Chelsea
is my absolute favorite person to follow on Instragram. To be honest, I don’t recall how I stumbled
upon her profile but I’m so thankful I did!
Not only is she a huge inspiration/motivation to me, we have a ton in
common! I asked if she would be willing
to participate in a blog feature and she was kind enough to answer some
questions that I thought some of her followers and mine might enjoy (and learn
from!) Something tells me you will become a follower too after reading this
post J Enjoy getting to know my Instagram (username: chelssmariee) friend,
Chelsea!
1. Can
you remember a moment when you decided to focus more on fitness and clean
eating? Was it a gradual progression or something specific that motivated
you?
*This
is not a fun question to answer, but my choice to change happened from being
bullied on social media. It was not directly targeted towards me, but there
were comments on a photo directed toward me that said “she would be pretty if
she lost some weight” “that girl would be hot if she wasn’t so fat”. This was
right around my 21st birthday (I’m 23 now) and it devastated me. I
started on my journey and never looked back.
2. What
is your favorite gym routine?
*Gosh.
Everything?! Haha I would definitely have to say leg day is my favorite J my legs/glutes are the easiest muscle group for me to
build and I love seeing progress.
3. How
often do you work out?
*It
depends on how busy I am with work. 5-6 days a week at a minimum unless
something comes up. Sometimes twice a day. The gym has become my escape/stress
reliever so I really do like to go whenever I have the chance.
4. Favorite
places to shop?
*I’m
a bargain shopper! I love places like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross. Oh, and
Nordstrom Rack or Last chance J
5. Favorite
Starbucks beverage?
*If
I’m running to Starbucks I usually stick with coffee, black. (Its an acquired
taste). But if I want a treat I’ll order a skinny soy vanilla latte, so
amazing.
6. Favorite
drugstore cosmetic product?
*MASCARA!
I think I’ve tried every mascara brand/type known to man. That and foundation
because I can’t seem to justify shelling out for high end foundation when
drugstore works just as well.
7. Favorite
high end cosmetics?
*This
is emotional for me (okay not really but I haven’t been cosmetics shopping in a
while so I feel like I’m missing out). I will definitely have to say MAC
Cosmetics. I’m in love with everything they stock and their range of colors is
incredible. I collect their mineralize skinfinishes. A close second would have
to be NARS blushes. My best friend Macie could attest to that one. They’re
incredible.
8. Favorite
meals/snacks/bars/protein powders/supplements?
*I
have an obsession with brussel sprouts. And any kind of fish.
*My
favorite protein bars at the moment are QUEST and Larabars. They are both
gluten free (I’m very sensitive to gluten) and they taste amazing. I love the
range of flavors that Quest has and I like that Larabars consist of like 5
ingredients are less. Natural food is incredible.
*I
swear by BCAA’s and preworkout supplements. They get me through the day.
Currently loving Aminolast BCAA’s and Swole Sports Nutrition preworkout.
9. Who
are your inspirations?
*My
biggest inspiration is my mom, for many reasons. She’s been the strongest
influence in my life. She’s an amazing mom, wife, and friend. She has let me
make my own decisions in life and encouraged me every step of the way. If I
could be half the mother she is, I’ll be satisfied. She’s also in extremely
good shape and most often my workout partner!!
10. What motivates you
today?
*I’m
very self motivated now. My fitness journey used to be about looking good for
others or positive attention, but now I’m more focused on beating personal
goals.
*I
would also have to say the people I communicate through social media inspire
and motivate me daily. Some of the emails I’ve received from complete strangers
have touched me in ways I didn’t think possible. All of you girls keep me
going!!
11. Favorite hair products?
Styling tools?
*I
use argan oil in my hair. Any brand will do J and I
absolutely ADORE my hot tools styling wand. It’s a tapered 1” barrel if anyone
is wondering how I curl my hair!
12. Hobbies outside of the
gym?
*I
love spending my down time with my family and friends. And my 2 year old little
Italian greyhound mina. I love people watching and shopping and being outside
(when the AZ weather permits.)
13. Favorite websites?
*GOOGLE
(haha, but seriously, google is your best friend)
*I
also love etsy and ebay J
14. Favorite books?
*I
love reading memoirs. David Sedaris is amazing.
15. Career goals?
*I’m
currently working for an organization that is partially funded by CPS (child
protective services). I work in a behavioral health unit and work with
therapists to assist children with behavioral and other disorders.
*I
majored in psychology in college and graduated in 2012. I wanted to go ahead
and get my masters in counseling (to become a licensed therapist) but I’m
currently working in the field to see if it would be the best fit for me. I’ve
also thought about teaching.
