Personal "Sweat Equity"

So you call yourself a runner?

2012-02-12T13:43:00.005-05:00

Greetings and Salutations everyone! Once again, it's been quite awhile since I've posted to my blog, but I have a REALLY good excuse...I've been running!!!!

Last October I had this fantastic idea. I decided that I was going to run the Augusta Half Marathon on February 26th, 2012. This would mean that I would have to ramp up my running from ZERO miles per week to a point where I could manage 13.1 miles on race day. Easy peasy, right?

I'll be honest...the first 6 weeks were terribly difficult. Just getting to the point where I could run 3 miles non-stop was the biggest challenge thus far. Even now that I'm up to 10+ miles on my long Sunday run, there are days when just running 3 is horribly difficult. I'm now 2 weeks out from the half marathon. I wish I were a little fitter, but I'll be honest...I'm ahead of my training schedule with regards to my long run distance, so I can't complain. I've got 2 more weeks to prepare and I'll prepare my best. I've learned a lot along the way, though, and wanted to share my personal thoughts on 'becoming a runner.'

1. Shoes--DO NOT skimp when it comes to purchasing running shoes. I am truly blessed to have an exceptional running store in my community, Fleet Feet Sports--North Augusta, and their staff and fit policies are out of this world. I've found the PERFECT shoe for me (I wear New Balance 890s) that are lightweight, easy to break in, and provide me great support. I also use an insert (SuperFeet green), which alongside good shoes has allowed me to build distance with absolutely no foot issues whatsoever. Score 1 for me!

2. Chafing--I've been lucky that any irritation I've experienced from running has been minimal, but I have to share because my chafing has GOT to be rare. The first time I had any issues was when I was running 7 miles. I got home and my left eyelid felt like it was on FIRE. Upon closer examination I realized that I had a blister on the outside edge of the lid. I also noticed that my eyelids were REALLY droopy (you do realize I'm almost 41, right, so I am getting older--Eeek!) and that the droopy bouncing eyelid combined with sweat and salt created friction. The result, a blister. ON MY EYELID! My husband and I joked that it would be an excellent reason for an eyelift, but I decided that a cheaper and less painful solution would be to rub a little Glide (sold in running stores as an anti-chafing lube) on my eyelid pre-long run. Works perfectly. If you chafe, be sure that you're wearing clothing that will eliminate it and if needed, get some Glide.

3. Clothes--Speaking of clothing, there's nothing that motivates me to workout more than new workout clothes. Now, you also have to understand a bit about me...I'm most definitely not a petite flower and I do NOT look good in spandex. I've got a big caboose and rather round thighs. And yes, I'm a bit self conscious about them. In addition, running shorts, on my body shape, would require me to purchase Glide in vast quantities and I would spend most of my run pulling them back down around my rather round thighs (see comment above). So, what's a girl to do? I have a two word solution...RUNNING SKIRT! Seriously, BEST CREATION EVER. Mine is a running skirt/capri tight combination which has been perfect for the weather. They're cute as can be, come in basic black or a variety of color combinations. Plus, there's something sort of fun about running and feeling your skirt bounce as you go. Sounds odd, I know, but I swear it's the truth.

4. Motivation--When I run, I have a tendency to play head games with myself. I'm not going to kid you, the thought of running 10 miles sounds horrible whenever I think about it. However, what about 3/10 of a mile? Doesn't that seem more doable? Is sure does to me. When I run, I'm all about breaking things down into sections and I plan my running route with that in mind. There's a fantastic running/biking/walking trail nearby (The North Augusta Greeneway) that would be a great place for long runs. The problem I have with running there, though, is that it would be 5 miles out, turn around, and 5 miles in. The thought of knowing I had to run for 5 miles on a straight stretch of path just seems SO agonizing. It works for some people, but not for me. So, I run in the neighborhoods by my house. I've learned where the sections are that are 3/10 of a mile, 1/2 mile, etc. and as each 'chunk' goes by, there's always a turn to be made, a new neighborhood to go to, and it just seems so much more doable. If I think that I have 6 more miles to run, it has a tendency to take the wind out of my sails, but when I say, "I'ts only another 3/10 of a mile till the next turn," it just seems manageable. Add all those 3/10, 1/2, 1/10, 7/10 sections together, and it still adds up to the same amount.

5. Recording--When I first started running, I downloaded the Couch to 5K app on my phone (I have a Droid). It made life so much easier...I didn't have to keep looking at my watch at how much time had elapsed and it even kept track of my pace as I progressed, announcing it to me at each change. As my mileage increased, I needed an app that could handle the increased distance, and I found it with Endomondo. It uses the GPS on my phone to determine my distance, announces at each mile how far I've gone, what my total time is, what my last mile pace was, and it'll play music. You can set both distance or time goals before your workout (I use the distance goal, but if you know your general pace and you don't want to run the GPS on the phone, the time goal is a good alternative). I LOVE IT! There's something so gratifying when I hear her voice say, "Your workout is complete. Great job."

6. Progress--There are going to be days when running feels like agony and you could swear that someone hooked an anvil to your pants somewhere along the way. I assure you, I've dragged that blasted anvil for MANY miles. That said, there are also going to be days when you feel as though you're running on clouds, when you think it just seems too easy to be exercise. There are so many things that can affect your run...for me, I find running after a day of work to be incredibly difficult. In fact, most days my 3-4 mile runs after work seem more challenging than running 8 miles on Sunday morning. There will be days when you have to walk for 30 seconds at the end of every mile, and days when you don't. Just know that it's normal, that you are making progress even though oftentimes it feels as though you're not. Keep putting one foot in front of the other because...

