So I believe it has been about 2 months since I have posted anything... but today I needed to find some fitness balance! and I figured the best way to do this would be by sharing with you all some stuff about healthy mentalities and a little bit about what is going on in my life!

So uhm HI since its been awhile I hope are doing great and your mentality is is great too. I can't believe how crazy life has gotten! But I hear it only gets faster and crazier.... on roller coasters this is a good thing so I believe it will be in life too because life really does feel like a roller coaster most of the time.

I mean its all about positive mentality, right! You can be scared of the big drops or just put your hands up and ride it out!

Just to catch you up on my crazy roller coaster ride and some of why I have been MIA.... I mean other then planning a wedding, running a business, and trying to maintain healthy relationships with friends and family.... (you know life and the things we all have to work with) I have also recently started School again! Why you might ask.... I ask that question right before every test.... well because in my current career I wanted to know more, I wanted to be able to help more, and help more people. Also, learning always opens more doors. So currently I am taking the prerequisite courses for medical professionals. I'm not exactly sure what or where I will go with this but already I feel I am learning so much that can help my current clients and will only open more doors in my future! It mostly has me thinking... I don't know if there is any right time to do anything in life, so why not just go for it. 

I am sure there will be many ups and downs and lessons to learn, and one thing I will have to find on this new adventure is balance which is what I want to share and talk about with you today!

​ Not only will it be good for me to think about and keep in the forefront of my brain along with all the new stuff I am learning but I hope it will help you too and what ever endeavor you are on!

Without balance it is hard to succeed at more then any one thing. Eventually when you are over loaded things are going to give out.... that is why it is important to always keep in mind you can't go 100% in every direction.
So often I have clients who give up 100% of the food they like or go 100% on a workout, and all that happens is then they can't get up and do it a gain the next time.... maybe they last a day, a week, or even a month but sooner or later something will give. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a little in one area so you can grow in another. That means good and bad. Unfortunately for me lately this has been my blogging and traveling. As much as I love these things I want to feel good about my classes so I can't do as much as I would like. At the same time I can't give up everything I like for one goal or I will not be able to feel good about it for long. A good example of this is sleep. You can only go so long without sleep but then your body will stop preforming well mentally and physically. But your body will tell you what you need if you listen. Sometimes it just takes a little bit to try and figure out what it is saying. Right now I feel like my body is a 2 year old who can't really form good sentences. For example, I want to sleep a lot and I wasn't exactly sure why until my body started not recovering from workouts... This does not mean I need to stop training, stop studying or stop sleeping.... even though I wish I could stop sleeping imagine what I could do with 6-7 more hours a day, and that is already not enough sleep. I can't study and never sleep because then I will not absorb as much of the information as I need. So now I am working out a little less because until I figure out how to study while I sleep I have to use some of my recovery time to study.  ANYWAY,

The most successful people in life don't do it all... they do what they can and don't get hung up when they can't do everything. They move on. They find balance. They take care of their needs. Because otherwise life is unsustainable.

Now as I go forward into this next goal of mine, I want to try and remember this, I want to share this, and I want to help others remember this too.

I have clients who don't see results because they don't balance their needs.

Health takes sleep, nutrition, and mental breaks, along with working out and growing mentally as well as physically.

So I wish you all well and hope you can find some take away form all this! It may have been lots of rambling but I hope that what I share helps you remember to take care of yourself and also that you are not alone.....

Sometimes life feels a little crazy, but so do most roller coasters...
I'm just happy to be on the ride and love my up and down balance in life!

April fools!.... I really just want to give you an update on everything because it has been way too long! But I got you excited didn't I! Well hopefully you find what I say next just as interesting as what you thought the BIG NEWS would be! So here it goes:

HI! 
It has been such a wonderful crazy busy year so far!
I also can't believe how fast it is flying by! I mean April already! That should be the joke!

So it has been a little over a year since True You Fitness has really been rocking on the East Coast!  and things are going great!
Recently, I have started a Women's Boot camp on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I feel like I should use a different term instead of boot camp because it is more like a fit social morning. Way more what I am about. Because fitness should be FUN! (contact me if you want to join)
My schedule continues to be full but I will always try to squeeze anyone who wants to be healthy in!
So far this business venture has been pretty awesome! I am still learning a lot and a lot about myself in the process which is all I can hope for.

I have also been working very hard on WEDDING PLANNING! I am so excited to marry my best friend and on top of that get to go on a CRUISE with many of our friends and family! What, a cruise!? Yep you read it right, that is what we have decided! We just couldn't imagine only spending one day with the people we love so we decided to make it a whole weekend event in the Bahamas! YEY!

