Finding My Fit: Powerlifting and Eating Disorders

Dear, well, everyone really.... This is my open letter to you all about something which I am of two minds about. I can definitely see  both sides and yet can not help my feelings about both sides. I am writing to tell you that your  opinions on my body are unhelpful, unnecessary, and above all unwarranted. Simple as that. I don't  need or want you to comment on my body or the changes I have made, positive or negative...your comments on my body are unwelcome. Now, some of you seem to be of the mind that there is no such thing as a bad compliment, or that  your role as my friend or my family allows you some measure of an opinion on my physical state. Guess what, it doesn't. There are only 3 people in this world who get to tell me things about my body- who get to comment on the state of my plan- who get to tell me I am doing things the right or the wrong way....those are Myself (first and foremost),My Doctor, and My Therapist. If you aren't...

Hi there all! This is my December check in- just wanted to keep everyone in the loop about my plan for this month and maybe setting some goals and stuff for the New Year. So, right now I am in "maintenance" mode eating wise- which means I am eating as many calories in a day as I burn- which is a serious departure from what I am used to doing. I feel like I am eating all the time and I am struggling to eat "normally" when my normal for so long has been "eat less than you burn in a day". Honestly, it is kinda of nice to have a break for the constant worry about having a little extra here and there- making sure I come in with a deficit every day. In fact, I think most days I come in under my burn rate without really trying, sometimes out of habit sometimes because I am full already...I'm wondering if I might lose a little weight during my maintenance phase because I am not stressing about food and it just is happening naturally. I am still in the g...

Hi there all! I know the new year is right around the corner and I just wanted to share with you the story of someone I admire. Meg is an amazing and strong person who has had a relate-able journey to me- I hope you follow her channel and Instagram. Let's be strong strong friends together! You can watch her latest video here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRjGzdD5lvA Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/megsquats/

Hi there all! I know it has been awhile since I wrote on this blog- things have been so super busy and there just hasn't been time. So...updates.... I survived my November Challenge and guess what? I did it! Only 6 "bad" days in November and so I get to reward myself for working so hard. To be honest most of those days centered around the holiday and I have been working on reconciling that. This is, without a doubt, the hardest time of the year to be worrying about your diet. So many people just give up and give in during this season. I, of course, have been one of those people before but I determined to work out a good balance. I don't want to deny myself SOME of the awesome gatherings and foods of the season but I also know how much of a toll that will take on me mentally and emotionally if I just stop planning and working. So my goal is to get through the holiday season with a good balance of indulging and enjoying myself while also keeping in mind m...

Today's post is very short, but I did want to give a small shout out to me on this Throwback Thursday! 

Hey there all! Just checking on my November self challenge...so far so good! I haven't had to put any red X's on my calendar just yet but I know with the holiday approaching I might have to....so I'm sticking tight to my plan right now! Also, I weighed in yesterday only 1.2 lbs away from my goal weight I set back in August. I think I am going to keep going for all of November and see where I end up! Trying to remember that the scale is just a tool and not a way to measure my worth, hope you are trying to do that too! XOXOXOXO Julie

"I don't know how you do it....you're a bad-ass!" You know what? You are right. I am a bad-ass- sometimes life disrupts your carefully laid plans to be in bed early and get up before the sun to head to the gym. But guess what? You get up anyway and you make it to the gym on time and you have a really great day. It is so important, especially in this journey, to celebrate and enjoy the good days in the gym. The days where everything seems to go right. So what went right today? My stretching routine which I start with and my warm up both went well. Usually I feel a bit rushed to get to everything in the time I have allotted. Today however, I took my time and relished in my activation routine. I then hit the treadmill for a quick 15 min. warm up. After that I did some shoulder targeting lifting including over head press, static barbell rows, rear delt flys, a few others. I then polished that off with another round of cardio (30 mins) on the arc trainer. One of ...