The Day I Couldn't Stand Up... An eye opening moment

Disclaimer: This post is part of a compensated campaign through MedPress.  The opinions shared are my own.

All my life, I have been "fit," until I got divorced. I ate through my sadness and gained a lot of weight. I am still on the journey to lose this weight. The scariest, most eye opening day was when I was lying on the floor playing "airplane" with my son. I've never had any problem doing anything physical. I never thought twice about playing this over and over again. 

That night I was sitting on the couch watching TV, and I tried to get up. As I stood, I dropped immediately to the floor. I had NEVER felt the pain that I felt at that moment. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. I couldn't even blink. Everything in my back spasmed. I had never felt anything as painful. It was close to midnight, and I had a young child in the other room. I tried to move to get onto the couch. That didn't work. I was on the floor like that for probably 2 hours, face down in agony. I finally was able to get to my phone and call my parents who lived 5 min. away. It was the middle of the night.

They both came over and took my son to their house. My mom get me some muscle relaxers after calling the doctor, and I was blessed to have them so close to take care of me. Any single mom knows that there is nothing worse than imagining your child seeing you weak or in pain. I knew that Bryce would have suffered. He can't stand to see me hurt. I was off my feet for almost a week. 

This is my son and I in Oct. 2013.

It took me a little while to figure out how this happened. Then, it hit me. I was over 50 lbs heavier than I should be, and I did this to myself. Unfortunately it took me about 6 more  months to have my real wake up call. But that was the beginning. I realized right then that I needed to change some things. I was damaging my body. I want to be here to see my son's children grow up.  That was when I started doing some workouts and some healthy eating. I have come a long way since that day and I sincerely hope that I will never have to feel that horrible pain again. 

It is amazing how back pain can debilitate someone. I wish MedPress.com had been around then. It is a community united to help those with chronic back and neck pain. It's a safe, encouraging environment for people who want as much information as possible about leading a rewarding life in the face of chronic neck and back pain.

Giveaway time!!!  You have 3 chances to win! The prizes are  an iPad Mini 16G (WiFi) and Amazon gift cards. To be eligible for any or all of the these, do the following:
1. Register as a user at MedPress.com by January 31st to be entered into a random drawing to win the iPad Mini.
2. Follow @MedPressForum on twitter, Like them on Facebook, and if you haven't already, register at MedPress.com (You can do all of this by using the rafflecopter below.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

3. Last but not least, if you leave a comment here on my blog, you will be entered into a random drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card. The drawing will be on January 31st. 

4. TWITTER Chat January 21st at 8 PM EST.! Join me to have some serious fun chatting with some of the coolest hosts I know. Join @MedPressForum, me (@itsajourney1,) @denisermt, @JennyMetamorfit @CK_Lunchbox, and  @dadcentric for a chat about back pain and spine health using the hashtag  #healthyspine. We will be giving away 2 more $50 Amazon Gift Cards!!! We are going to have a blast! You have to be there!!! 

Meet Stephanie: Featured Blogger

Don't forget about my giveaways.

Color Me Rad Entry: http://www.mindysfitnessjourney.com/2014/01/5-tips-for-most-fun-at-color-me-rad-and.html

Spartan Race Entry: http://www.mindysfitnessjourney.com/2014/01/giveaway-special-ops-spartan-race-this.html

Name: Stephanie Laurendaeau

State: Calgary, AB, Canada

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Stephanie through the Mom Power Team. Stephanie is a true motivator. I am proud to call her a friend.

When and why did you start working out?

I have been active since I was a little girl…started with Ringette, then gymnastics. Once in Junior High I participated in Volleyball, Tai Kwon Do, Baseball, and my favorite was Basketball! As an adult, I attended kickboxing 5-6 days a week. I have been supplementing all these sports with weight lifting since I was 17. This past year, my focus has changed to solely weight lifting at the gym and HITT training for fitness competitions :)

What is your workout of choice?

My workout of choice right now is weight lifting for physique, this will probably change soon enough! I just love living an active, healthy lifestyle. Fitness competitions allow me to have very specific goals to aim for which I LOVE!

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD?

This past summer I did the Spartan Sprint and it was a lot of fun. A few years back I completed a triathlon relay (I did the run part) This is the extent of my experience with races though!

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear?

Definitely my Polar HRM!! :) 

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts?

