Here's my internet secret...

Jan. 21st:
Cassey Ho's website of awesome fitness tools

That link up there might change your life. It definitely changed how I work out.  She creates monthly workout calendars, for free!  You subscribe to her blog and she emails the password.  Poof, daily workouts laid out calendar style. Hit up YouTube and search for the described videos, and poof, she shows you how to do it.  On her blog you can also try her weekly meal plans, I haven't yet but it was the holidays recently and I'm slowly working back towards a much more clean eating style (I say slowly because I've had a doughnut and a half in the last two days, I am human too.  Chocolate is a hard habit for me to moderate, but it can be done.).

I was originally looking for a stretches that would help increase flexibility to be able to do the splits, and then there was Cassey.  And not only did she make free monthly calendars she had designed an app for Apple devices that incorporated her you tube videos, had a section for recipes, link to her shop, and a forum where you could share with other Popsters (pop Pilates, Popsters. It's silly but hey, we are hard core!). My absolute favorite part is that for 1$ monthly subscription the monthly calendar is viewable in the app and all you have to do is click on the link listed and workout. No creating playlists on you tube, no searching, and it even has little boxes to check off your progress as you finish. It fills some OCD part of me seeing all the little boxes checked.

Which brings me to the next part of using the tools at hand.  A tool is useless if you don't put it to it's intended use.  Having a fitness app does you no good if you never open it.  Just like a stationary bike doesn't help you burn calories holding your clothes.  Whatever your tool of choice, make a decision to use it at least four times a week (following her calendar is six times a week) and put in the effort.  Doing a workout, however imperfectly, is better than doing none at all.

For the men following this, there are more macho websites that use a different style of working out, but I enjoy most of Cassey's workouts because they are fun. If dance/Pilates isn't your style, no worries. There are plenty of fish in the sea, but give her a try before you besmirch these as 'girly'.

Web based workouts work for me because I can do them at home. She has made some gym oriented workouts, and treadmill ones as well. I'm telling you all this because this is where I found a focus for all my prior inspiration. By the time I found Cassey I had already lost 38lbs, since doing her monthly calendars to the best of my ability I lost 28lbs.  This internet tool works for me, and it might work for you.  Or it might inspire you to look around and find something else that moves you.  Like I said, there are other fish in the sea.  Find something challenging and go for it! <3