Hey, Sweet Friends! What a week it has been! I decided to take last week off from posting new blog posts due to lack of time. Brody had parent-teacher conferences so my time was slim to none. He was gone most nights and of course Noelia was a little under the weather so all my time was devoted to caring for my sweet girl. I went on Instagram Live last Monday for the first time to give a small life update (more like a rant, haha) and I am so happy that I did! Going live definitely is out of my comfort zone—you see who is tuning in (or isn’t) and you see people exit as they please. At first, I thought it would be discouraging but I actually loved it! I love being able to connect with people and really talk to them. Blogging is really about connecting and building relationships and I love how live allowed me to do that. No matter the size of the audience, building connections in 1, 2, 20 people is so incredibly important to me. I started Vida Noel to do just that! So if you tuned in, thank you, and if you didn’t, catch me next time! I plan to do it once a week just to chat, and more when I am working out at home to show you guys what I like to do for certain lifts.
Anywhoooooo…today’s post is all about my sweet Bubba and how he is the man behind the madness and my passion. Brody is the one who got me obsessed with fitness and I owe it all to him. So here is our story of how we turned working out into our passion and how much accountability really matters.
It all started when we first started “talking”, and by talking I mean Facebook-ing! Good old Facebook…we were both in a college class together but of course too shy to talk to each other (another story in itself!). Soon after becoming Facebook friends, Brody struck up a conversation with me via messenger. We got on the subject on how we could hangout and the first thing Brody suggested was going to the gym together. My first thought was “YEAH RIGHT!” I had never lifted, worked out with anyone and I would be beyond embarrassed to workout with the hot boy in class. I was a dancer in high school and that was all I had done (which is totally a workout!) but lifting a weight was something that never intrigued me. Not that I didn’t want to, I guess just the fear of not knowing what I was doing stopped me. Soon after we started officially dating, Brody got me to go to the gym with him and it was a shock. I was so overwhelmed by all these machines, equipment, and people that actually knew what they were doing. If there is one thing that Brody has over anyone I know, it is his patience and ability to coach. That boy was BORN to teach. He was and is still so patient with me. He showed me everything that we were doing that day and why we were doing it, what muscle it worked and why proper form is key. I remember when he wanted me to try to do a pull-up just to see where my strength was and I couldn’t even pull myself up 2 inches…I mean, so embarrassing! He had me squat with just the bar, too and I about fell over! Baby giraffe legs like no other! I will always cherish those memories, though. I really did start from the bottom and I am so proud of myself for where I am now. Everyone starts somewhere! You can never compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 10. It does no good!
After a few weeks of really learning what movements are done for each body part and the proper way to perform them, I. Was. Hooked! I saw my body transform in such a good way I was almost mad at myself for not starting sooner in high school! But then again, it wouldn’t make this story quite as sweet ;). Brody and I used working out as our “us” time. We were both full time students with jobs so working out gave us that getaway (funny how busy we thought we were then, ha!).
Over the course of the next year I trained myself into truly loving the sport so much that I wanted to enter a fitness competition. I found a local coach who ended up sponsoring me and hiring Brody as a personal trainer at their gym. I placed 2nd out of 17 girls in my class and was beyond blown away at what I had just accomplished. Since then, I have done two more shows and one being just 11 months after having Noelia. Brody showed me something that became my passion and I love being able to share it with all of you. Not sure if I will ever step on stage again (another post in itself), but this passion I have goes beyond a spray tan and a stage. It is taking your mind, body and soul beyond what you think you are capable of. After I had Noelia, I really had to dig deep to remember what I was capable of. It was hard for me to see all the “ugly” parts of postpartum…the stretch marks, saggy skin, hormone changes, hair falling out, it all took a toll on me. Stepping into the gym after having her was not only scary, but really challenging. I had to re-teach myself how to squat and deadlift because my lower half felt (and was/is) different! Fast forward to now, I am so appreciative of all the obstacles I had to face to get to where I am now. I showed myself that I can still be me after having Noelia and nothing can/will stop me from my goals (as in pregnancy).
Whatever your starting point may be, know that everyone starts somewhere and the journey is never finished. Health and fitness is a lifelong path that comes with a lot of twists and turns, but with the right support and accountably, you can do ANYTHING.
