A bit about me ; )

So I decided that in honor of reaching 2000 likes at Better Believe Fit, I would share with you a bit about myself and why I am so passionate about health. Not only am I amazed at how good healthy can feel, I am astounded at how simple it is to begin to bring health back into your life. I did not say EASY, just simple. EAT CLEAN, WORK HARD, LOVE YOURSELF!!! I just wanted to say that even though I love the fact that my body has rewarded me with dropping the weight and firming up, its even more rewarding to have control over my health.  : ) I relish knowing that what I am eating is actually benefiting me, its fueling my efforts in the gym, food is no longer a form of entertainment.For me personally to have done this, getting healthy, has changed my life for the better. I pray that you will dig deep and find what it is you need to reach your healthy, happy goals!

I have not always been healthy, far from it! I used to eat fast food ALOT, I would go through Burger King drive through on my way to work, super size EVERY THING and not think twice about doing it again for lunch. I never thought about nutritional content or ingredients, how what I was eating was making me feel. I went through times when I would try to loose weight, I would eat tiny amounts of food and by the end of the day I would be so hungry I would go nuts and binge on anything and everything I could get my hands on. Then I would feel so guilty and disgusted with myself I would purge. Even with that behaviour I still kept the weight on. I tried different diets...Atkins, Weight watchers points. They all led me right back to the junk food and the weight.
I was pretty depressed about the whole situation, but deep down inside I knew there was an answer. I also knew the answer required alot of hard work, and I was not sure if I was able to cut it.

About three years ago, i was in my closet going through my clothes trying to find one thing that fit. I started to wonder when was it that I stopped being important enough to make the effort to be healthy. That's when I decided it was time to make some changes. I bought a treadmill and I started to run for a minute and walk till I caught my breath and from there I just kept working at it. I took a long look at what I was eating. I cut out the junk food, tried to keep it healthy.My husband was a huge help, he had always been in a gym environment high school and college ball, weight training. He had loads of info he had gleaned from fitness magazines and online. IT WAS AWESOME!!! I really did it! I started to see amazing changes, i felt better the weight came off, I did not feel so worthless. I felt and feel like I can face a challenge and win! HA HA then you know what I guess I got a little too cute for my own good and I got pregnant again LOL . Seriously we planned this pregnancy, I did gain weight but I worked out the whole time and I did not go hog wild on the eating like I did with my daughter. I tipped the scale at 211lbs when i delivered with my daughter. So after delivering my son in Sept. 2011 I got right back on track and into the gym, but I still was not really seeing the results I wanted.
I did more research online , read more, watched some great documentaries (Food Inc., Forks over Knives, Food Matters) that really really opened my eyes to what I was putting into my body was sooooooo super important. I knew it was one thing to try to eat healthy but I had never really understood what it meant to eat clean. I discovered the Eat Clean Diet, I read up on it. I mean what could be more simple than eating non processed whole foods THAT SIMPLE!!! Sensible portions, real food!

I have been eating clean for about a year now, and I have been running regularly and I added in HIIT work outs (AHHHMAZING!!) those 20 Min. fat blasters are spectacular!!! I HAVE ABS!!!
I follow some wonderful pages who really helped me with my work outs and inspire me alot. Get Fit Naturally is one of them! I thank Lori for all her AWESOME workouts that got me on the HIIT band wagon ; )

So here are the dreaded before and after pics ; ) Me before I decided to get healthy and me after a really sweaty work out about 3 weeks ago!

I am excited and inspired every day by what eating clean and hard work can do for you mind body and soul!!! Its a wonderful thing these bodies we have, lets give them what they crave!!! Are we getting happy and healthy??? You BETTER BELIEVE FIT!!!

XOXOX, Astrid!

So I had a though....I post AWESOME work outs EVERY day at www.facebook.com/BetterBelieveFit why not start on the blog too : D So here we go....Lets GET IT!!!!
Warm up with 50 Jumping Jacks

3-5 Sets Depending on your fitness level
10 Burpees
20 Bicycle Crunches
15 Push ups
30 Mountain Climbers
10 Tricep Push ups 
20 Leg lifts
30 hi Knees
60 Sec plank

Come on by the page every day for a new post and some inspiration, and while your at it come LIKE us on Facebook too!!!!! See ya there.....

Its OKAY to be PROUD!!!! I just want to go over a few things with you guys!
When you are on your journey to happy and healthy and fit, when you make it a whole day eating clean and its a first, or you manage to pump out those hard as he## regular push ups (admit it...they are hard when your a beginner!) or when you run your first mile...YOU SHOULD BE PROUD!!!!
Let those accomplishments carry you till you have another and another and soon your just pretty damn pleased with yourself all the time LOL its called being happy! Don't let people try to make you feel like your being self centered, or that your a show off. If you work hard, and your humble, pride is a good thing. I'm not saying walk around the office saying " HEY LOOK AT WHAT I CAN DO!!!" , although the first time you do a pull up its pretty hard not to ; ) Taking pride in your achievements is an important part of reaching personal goals! What fun would it be if every goal you reached you just swept under the rug and forgot about it, NONE!!!
So reward yourself however you see fit, and proudly wear that ear to ear grin all day if you want!!! IT'S OKAY!!!! ITS OKAY TO SAY " YAYYYYY ME!!!!!!"