*I’m
openly excited about the idea of being a stay at home mom. (Probably have to
have a boyfriend for that first J)
16. Top beauty tips?
*WASH
YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES. The bacteria those things hold (as well as oils from the
skin) is terrifying. Clean brushes= clean, clear face.
17. What has made the
biggest impact on your body transformation?
*Really
taking the time to experiment. Everyone’s bodies are different. Things that
work for some might not work for others. PATIENCE and CONSISTENCY are key. I’m
very impatient so it’s taken a while to get used to that J
18. Favorite music/bands?
*I
grew up listening to country music and I’ve recently fallen back in love with
it again. But if you asked me what I listen to in the gym I would either say
upbeat house mixes or some kind of rap/hip hop like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, The
weeknd, etc.
19. Are you a student? If
you have graduated, what did you major in? Are you glad you did or wish you had
studied anything else? What is the “dream job/s?”
*kind
of answered this above J
20. What does a typical day
look like for you? Weekends?
*My
schedule is always unknown. I’m in social work and I work with kids so things
can be last minute, cancelled, or crisis.
*Weekends
are my time to relax! I like to go to the gym midmorning with my mom and do
whatever needs to be done. Usually grocery shopping and then either relaxing or
spending time with friends J
21. Favorite movies/tv
shows?
*I
hardly have time for TV! But when I do I like the food network, DIY network,
and definitely the Voice. (Blake Shelton AND Adam Levine?? HELLO J)
22. Favorite alcoholic
beverage?
*Red
wine It’s healthy, right? J
23. Biggest
weakness/challenge?
*SWEETS
AND CANDY!
*Sometimes,
time management. I’m a professional procrastinator (yikes!).
24. Favorite quote?
“Don’t
forget to fall in love with yourself first.”
25. What are you most proud
of?
*My
education.
26. Future aspirations?
*Helping
people! Marriage! Family! Kids J J
27. Do
you ever plan to create a youtube channel, blog, etc?
*I
want to start a blog! But I don’t know where to start. Once I have more free
time I’ll start getting down to business J
28. What are your top tips
and tricks for anyone who wants to lose weight, get into shape, and maintain a
healthy lifestyle? Did you have any “Ah ha” moments where the light switch went
on and you noticed a drastic change because of something you learned along the
way or something someone taught you?
*I’ve
learned so much in the last few years! I cannot stress enough how important it
is to be patient and consistent. Slow progress might be disappointing at first
but my goodness how quickly it adds up!
*I’ve
also learned that a journey like this is never ending. So much of the time I
will deprive myself of things in order to get to an ultimate goal that I will
binge and backpedal. DON’T DEPRIVE YOURSELF. Feed your mind and your body and
your soul adequately and you’ll be amazed with the results.
29. Favorite vacation spots?
*Spain,
Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico, Portugal. I’m lucky to be well traveled J
30. If you could live
anywhere?
*I
can’t imagine living anywhere else. Arizona is my home. But I love the idea of
traveling! Spain is my favorite place aside from AZ.
31. Do you prefer to work
out in the morning, afternoon, or evening?
*I
have most energy in the early afternoon but that doesn’t mean I always get to
work out then. Pre workout is a lifesaver!
32. What do you do if you
are lacking energy/motivation and still need to get a workout in?
*Take
pre workout. You almost don’t have a choice. Haha. Or just put gym clothes on!
Most often you’ll surprise yourself and get to it!
33. Guilty pleasure?
*PEANUT
BUTTER. Dark chocolate, sleeping in, wine, makeup shopping.
34. What does a perfect day
look like to you?
*Not
having plans! To have more hours in the day J
*To
be able to workout, have an awesome makeup/hair day, have a celebration of
sorts with friends and family (I love other people’s birthdays) and maybe get
swept off my feet by someone amazing prince charming type guy. That actually
sounds pretty fantastic. I’m a heart on my sleeve, typical, romance-loving
girl!
35. Something you want the
readers to know about you?
*I’m
very approachable. Please if anyone is reading this and has questions about my
lifestyle or needs help with ANYTHING, email me! I love people and I will do my
best to pay it forward. cvendsel@gmail.com
36. Favorite animal? Pets?
*I
LOVE OWLS. I don’t know why but they’re fantastic.
*I
have a mini Italian Greyhound/ Chihuahua mix named mina J
Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions, Chelsea!
You are a true inspiration to so many girls out there. I appreciate
your efforts beyond words can express.