YES!! I have a very specific nutrition protocol for my workouts. I start my day off with a meat and nuts breakfast, and usually have a couple tsp’s of coconut oil before my workout for energy! During my workouts I consume BCAA’s and Glutamine, and well as Post workout. I will also have a Whey shake and a Banana after my workout to refuel! It’s one of my favorite meals! ;)

What is your favorite cheat food?

Ice cream ANY flavour, but it has to have lots of chocolate sauce!!! ;) AND SUSHI!!!!! We go to a great all you can eat sushi joint in Calgary at least a couple of times a month!! HAHA

What advice would you give someone just starting out?

Have specific goals, so that you have something to work toward! Tell friends and family what you are planning so that you are held accountable!!! And obviously find blogs and Facebook friends who have similar goals! Successful people surround themselves by other successful people who have their same interests! Work hard, but take it easy on yourself! It’s hard to change years and years of bad habits and you can’t change overnight!

What is your best workout memory?

Hitting that fitness stage for the first time!!! All my work had paid off! I felt beautiful…like Bambi on ice I was so scared, but it was amazing!!! By the end of the year, when I hit the stage for the third time, I felt like I was where I was supposed to be! No nerves and feeling confident! It’s amazing how much you can improve in such a small amount of time when you put your mind to it!

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item?

I want to earn my "Pro Card” , gain as much knowledge as I can, and share what I learn through my blog and fitness page on Facebook! 

Tell us something that not many people know about you?

I wasn’t always healthy! Through my high school years I suffered from low self esteem which ending in a horrible eating disorder and compulsive exercising syndrome. I ended up in the hospital at 85 lbs, and took an awful long time to overcome the horrible disease! I am so happy that I have found balance, and take pride in competing and fuelling my workouts in a healthy way!

You can connect with Stephanie Here:

Blog: http://www.operationlean.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CompetitionLean

Facebook: www.facebook.com/operationcompetitionlean

Pinterest: smackid

Instagram: http://instagram.com/operationlean

As you can see, I love a few of her answers... Polar Heart Rate Monitors and Spartan Race!!! LOVE!

5 Tips for the most fun at Color Me Rad and #Giveaway

disclosure: I was given 2 registrations for this race and one to giveaway to a reader. All opinions are my own.

Here we are before the race looking so bright and clean!

Last year, Bryce and I ran the Color Me Rad race with some of our  friends. It was a blast. I am so glad that Bryce's buddy Jackson and his family was able to come with us. It made the day ever better. You can read about it here: http://www.mindysfitnessjourney.com/2013/05/color-us-rad-at-color-me-rad-and.html 

Our tips for success:

1. Dress in white! Wear as much white as possible. It will allow you to get as colorful as possible!

2. Get there early and stay late! Make a day of it. It's so much fun to enjoy the music and color before and after the race. Don't be in a hurry!

3. Bring your camera or phone but put it in a plastic baggie.  You will want to take tons of pictures and video. It's a blast.

4. Don't run for time. If you are a runner who only wants to PR, I would skip this race. It's not meant for that. It's a chance to get your mom, dad, kids, and neighbors out to have fun. There are walkers, runners, and even some who skip. It's just fun!

5. Bring a change of clothes and lots of towels. At the end of the race, you will be a mess. You will want to change or put some towels down in your car. The clean up is fun, but be prepared to have blue ear wax and snot... LOL... yep I said it! :)

Getting pumped up to start!

It really was amazing. I hope that they will join us again this year on May 24th. 

We cannot wait til this years. We will be running this race on May 24th in Tampa. There are many other places where this is run. You can win an entry to run this race in your city in the rafflecopter below.

If you don't win, you can save 20% on your registration right now! The code RAD4MINDY2014 will get you 20% off! 

Register here: http://www.colormerad.com/.

Have you run a color race? Why would you want to?

Enter for a chance to win an entry to any Color Me Rad in the country:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#GIVEAWAY to any #SpartanRace: Get ready for Special Ops Spartan Race this February 15th at Raymond James Stadium

disclosure: I was given an entry for myself and for the giveaway from the Spartan Race. All opinions are my own.

You can register here: http://www.spartanrace.com/tampa-obstacle-racing-spartan-sprint-2014.html

I am so excited for racing season!!! I am finally feeling better (medical crap kicked my butt at the end of last year!) Bring it on! I cannot wait for February 15th!  I am running the Special Ops Spartan Race  at Raymond James Stadium. It's going to be amazing. I am not sure that I have what it takes, but I am ready to give it EVERYTHING I have! I am really fortunate that I have a friend who is willing to run with me. (I hope you are still up for it Roger!) I know that there are a lot of people from my box running, but I am not sure that they would stay with this old gal. I hope my friend will, but if I hold him back, I will send him off too. I seriously cannot wait for this one.

