High Five Friday #50

Well well well, you’ve impressed me yet again!

I told you this was the 50th High Five Friday and asked for your support so we could make this the biggest celebration to date and you definitely didn’t let me down! Thank you so much! My inbox was exploding with high five submissions all day yesterday – it was the best day ever!

The following high fives were submitted to me this week. High five to you all!

Devan, @dgeselle (Instagram), @Dgeselle (Twitter) - ”I recently really hurt my shoulder at the gym, and my neck keeps going out. I am a very stubborn girl and will “work through the pain”.  This week I am actually getting help.  I am seeing my doctor, and have teamed up with a cute boy (who is a PT) to help me correct my form and prevent me from future injuries !  I am also working towards more fitness goals, and am on fire with meal prepping!!”

Jen @ summergrl375 – “I am so proud of myself for being able to do bicep curls with 20lb. weights. While I’ve been a gym girl for years, that was definitely a first! Yay! Also, my teenage daughter Ashley is starting to hit the gym more often & is starting to do Tone It Up workouts at home. So excited for her on her journey!”

Krista – “This week I am giving myself a high five because I finally made a Facebook page for my blog!!”

Corinne – “I want to give myself a high five this week for completing my first run over 13 k on Saturday and it was a 20k TOUGH MUDDER!! It was so crazy and amazing and I really loved it. I’ve attached a photo of my awesome team ”

Alyssa – “I never thought the day would come but it has and I couldn’t be happier! Last Monday, my boyfriend proposed! And of course I said yes ”

Jess – “Finished phase two of Jamie Eason’s livefit trainer and was featured on Healthy Way to Cook’s website! So this is what cloud 9 feels like… High five to Meg for her amazing gains.. isn’t she looking FAB! Table for two up here on cloud nine my treat Meg ”

Cassie - “I’d like to give myself a High Five for setting 2 PRs this week.  I accidentally added 25lbs to my last deadlift PR, and made it happen anyway.  I also set a PR for bicep curls and am giving my BF a run for his money!  He also deserves a High FIve for being my gym buddy and getting back into a routine.”

Kathryn – “I have been doing really well with lifting/eating well even though this has been a very stressful month for me! I also have corrected my bench press technique and I’m certain that I will hit 100lbs very soon, which is very exciting to me. I also started learning how to squat this week (box squats) which is something I have tried every few months for over a year, but never been able to due without knee pain. But, this time there was finally no knee pain!”

Tayla – “My name is Tayla and my high five for this week is that I started a new website www.shellbefree.weebly.com and created a newsletter called She’ll Be Free Quote of the Day, where I send out an inspirational quotes every day to people who sign up! I also created a page for my jewelry that I make and some self love quote cards as well!”

Danielle – “I stuck to the rigorous eating plan my trainer has put me on this month, even during a mini break ski vacation AND girls night with friends. For the ski weekend, I packed a cooler (see pic) with the necessary food for b’fast, snacks and lunch, so I only had to deal with dinner, and here I made good choices despite limited options.

For girls night, we are all training so the host grilled fish and sweet potatoes, and offered a salad. Instead of cancelling my plans (I briefly entertained the thought of just staying home), I embraced the activities I love with friends and family, and still stuck to my nutrition plan. High Five!”

Lauren – “This week I want to give myself a high five for creating a brand new recipe – entirely from my head. I usually find a recipe online and make modifications to suit my dietary needs, but this time I just dove in and started mixing up a storm. I ended up making a sugar, gluten and lactose free lemon poppy seed loaf, which shockingly tasted great – even the bf agreed! You can check out the recipe here: http://ellepottsie.com/2013/01/23/how-to-sugar-lactose-and-gluten-free-lemon-poppy-seed-loaf/

I also bought myself a domain this week – such a big step for me but I am so happy with it!”

Amanda - ”Last April I was struck by a car walking to the gym and have spent the last 8 months doing physiotherapy. Never did I think I was going to be able to run for awhile, let alone any long distances. BUT last week I made the decision to sign up for a half marathon! I signed up for the Lululemon Seawheeze Half Marathon in August! This is going to be taking me way out of my comfort zone, as I have only been lifting weights for the past year without any cardio, was a sprinter in high school and have never run over 5km in my life. However, I am willing to accept this challenge and am excited to have a goal to work towards! I know it is not going to be an easy process to begin training on an injured and sore body, however sometimes you just have to get after it!”

Ali – “I have two exciting things for High Five Friday……One, I am moving to ATLANTA!!!!! I will be the new Group Fitness Director for a gym in the Atlanta area. #2, I will be re-launching RETI-FIT! People can tune in to my instagram alireti13 for details.”

Meghan – “This week my high five is taking two “growth” days in a row. I kicked butt at CrossFit on Tuesday night, but yesterday my neck started hurting and so I made an appointment with my massage therapist for today (stoked). I REALLY wanted to CrossFit Wednesday night because they were doing one of my favorite workouts, and all my favorite workout buddies were going. But I didn’t go. And then today is a “make-up” day, so I could go in and do Wednesday’s workout since I missed it. But I am not gonna go! My body needs to get this massage and recover from it, so I will go home and eat a tasty dinner and watch Gilmore Girls season 5.

