eat and what supplements I take...Here  is a list of some of my favorite supplements and meals... I will be posting in more detail soon, so stay tuned...
                                    
 These are some of my favorite supplements: Opti-women Vitamins, fish oil, Xtend intra-workout catalyst, Visalus shake mix, and Max CLA. I highly recommend the site www.bodybuilding.com to order supplements. You can find most everything for half the cost as it would be in GNC or Max Nutrition. Also, if you are interested in Visalus check out my link www.brittanyhorton.bodybyvi.com

 This is a pretty typical lunch for me. Spinach salad with grilled chicken, cucumber, and boiled egg white with Maple Grove Farms salad dressing.

This is a pretty typical dinner. I have baked tilapia, organza beans and salsa, and steamed zucchini and squash. I flavor everything with pepper, lemon or a Mrs. Dash salt-free seasoning.  NO SALT!

 I make my own protein bars. These are Jamie Eason's pumpkin protein bars. Here is a link to the recipe you are interested. They are so yummy!!! http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-recipes-pumpkin-protein-bars.html
                                      
This is my grocery cart after making my weekly kroger run. As you may notice...everything is Natural/Organic. I only eat cage-free eggs and farm raised meats. If I don't buy my vegetable fresh, I make sure that everything is USDA Organic.

Yours in Health,
Brittany

Mind over Matter

I've heard it said, "Love your job and you'll never work a day in your life". I am very fortunate to have a job that I look forward to going to every day. I am very passionate about personal training and it is so rewarding when my clients get awesome results.
I must admit, however, that there are some frustrations that come along with my job.  I am with each of my my clients maybe 3 hours a week and I control what they do, but the other 165 hours during the week they are on their own. In order to keep my clients accountable outside of the gym, I have them keep track of a food journal and I also write them prescription cardio programs for them to do on their own. I make sure I cover ALL the bases when it comes to fitness. The truly dedicated clients use the tools I equip them with and make proper choices day in and day out, however, there are some clients that don't.
 I've had to learn to be very patient with clients, because I know that  it can take time for everything to really "click". I have seen several clients transform in front of my eyes..not just physically, but also mentally. I can always tell the ones that truly get it from the ones that are struggling to get in the right frame of mind. I get frustrated at times, but I also realize that I can't help clients that don't want to help themselves. So, I do my best to motivate and keep them accountable in hopes that they will realize that working out with a trainer isn't the only piece to the fitness puzzle.
Are you struggling to get in shape? Do you find yourself starting a diet one week only to go back to horrible eating habits the next? Do you go to the gym and then go home to eat pizza with your kids, because you didn't have time to cook? Do you run 5 miles and then go out with your buddies and drink a pitcher of beer? Do you workout 3 hours a week, but sit on the couch every other night because you just don't have the energy to commit to any extra cardio? Do you spend a lot of money on a trainer, but don't take his advice on proper nutrition? Do you not workout at all because you just can't find the time?
Those are all pretty common scenarios, and believe it or not I can relate to some of those. Our mind is a powerful thing. We can build ourselves up and psych ourselves out..sometimes in just a matter of minutes. I am challenging you right now to MAKE YOUR MIND UP, because you must WANT to CHANGE and fully COMMIT to CHANGE in order for it to take place!
You can look in the mirror all day long and point out things about your body that you don't like, but are you taking action to change it? You can talk about how bad your cholesterol is and worry about it constantly, but will you really commit to eating better to lower it?
Basically what I'm saying is...If you want to change, DO IT! I know that sounds easy, but guess what... IT IS!!! It just takes ACTION! You can eat healthy and exercise, all it takes is a little time and willingness to do so. Now, go take a look in your mirror and tell yourself that you are DOING IT, because guess what...YOU CAN!!!! :)

Yours in Health,
Brittany

I'm Back!!!

I'm back! I apologize for not updating sooner..I unfortunately had to put my blog on the back burner for a little while. I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago to get my leg checked out and the doctor told me that I probably had a bulging disc that was causing a pinched nerve in my left leg. I was put on steroids, muscle relaxers, and pain meds. NO FUN! I had to take a 2 week hiatus from the gym,which was quite a challenge for me! I took my meds, made myself rest and now I feel completely fine (honestly). I worked out last week (don't worry...I took it very easy) and I had no problems.

While I was forced to be inactive for a couple of weeks it dawned on me just how much I take for granted. When I was in line at the pharmacy to pick up my meds I was griping to my husband about not being able to workout when I saw a lady in front of me in a wheelchair. I caught myself in that moment and it really helped me put things into perspective. Even though I had to take a break from the hobby I love the most, I knew it was only temporary.  I am so blessed to have my health and I never want to take it for granted. I will continue to make healthy choices day in and day out and take care of the body God gave me. I challenge you to do that same. There are people out there that would give anything to be able to run or go to the gym and lift weights, but they physically aren't capable. Think about that next time you want to skip the gym...

Yours in Health,
Brittany

I'm falling apart...

I completed week 5 of training, but unfortunately it ended with an injury. I woke up at 3 AM Saturday morning with a sharp pain shooting down my left leg. I can honestly say I've never been in so much pain. I am waiting to go to the doctor this week to get it checked out. So, I am out of commission this week. I have been really down and depressed and I've only been out of the gym for 3 days now. I am just not good at being inactive. I am anxiously awaiting my doctor appointment and pray that it is nothing serious and I can get right back to training. I am staying on my diet and trying to stay positive so I don't lose my motivation. I will keep y'all posted with my results. Thanks for the support and encouragement. I love you all!

Yours in Health,
Brittany

I can't believe it's been a month!!

I  am so excited that I have completed one month of training. It has FLOWN by! This past week was awesome.We have a challenge going on at Fitness Together and it really motivated me to work extra hard on my cardio. I burned over 5,000 calories last week! I am glad I did, because we had a crazy busy weekend.   My husband's cousin got married and I helped host a baby shower, so needless to say I had a "cheat day". I've been trying to restrict myself to just one cheat meal a week, but I have to admit that I am not perfect and I slipped up this past weekend. I was so scared to weigh in today, but to my surprise I am down 10 pounds from when I started my new program 4 weeks ago. I started a new phase today and things are only going to get more intense. I am absolutely loving challenging my body every week and can't wait to see what results I will get in this next phase. Thanks for all of the encouragement! I am super motivated and feel amazing!!!!

Yours in Health,
Brittany