Currently, I am also training for a half marathon! It should be exciting to run in the Historic Saint Mary's City! Also, it is on May day! Which I hear is quite the event at our local college and could lead to some very interesting sights along the way including streakers.... Which I guess is a thing! Who knew!

I hope to have a challenge soon, I want to get a feel if I have enough people interested first though... so if you are, let me know!

For any other fitness inquiries send me a message or an email:
[email protected]

I hope this year is going well for Y'all (I still don't quit feel natural saying this) and would love to be a part of your fitness journey in anyway! I also hope to keep sharing more of what I am doing, so you can learn the lessons of training along side me! 

Happy April!
xoxo,
​Casey

​

It a two cups of coffee kind of morning... not because I need the energy but because it was so nice having a slow morning with my Guys (Wall-e and Kyle, felt I needed to make that clear for some reason) that I'm not quit ready to get up and move yet. Sound contradictory to the title of this blog though right.... you would think so but it is actually not.

I get asked all the time "how do you stay motivated working out by yourself?" or "How do you manage work from home?"
I can't say it was easy right away or that I am motivated all the time but I can say I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

So here are some little things I have found help me stay motivated and keep my own sanity:

I am always making lists.... Do I always follow them? Hardly, but what I do is get a chance to visualize the things I need to get done a prioritize, what actually has to get done.
I mean lets be honest: That pintrist recipe has been on there for a week now... 

Okay maybe 3 weeks if we are really being honest... but look at all the cool things I am doing, and hey if I spend a little extra time working on my website then planned I like to think of it as a win... I mean come on I'm just excited people read the random stuff I write.

What ever it is you are doing, following a list, working out, eating a healthy meal.....TAKE YOUR TIME..... And enjoy it! What is the point of doing something if you are not going to present when doing it. And in all honesty most of the time things take the same amount of time because you are not STRESSED so you calm and collectedly do what you intend and it gets done the first time. (shout out to my mom, sorry this one took me so long to learn)... actually I will make this #4

My idea of clean used to be throw things in the closet close the door and deal with it later, but you know it doesn't get done later and your life ends up a closet mess.... you know what I am sayin! You can only hide that stress for so long... same thing for the clothes they eventually explode out onto the floor! (if your boyfriend says thats what he likes about its a lie... what? I know, random but true)

Really! Just Stop! It gets you nowhere, and you want to talk about a fun sucker! When you tell yourself YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING that you don't really have to, I bet you are less likely to want to do it! As crazy as it may sound there are some days where my internal morning conversation goes a little like this:
"what is that sound? Dang alarm, it can't be time to get up yet....  You could stay in bed.... Yes that is true, technically you could always stay in bed, forever, I mean really no one would REALLY be able to stop you, they might not even notice.... I don't really want that, I wan't to be the kind of person that is helpful and people do notice. I want to help people and be productive, I guess I do want to get out of bed" and some does I hit snooze and have the conversation 10 minutes later. But my point is we are our actions so think about your actions don't guilt yourself about them. Be happy about being you and doing the things you do and that is when motivation becomes second nature.

Here is a sneak peak at what the gym is starting to look like!

And it even has a little garden so maybe I will feel a little like I am back at the ranch!

Here is the one thing I can tell you....

The key is to stop and think

Think of getting healthy like a new skill you learn

Slowly but surely things become second nature

Sometimes you have to go back and relearn

You just have to be aware of what you want

As many of you know, along with my private clients and internet challenges, I also train many amazing people simply via email. Even though some of these clients I never get the chance to meet in person or even hear their voice I still feel honored and close to them to share their fitness journey.

Now the client I want to tell you about today, I have been lucky enough to share several phone conversations with and her quick email anecdotes often make my day. So much so that Kyle even knows her by her name, Arlene. 

Arlene and I were connected through another client of mine, actually my last client highlight, Bill. The to of them might be proof that hard working people stick together. After seeing her long time friends progress Arlene was quick to jump on the wagon. 