A year or two ago this would have really stressed me out but I have learned a lot about listening to my body and resting when it needs it and I feel totally at peace and even excited about my rest days!

So, my high five to myself is for taking two rest days in a row, missing a CrossFit workout that I love, and feeling totally cool about it.

I also want to high five you, dear, for your continued openness about your struggles with ED. I personally have never dealt with that, but a few years back I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder and panic attacks. I am much healthier now, thanks in HUGE part to other women who were open with me about THEIR struggles with anxiety or depression and things that they had learned.

So thank you for being that person for all the gals out there who so desperately need help in learning to take care of themselves!”

Melissa – “I have had a wonderful week! I was ranked #73 by a website as one of the Top 100 Food Blogs to Follow in 2013! I was also featured in DailyBuzz Moms (I’m not a mom, but healthier treats are perfect for any family!) for my Quinoa Pumpkin Seed Granola. I lost 2 more pounds (I’ve been working extra hard lately and have been very focused) AND on Wednesday, after a training circuit with my trainer, she told me that I was the only client who was able to finish the entire circuit! I’m so proud of how hard I’ve been pushing and by how much stronger I feel. And I’m very proud that my blog (Treats With a Twist – http://treatswithatwist.com) is gaining more recognition because it is my life’s passion!”

Juliette – “I have been bulimic for the past 8 years, and after countless attempts of trying to stop, today I am giving myself a high-five because I know I am healed  After all the abuse I’ve put my body under, it dawned to me today that the simplest way out is just to love and respect my body. Let go of all guilt and fears, and just simply be. That’s it. Simple as that. I have passed 24 hours without having negative thoughts about food and I feel amazing! I know and truly believe in my heart I can do this ”

Corey – “After months of trying to convince a restaurant in Trinidad to hold a blogger meet-up, it finally happened on Tuesday! Click here to read all about it! It was SO much fun and I’ve already got offers from other restaurants now too.”

Alisha – “After overdoing it with my workouts the past couple of weeks (and a couple of injuries) I took it easy this week and gave myself 3 rest days and am not feeling guilty about it!”

Alexandra – “I would like to give myself a high five because I finally got my G liscence & I completed my usual circuit workout doing ALL regular pushups (no girly push ups here!) ”

Morgan – “I want to give a high five to an old friend of mine. We went to highschool together and haven’t seen each other in a pretty long time (probably like 9 years). She made a comment on my blog today with a link to her own! She just started a new running blog so I wanted to give her a high five and maybe send people her way to give her some well wishes and welcomes to the blog world. Her name is Laura and her new blog is: liverunsparkle.com

and I’m giving myself a high five for running both the “Go the Distance in 2013″ challenge with Robyn Baldwin, Truly Jess, and the Darwinian Fail AND I’m running a fitness campus at my University right now. I’m trying to make sure that everyone starts their year with a little SWEAT ”

Becki – “This week I stepped out of my comfort zone and published my very first video post (up on the blog today). It wasn’t an easy topic to address, but I found the strength to post it thanks to your post on the F word.”

Lindsay – “My high five today goes to finally finding a turning point in my running struggle the last year or so. I realized I can only rely on myself to feel like ME again. So, high fives and *crossed fingers* to happy legs again soon!”

Thank you for all of your wonderful submissions! I truly appreciate you taking the time to submit them to me

Now, for the surprise high fives! Surprise high fives are accomplishments I’ve noticed over the past week that must be recognized!

Heather ran a marathon and a half marathon in two days

Laura completed an 8 hour endurance race

Chelsea poached her first egg

Julie ran a half marathon and set a PR

Heather was awarded a service award

Christina ran a half marathon

Kasey made a gorgeous hairstyle change and chopped off 5 inches from her luscious locks

Alexandra got an A in stats

Wendy set a PR for squats

Cait posted her first vlog

Julie set a deadlift PR

Katie hosted the biggest Marvelous Monday to date

Paige had her first outdoor run since moving

Abby did ring dips for the first time

Jess reached an Instagram milestone – 2,000 followers!

Kim ran a 5K

Jennifer did weighted pull ups for the first time

Monica ran a race

Heather hit an Instagram milestone, 800 followers

Carissa set a new half marathon PR

@sarahmclaughlin tried kabocha squash for the first time

Linz tried amaranth for the first time

Michelle ran a half marathon

Tina used a #53 kettlebell for the first time during her WOD

Sarah ran a marathon

Jill set a PR for tricep pulldowns

Becki used coconut oil for the first time

Christina opened up and wrote a personal blog post

Lori tried forearm handstands during her yoga practice

Madeline is seeing progress in her arm muscle

Jess is seeing definition in her shoulder muscles

Sara gained 4 lbs. since December

Claire tried a new yoga studio

And I will be giving myself for putting on more weight this week! I have gained a total of 4.5 lbs. over the past 2 weeks and am so proud of myself!

Happy High Five Friday everyone! Please help me celebrate throughout the day by using the hashtag #high5fri

What are you giving yourself a high five for this week?

If you wrote your own HFF post please link up below!

Tagged as: HFF, high five friday, high5fri