Black and White V.4 from SpartanRace on Vimeo.

I LOVE mud, and it has been almost a year since I have run in mud. That is a problem. The Reebok Spartan Race presents the Special Ops Spartan Race Tampa Sprint at Raymond James Stadium on Saturday February 15th. It will benefit the USSOCOM Care Coalition. The Spartan Race website says, "This Special Ops Spartan Sprint will be a mix of mud and gnarly outdoor obstacles combined with the challenge of the signature Spartan stadium obstacles all with maneuvers and strategy created by Special Ops Forces. Each finisher will receive a unique Special Ops Spartan Sprint Medal with bragging rights of accomplishing the most unique Spartan event." All I can say to that is HOLY COW! I am in, but I am not going to lie... I am a little afraid! And after watching the video above, my son that he is worried about me. Now I have all the reason in the world to do this race and finish! Join me! You can register here: http://www.spartanrace.com/tampa-obstacle-racing-spartan-sprint-2014.html

You can win an entry good for any US 2014 Spartan Race~ fill out the Rafflecopter Below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Featured Blogger: Meet Alicia from Never Been Skinny and join my #dietbet

Meet my friend Alicia.  And join my DietBet to start off New Year's right! 

https://www.dietbetter.com/games/33484


 Name: Alicia

State: California ( the Southern Part ^_~ )

Alica's story stands out to me. She is working so hard to achieve her goals. She, like me, is just starting Weight Watchers. I look forward to reading all about her successes! 

When and why did you start working out? 

I got tired of being over weight. I just don't have it all figured out but every day I workout is a day where I make a change in my body. 

What is your workout of choice? - I don't really have a preference. I tried Bikram Yoga (hot yoga) and never thought I would like it...I fell in love with it...its just not a winter activity (to much sweat and too cold outside). I have gotten into my running (which is really a jog) and have done several 5K's. I like trying new things. 

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD? 
My favorite race so far my first 5k I ever did. It was on 1/1/2013 and I was still slightly hungover from the New Years Eve Party. It was cold, it was hard but that day I proved to myself I could do 3.1 miles! 

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts?  
I try to take my shakeology everyday. It is an amazing shake and since I don't like getting up in the morning its an easy make and I can stay in bed longer. 

What is your favorite cheat food? 
Sweets. Anything sweets which is why I have gone on a sweet detox to help me to stop craving them so much. 

What advice would you give someone just starting out? 
Don't quit. Even if it doesn't look like you are making progress, and trust me I know that feeling, you are. It may be inches, weight, endurance, or a move you haven't been able to do before, but the change is there.

What is your best workout memory?  

I was doing Shaun T's Hip Hop Ab's for about a week, and my relatively fit hubby decides to join me. Half way in he is huffing and puffing while I am able to continue with all the exercises non stop. It was at that moment that I saw that sticking with something, even as short as a week, really does make a difference. 

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item? 
My biggest and greatest on my list is to wear for Halloween a Princess Leia Slave Costume (I am a huge Star Wars fan and have been for years). This is my ultimate Bucket Item!

Tell us something that not many people know about you? 

I don't like chocolate. Well my friends know this but not my readers. When I was younger I was I couldn't have dark chocolate or it would give me an allergic reaction. Nowadays I don't even like the taste of dark chocolate. 

We can connect with Alicia here:

Blog: http://nevereverbeenskinny.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alicia_Orozco

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NeverEverBeenSkinny

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/aliciaorozco/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/nevereverbeenskinny

Diet-to-Go 1,000 Meal Giveaway ($9,000 in Free Meals!)

Disclosure: I have been compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

Enter for your chance to win 50 different prizes from Diet-to-Go including free weeks of meals and $50 gift cards. 5 lucky grand-prize winners will receive a month of free meals from Diet-to-Go!

Link to the contest: http://diettogo.com/1000-meal-giveaway 

As some of you know, I worked with Diet-to-Go last year while I was on a campaign with FitFluential.  The concept of Diet-to-Go was and is designed for someone with my crazy lifestyle. I am a single mom, and we are busy! Sometimes finding time to prep a meal is nearly impossible. Diet-to-Go allows me to eat healthy with very no plan time! After I tried the meals, I couldn't help but share the good news. After my work for FitFluential was done, Diet-to-Go asked me to be an ambassador. I couldn't resist it! What an opportunity! I love sharing my love for this company! 