I absolutely love Arlene's story and here is why:
 Not only is Arlene one of the sweetest, cheerful, and open persons I have come across but also a very active and hard working woman. Right away after speaking with her on the phone about our goals I started receiving pictures attached with messages, and says like "I sure hope you can help this" or "girl, we got our work cut out". Now not that it was going to be easy (for her) but I knew it wasn't as bad as she thought. Her comments often accompanied by wine glass emojis and smily faces saying "this is what were working with" made me laugh. But I also didn't know that I was working with one of the most ambitious people I have ever met. I mean, I guess I should have know from the energy level she exudes that she was going to be willing to work and surpass what ever goal I set, even the BIG ones!I am so proud of her and the work we have done together, but mostly her. She tells me all the time that she just pretends I'm there and she can't stop, which I love to hear.


Currently we have been working together for just under 6 months. She has lost 5 lbs, but where we really see the difference is in her body fat percentage it has gone from 31.4% to 21%! Which is in the lean category for her age group and almost any age group! Meaning that she has gained muscle as well as lost fat. Her hips and waist have both gone down and she is also at low risk for heart disease. (Not because a glass of wine keeps the doctor away) When we started we did 3 days of 30-40 mins light weight training and added only steady set cardio for 30 mins 2-3 days a week on an elliptical. Now we are playing with different equipment and speed training on days that we are not lifting. She constantly tells me how great she feels and has a ton of energy to play with her grandchildren! I told her I was keeping her young for them and without missing a beat she responded with emojis and all "for [her] husband too"!

Thank you Arlene for letting me be a part of your journey, you don't know how often you bring a smile to my face with your positive attitude and sweet personality! I am so happy for your successes and the opportunity to be the invisible trainer in the room!

In life you have to always remember to ask yourself the hard questions, because in truth you are the only one who is going to ask without any external motives and at the same time you may be the only one you are willing to tell the full truth... and even that is hard sometimes.

Even that takes time and sometimes you drag your feet even to tell yourself the truth.

Only you can know how to follow your own dreams.... but even you can get in your own way.... But some one has to do it and no one else will make your dreams come true for you.... and why should they... THEY ARE YOURS.

I am no exception, I lose track of my dreams, and I have to ask myself why I am getting up in the morning

And you know what.... I HATE THAT FEELING

I hate when I wake up and don't know why I am doing what I am doing. The good thing is the person I need to ask is right there in my own head.

When I find myself in these slumps I try, and sometimes it takes awhile, to get my courage up and ask myself "Would the younger version of myself be 100% proud of what I am doing today, of how I am feeling.... "

This helps me realize if I am in a slump or really slacking....

Sometimes its just a slump and I try to say HEY STOP BEING A NEGATIVE NANCY and find the positivity in the fact that I am following my dreams....

Other times I have to answer that hard question with an even harder truth... "you know what KC you are really slacking right now" 
That is when I have to evaluate why I am being ridiculous. 

In the big scheme of things life really isn't that hard. All you have to do is decide if what you are doing is making you happy and either adjust your attitude or adjust what you are doing. (sounds so easy right.... okay not really but listen)

A year ago this week I decided to change my life. One of the key things for me to remember even telling this story is the "I" in that statement. As easy, and sometimes mentally convenient as it would be to say otherwise that would be a lie.... But I decide to change my life and move across the country to be with the man I love.
The reality of it is, no one else made or ever could make that choice for me.... and knowing me, I would never let anyone....

In this last year, I have learned more about myself then I had ever imagined I would. To be completely honest these things are not always to my liking. But the important part is that I am learning and I am growing, and I want to continue doing so.


Two key things I have learned about myself is that I am not always as strong as I think I am and that is okay. But I have also learned that even in my weakest moments I am stronger then I could ever imagine. 
I have learned it is not the hard times that are the hardest.... the hardest is acknowledging when I am in a slump and that it is up to me to drag myself out, willingly or not.
Sometimes we are blessed in life to have people willing to help us but the truth is that if you are not willing to help yourself out no one else can either. I have also learned that sometimes you can trick yourself into thinking you are fine but just as easily you can trick yourself into thinking life is horrible. Tricked or not the reality is you create the world you live in and it is up to you to make yourself happy. The worst thing you can do is pretend to be one when you are actually the other. 


Sometime I start to think I am fine.... I am doing enough.... but what I really should ask myself is "is doing just enough who you want to be?" and for me the answer is no....  At the same time I have to recognize that me as I am is enough... as long as I am trying my best. It is when I am not try that is the definition of  my own success in my eyes.

What is the point of waking up in the morning if I am not going to try and make the best of my day and myself. Some days the definition of trying my best may be realizing I need to relax but that is very different then not caring if I continue to grow and learn.
I recommend always questioning yourself, it is up to you to hold yourself accountable, to ask the hard questions, and to help yourself learn and grow.