badashery #75HARD journal

This morning was rougher than yesterday, but that did not deter me from getting out of bed and committing to a 45 minute walk on the treadmill. My body is definitely tired from yesterday's unusual peak in exercise, but it also feels good. I feel good. Physically, at least. Mentally, I am majorly PMSing, which for me means I know I'm in a bad mood and usually all that console me is junk food, teary rom-coms, and left alone. I stuck to my diet plan, allowing one of my Flex Snacks for the week be a small serving of Fritos. One perk of Nutrisystem is that it truly is teaching me portion control. This is an area I've struggled over the past couple years. I used the "Nutrisystem portion" in my snack proportioning, and was surprised that even the small taste of my usual salty-crutch was enough to satisfy.  By the end of the day, I did notice a bit of a fatigue headache scratching at my temples. I'm thinking my calories are too low, especially with my increased workou...

"I am becoming new. I am becoming the person I want to be. Each day, I work to make myself more the person I want to be." I felt really great today. I thought waking up earlier than usual might deter my morning workout, but when my alarm went off at 5:45am, I thought, "Ashley, I got this. Get up and move!" Shushing that bitch voice telling me to keep hitting snooze was empowering in its own right. My progress picture is extremely embarrassing to me so I'm not making it public... yet. I will be storing the pictures on my phone for my own personal accountability. I want to see changes in 75 days! I also took a series of pictures after my evening workout tonight from all angles -- I plan to not do this again until the end of my program, but I am excited to celebrate non-scale victories over the next few months, on top of everything else all #75HARD successes promise. I also want to state another reason I am committing to #75HARD: on August 31st I am beginning a new...

Have you seen the #75HARD hashtag on social media? I came across it on a friend's Instagram who has successfully reached Day 5 and was curious as to its meaning. So I did some research, listened to a podcast, and joined a mailing list... and then decided to jump in headfirst and begin the challenge myself.  Prepare yourself -- #75HARD is no joke! This 75-day program designed by  Andy Frisella  from the  Real AF  podcast  is a mental challenge to help you "take complete control of your life."  In Episode 14 of his Real AF podcast, Frisella explained that, following an interview with James "The Iron Cowboy" Lawrence (look this guy up later! seriously cool dude), he had an epiphany that mental toughness is a perishable skill. To have a high level of mental toughness, one must practice the skill consistently. The #75HARD challenge is meant to be a tool to elevate your mental toughness skill set -- or lack thereof.  The challenge in itself looks simple...

Tomorrow I begin a new adventure in the realm of skill-set and self-confidence. After seeing a friend on Instagram post a selfie with #75HARDchallenge, I was curious as to what this challenge entailed. So I did my due diligence and researched #75HARD. Upon visiting the actual #75HARD website and joining the mailing list, I was rerouted to Apple Podcasts and listened to Real AF with Andy Frisella, Episode 14. #75HARD: A Tactical Guide To Winning The War With Yourself. And relistened. And relistened again. As a woman who has wrestled with her self esteem throughout her entire life, every word Andy spoke made sense. I am not proud enough to admit that I don't know why I constantly fail diets or lack enthusiasm to workout, or hang my head when mirrors are around. In this season of my life, my confidence is lacking. Mainly due to how I view my body, I also have difficulty cultivating my mind and my relationships. To me, I want to read more, call more, interact more, etc. but I also like...