First and foremost, I wanted to say, happy November! We made it. We are in the last month of Fall and with that, it brings Thanksgiving and the beginning of the food season. Lots of yummies coming our way.

Today I wanted to bring my weekly wins because I did not get them up this weekend. I was a little under the weather, and I just didn't get it done. Womp womp.

Health

I had mentioned last week that I wanted to get back into going to the gym. I did get back to the gym one day and it was that day that I realized how sick I was. For the better part of the week I was absolutely miserable and not feeling great.

The silver lining and win in this statement is, because I was so sick I was able to finally get to the bottom of a year long problem I have been experiencing. I was able to be finally diagnosed and I'm on my way to healing. Today is the first day in awhile that I am feeling good. Not great, but good. I'll take it!

Personal 

I continued on the trend of reading. I am finding more joy in reading and noticing myself more and more picking up a book rather than jumping online. This is a major win for me as I really do spend to much time wasting time online.

I went back to yoga. I know this could probably go under health, but I feel like it was also a very personal choice to get back on the mat. It is both physically and mentally rewarding, and with this series I am taking it incorporates meditation within the yoga practice. The series is called 'Come Home to Your Body'. I left feeling more at ease than I have in a long time.

My parents came to visit! I have not seen them since then wedding and we got to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday. This brings so much joy to my life.

Blogging

I am so happy to have found my motivation again with this blog. I have been working outside my comfort zone with my new fashion posts. I am not by any means trying to be a fashion blogger, as I love being a lifestyle blog, but I am finding so much happiness in putting together an outfit each week. I hope you will check out my Halloween inspired outfits and what I dressed as for Halloween posts.

How are you winning?

Do you ever have one of those weeks where nothings going right, and everything's a mess, and nobody like's to be alone. Woops quick Avril Lavigne break there. But seriously sometimes those weeks happen and there is really nothing we can do to make them better other than staying positive. For me, last week in my personal life was a complete hot mess. Blog wise I had an awesome week. I banged out some pretty great posts that I was really proud of. How does that seem to happen? Has that ever happened to you?

Because last week went so crappy I need to eliminate my negativity this week or else I will be back on the oreo and cheesecake diet. No kidding guys I had cheesecake and oreos everyday for breakfast and dinner last week. I was REALLY going for comfort food there. Because of it I feel absolutely horrible about my fitness and really need to step it up this week.

Here is some Monday Motivation to get us going for the week!

Today's post inspiration comes from the September issue of Self Magazine. I know I have said this A LOT lately but I am making changes both on this blog and in my personal life. (There should definitely be a drinking game for every time I say changes :p). Back in May when I started this blog, I also signed up for a gym membership. That lead me to having a  little series on fitness. I really enjoyed doing that, but to be honest I have fallen off the fitness wagon.

I was not feeling well and ran into a few health issues, so the excuses ran rampant. The gym got put on the bottom of my list and because of it, I can feel the consequences. I have gained weight, my skin is a mess, and I just don't feel "good". Circling back to this months Self Magazine, everything about it was inspirational to making positive changes.

On the front cover in big letters it says WIN AT LIFE. That statement alone motivates the crap out of me. Editor in Chief, Joyce Chang wrote a segment about the power of change.  She goes into talking about why it is so important to stop and listen to your body, even when life gets crazy and you want to jump into overload. She also encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and let your body guide you. I feel like its those little things we all seem to forget.
Being healthy, both physically and mentally can sure help in times of stress and overload. This is why I have decided to follow Self Magazine's 7 day detox. Now I know, when we hear the word "detox" we tend to think of things like pills, teas, and juices. This detox is a little different. It reminds me more of a wellness detox for life. I felt like this was a good way to get myself back on track and thinking with a clear head. I am on day 3 of this detox and I wanted to share a few things I have been doing.

Move Your Body
Take the workouts down a notch and do 3 days of light cardio. This will help flush out toxins and rejuvenate the body.

Go Vegetarian
Start every morning with a smoothie. They are packed with fruits and veggies to give you all kinds of good nutrients. Eat clean with every meal. Make a 450 calorie lunch and a 500 calorie dinner with vegetarian options. I have not been hungry and all the meals I have made have been really good!

Quiet Your Mind
Stress causes a lot of our health issues. This part of the detox encourages you to meditate at least 10 minutes everyday. It also encourages getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Ridding stress and getting enough sleep helps keep the belly slim.

I'm really enjoying this program. I am feeling less hungry and I feel more energetic. I am going to start writing wellness updates on Wednesdays. An unofficial series. Just a place where I can share with you guys what I'm up to and hopefully can inspire all of you to join in.

Have a wonderful Wednesday! Be Inspired!

Welcome back to another week of Fit-Trish. A weekly series where I discuss my fitness journey on a budget. Last week was 4th of July and I didn't do a full on entry, but I gave you (tips) on how to enjoy a BBQ without completely forgetting about your fitness goals. Be sure to check that out if you are attending BBQs this summer. I also mentioned in a post (here), that I have been working with a trainer. I promised more about it today, so here we go..



Now you are probably thinking to yourselves, 'Isn't this a fitness series on a budget? How is she affording a trainer?" Great question! Remember I told you I joined a gym back on Memorial Day? Well I joined Planet Fitness. Planet fitness offers free personal training with every membership. I decided to take advantage of the free trainer because I have worked out a lot in my life and never seem to get the results I am after. I wanted someone to tell me what I was doing wrong and show me how to do it right.

The woman I am working with is fantastic. We have a lot in common when it comes to medical history (I have some medical issues I mentioned (here) from a horrible car accident a few years ago). She has shown me how to work out without causing more harm to the harm that has already been done. I can finally feel myself getting stronger, and to me that's progress. I know better results are on their way. The more I work, the stronger I will get.

One of the treatment plans after my accident was to exercise regularly, particularly to strengthen my core muscles. What they didn't mention is a lot of the exercises for the core are really hard on your back and hips especially, if you are doing them wrong. My trainer has shown me every exercise I need to strengthen my core, and get into better shape without causing me more pain. My form is so much better, and I can feel the muscles I am working as I am working them. This is so important because in the past I would feel all kinds of aches, pains, and strains in areas I was not working.

Now that I have been at this for a few weeks, I would recommend it to anyone. If you have the opportunity to work with a trainer, even just for a day, do it. They can really help your fitness journey. Even if it's just to get your form in order, you will be golden.

Have you ever used a trainer? What was your experience like? What else do you all want to see in this series? Leave your thoughts below!

*Starting next week I will have a tab on my homepage for this series so you can go back and read everything in one place.*

Happy Friday friends!