Fitness Junkee

I’m Crystal McGehee and that is my amazing husband, Cody. We live in South Lake Tahoe, CA, with our 2 dogs. My husband is the love of my life, and I contribute much of my success in achieving a healthy lifestyle to him. Having someone who appreciates you and supports you in all of your goals is a very spectacular thing to find in life! He is an amazing skier, an incredibly talented juggler, and a cross country runner. He holds several state records, and really helped coach me to fall in love with running. We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful place, with so many outdoor activities to offer… and the dogs stay happily active too! We take full advantage of our surroundings – running, biking, hiking, camping, river rafting, canoeing, disc golf, snowboarding, snowshoeing, etc. I believe that the key to a long, happy life is to stay moving, eat right, and get enough sleep! It isn’t really that complicated, or difficult when you break it down like that, right? 🙂

Wherever you are geographically, there is always something you can do to remain active. There is something for everyone, right?! I definitely do NOT believe that you need to pay a gym to stay in shape! Honestly, you don’t need anything at all, but yourself. (and maybe a pair of shoes!) Being able to lift your own body’s weight is a great challenge in itself, and will make you very strong. Having that kind of strength actually goes much further in your day to day activities than you might realize. Having a strong core, good range of flexibility, and heightened endurance all contribute to easily navigating through life. Muscles cushion our joints, and protect us from becoming injured, while simultaneously burning fat, improving our posture and metabolism, giving us more energy and actually protecting our hearts from disease. Achieving an elevated heart rate and getting cardiovascular exercise is also very easy to do in a small space with no equipment. Cardiovascular training does amazing things for our circulation, increases our tolerance to exercise, reduces body weight, blood pressure and bad cholesterol, and actually increases good cholesterol and insulin sensitivity. Exercise even increases brain functions such as memory and information processing, and actually treats depression! Are you sold yet?

The purpose of my blog is to share knowledge, and hopefully spark inspiration within some of you who read it. I think one of the main issues which holds us back from achieving our goals is fear! We simply don’t know where to begin, and we don’t have the tools to get there yet. We are also afraid of the unknown! Achieving change requires a challenge…so If we do not challenge ourselves, we are not changing anything. A lot of our behavior only exists because we choose to reinforce it on a daily basis. For example, we brush our teeth on a daily basis because we have trained ourselves to do so over and over and over until it eventually it just became a part of our lives. So, if you are trying to change a behavior such as stagnation, or choosing to eat unhealthy foods, all you need to do is re-train your brain to habitually make decisions that benefit our health. It really is THAT easy. It is actually amazing how we actually begin to crave the healthy behavior, because the reward is mentally and physically beneficial. Our body and mind is capable of re-setting itself and re-learning the proper skills and behaviors for a healthy, happy lifestyle.

I look forward to continually sharing my regimen, along with delicious recipes and random tidbits of information! Let’s feed our needs and nourish a healthy addiction!

-Crystal

Hard work paying off!

Hi guys! My name is Crystal McGehee, and I am very excited to introduce my first blog! I believe that through eating right and exercising, we are capable of curing physical and mental ailments, living longer and stronger, and conquering the world!

Over the past 2 years, I have embarked on a journey of what I like to call “personal realization.” My personal realizations have included a fitness and health discovery which has COMPLETELY changed my life – from my daily thoughts, aspirations, and overall outlook on life, to my physical and mental strength, agility, and endurance. In my late teens, and throughout my early 20’s, I had developed such unhealthy habits, that by 2010, I became nearly 40 pounds overweight! I had an addiction to cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, and food. I was completely drained all the time, and began having symptoms of mild depression, anxiety, and loss of motivation. Not only was I becoming mentally unstable, I was also physically sick on a regular basis–constantly fighting a cold, flu, headaches, and fatigue! THAT was NO way to live, if you ask me.

I began to realize that my lifestyle was not one that I wanted. I thought back to my teenage years, and remembered times when I was racing mountain bikes, hiking all over the place, lifeguarding  on the beach, running, swimming, and going to the gym – I remembered how I used to be an athlete! …how I had tons of energy, and nothing could stop me! I wondered how I “let myself go,” and began to realize that if anything was going to change, it had to be ME and ME alone that was going to change it. This would begin my shift of reality and perception – a journey of personal realization which has only just begun.

I am here to share this ongoing journey with you. I want to inspire others to make healthy changes in their own lives, and help others achieve their personal goals through positive, healthy re-enforcement. Through this blog I want to share recipes and diet tips, fitness advice, workouts, and overall support for anybody who is looking to become a happier, healthier individual.

I hope you enjoy the content that I will be bringing you!

-Crystal

Work in progress folks! Living proof of hard work and dedication.