Here is my review: http://www.mindysfitnessjourney.com/2013/06/my-diettogo-review-and-50-gift-card-for.html

Check out these prizes you can win if you enter:

 -       5 winners will receive a free month of meal

-       20 winners will receive a free week of meals

 -       25 winners will receive a $50 Diet-to-Go Gift Card

You know that I love twitter and twitter chats. I am so excited to tell you that there will be a twitter party or chat. I will be there tweeting, and I would love for you to say hi and let me know you are there! Chats are super fun and very easy. And you will have more chances to win!  It is a twitter chat that will focus on goals to lose weight for the New Year. 

The Anti-New Year’s Resolution: Using common-sense to make lifelong, lasting changes towards health. (It’s not about a diet or quick-fix. It’s about a lifestyle change) This chat will be on January 7th at 9 p.m. EST

There will be 1 randomly drawn chatter who will win a Fitbit Flex Wristband or a Fitbit scale and 3 randomly drawn chatters will win 1 week of free meals

There is no reason for you not to click the giveaway below and try to win. You will also get an extra entry for everyone who clicks on your link. It's awesome.

Do you ever eat prepackaged meals? Have you tried Diet-to-Go?

Meet Sarah Jane: Fit Betty and The Fit Cookie

Name: Sarah Jane Parker
State: Wyoming

When and why did you start working out?: 
I have been working out off and on since I was a teenager, but I didn’t really get serious about it until I was in college and I wanted to start getting serious about my fitness and health. I joined a gym, started doing group fitness classes and got hooked!

What is your workout of choice?: 
Metabolic conditioning and metabolic resistance training. It’s such a good mix of weight lifting, cardio, bodyweight strength training, and plyometrics, it’s challenging and never gets boring. I have started to love running lately, but I will always love weight lifting.

What is your favorite race, race distance, and WOD: 

My favorite race was the Survivor Mud Run my husband and a friend ran together last year. It’s fun! We try to do races together and we are getting our 2 kids involved these days. So far, I have only run 5K’s. I was training for a half-marathon but got tendinitis so it’s going to be 5K’s for me for a while, haha! I don’t really do CrossFit, but I love lifting weights. I have done some WOD’s on my own, and so far my favorite has been a WOD mash-up I created from 2 separate CF WODS (I posted it here: http://fitbetty.com/mod-wod-workout/)

What is your most favorite piece of workout gear?: 
My heart rate monitor! I am a big numbers person, so I like seeing where my numbers are at when I work out. My next favorite workout item would be my Altra zero drop shoes – I love them!



Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your workouts?: 
I try not to follow any specific diet, but I guess it would be gluten-free clean eating with less grains. I have a lot of food allergies and sensitivities and IBS, so my diet fits around what I can tolerate. Since my diet is limited, I make sure I am take a multivitamin, calcium and magnesium, and probiotics. I get down every winter when there is less sunshine so B vitamins and vitamin D are really important for me.

What is your favorite cheat food? 
Anything dessert, especially cookies and chocolate (if they are allergy friendly!)

What advice would you give someone just starting out? 
Take things one at a time. It can be overwhelming thinking about all the things that need changed, so pick one thing each week to work on and focus on just that (like eating more veggies). If you feel you have made progress, move on to another aspect of your health the next week (like drinking more water). It establishes good habits at a reasonable pace so you don’t lose your sanity.

What is your best workout memory?
My favorite workout memory is of my husband and I running races together, especially the Survivor Mud Run. We had a blast and it’s special since we get to participate together. Any time I am enjoying fitness with my family is a good memory.

What is your biggest “FIT BUCKET LIST” item? 
It’s hard to pinpoint just one! I would love to try stand-up paddle boarding, but sky diving and scuba diving are also on my list!

Tell us something that not many people know about you? 

I was in a beauty pageant several years ago. People laughed at me for doing it (I’m a tomboy!), but it was something I wanted to try. Afterward I decided the pageant thing wasn’t for me, but I enjoy showing photos to my kids and it was overall a good experience. Looking back, I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to try something new.

You can find Sarah Jane here:

Blog: I have 2! The Fit Cookie (http://thefitcookie.com) and Fit Betty (http://fitbetty.com)

Twitter: @fit_betty and @thefitcookie

Facebook: http://facebook.com/thefitcookie & http://facebook.com/fitbetty1

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thefitcookie

Instagram: http://instagram.com/thefitcookie

What is on your Fit-Bucket List for 2014?