...I am a runner, and so are you.

Comfort zone? WHAT comfort zone?

2011-10-23T13:58:00.004-04:00

Greetings and salutations my fitness loving friends! I realize it's been a LLOONNGG time since I've last taken the time to sit down and add to my blog. I had a busy summer accompanying my husband on the Nationwide Tour (my hubs is a professional golf caddie), and then the school year has gotten in the way. Just excuses, I know, but I've got exciting news!!

Many of you who know me already realize that I am a fitness enthusiast. I generally work out 5-6 days each week, combining strength training, cardio and flexibility training. Recently, I found myself wanting a new goal, a goal that was different from those in my past. A goal that would make me grow in new ways. That meant I had to step out of my comfort zone. That meant is was time to run.

I'm not a runner. I've always wanted to be one, though. I've longed to be able to run for miles and miles, the wind in my hair, the sun in my face, my heart keeping a steady rhythm. I've tried to become a runner, at one time working up to 3 miles several days each week. I just didn't love it. Unlike all of my running friends, I've never experienced that 'runner's high.' For some weird reason, I really, really want that experience.

A few weeks ago, many of my friends (with whom I connect regularly on Facebook) were running full marathons. I found their preparation posts motivating, and on actual race day, the excitement and pride that they had post race was simply inspiring. I realized then that I needed a true running goal.

Now, logic would say, "Self, why not train to run a local 5K race?" Sounds achievable and sensible, right? Well, I agree, but after hitting up Google to find some local 5 and 10K races, there was something else that caught my eye...the Augusta half marathon in late February. My mind screamed, "YES!!!!" while my body, quite repulsed, shuddered and shakily responded, "Are you serious?"

So that's the goal. I realize that while I'm in good shape already, this is one of those goals where I'm really going to have to listen to my body. The goal may have to change along the way if my back or my hips or my hamstrings revolt too loudly. But it's a goal, and it's one about which I'm actually quite excited. I haven't looked forward to this type of challenge for quite some time.

I'm now in week #2 of my run training. There are 15 weeks to go. I'm still strength training on alternate days and adding in lots of short yoga workouts to help keep the aches and pains (and possible training derailments) at bay. Yesterday's run upped the run intervals a bit, and while I thought I was going to lose my left lung while chugging up that last hill, I could feel the wind in my hair and the sun on my face while hearing the sing-song sound of my sneakers hitting the pavement.

Perhaps it's true...maybe I am a runner after all.

Happy 4th!!!

2011-07-04T14:44:00.006-04:00

Greetings and salutations everyone, and happy 4th of July to those of you celebrating today in America! In honor of those fighting for freedoms across the globe, I decided that I would pump things up a bit here at home, and I headed right into the insane asylum...well, sort of. Asylum is the name of a 30-day intense conditioning program created by Shaun T. I'll be honest...I stayed away from his program for a few months out of fear. The thought of it filled my veins with sheer terror. Alas, I put on my 'big girl panties,' and got to work. It's tough, but not worthy of sheer terror. Here's a little peak of what the Speed & Agility workout entails:

If you'd like more information, drop me a message and I'll fill you in. Perhaps YOU could join me in the ASYLUM!!!!

Moving forward by looking ahead

2011-06-21T12:41:00.007-04:00

Greetings and salutations my fitness loving friends! I realize I've been gone for quite some time...I'm not even going to waste your time by giving excuses. I simply haven't given my blog the time it deserves. My apologies.

As you may see, today's blog is going to have a bit of a golf-themed feel to it as I've been traveling the road with my husband who is a Tour caddy (most recently returning from the U.S. Open in Bethesda, MD). Being on the road in a 35' RV with 3 dogs could provide me with weeks and weeks of blog worthy material. However, my point today isn't to entertain you with the details of leaking RV roofs, black water tank dumping, or walking into the campsite every night from the locked front gate, 1/2 mile, in a raging electrical storm. Today's point is about looking ahead at the possibilities rather than dwelling in the past.

For those of you know know golf, Rory isn't a stranger to the top of the leaderboard. He's been there before. What was so great about Rory's win at the U.S. Open this week, though, is how he handled the stress of coming up dismally short at his last major, The Masters, and how he handled the constant criticism and doubt that he'd play well on day 4. After the Masters tournament, I'm sure that Rory replayed his Sunday round over and over and over. If he didn't, the world's media did it for him. It was shoved in his face day in and day out. When he was atop the leaderboard at the U.S. Open last week, the world's media didn't stand idly by wondering to themselves whether Rory would play well...they questioned it hour by hour, day by day, as did all of the 'armchair quarterbacks' that follow golf around the world.

Instead of looking back and focusing on what he didn't do in his last major, Rory kept his eye on the prize and his focus on what needed to be done. He was there to play golf, not rehash what didn't happen two months prior in Augusta. There's no reason to constantly keep looking back...it's another tournament, another golf course, and another day. Period. Simple as that.

If we think about our own lives, there are far too many of us who rehash, over and over, the ways that we came up short in our own lives. We may get to the end of the day and question why we ate as poorly as we did, or why we didn't push harder in a workout, or why we made the decisions we did for whatever reason. I'm not saying not to analyze those things, but at some point in time, you simply HAVE to move on from it. It's not going to do me any good three days from now to be beating myself up for eating cheesecake on Sunday or not working out for three days in a row, is it?

So if at the end of today, you're not happy with the way things went, vow to make tomorrow a better day. Don't beat yourself up over what happened 24 hours or even 24 minutes ago...MOVE ON and be better because of your experiences.

In my humble opinion, it's okay to make a mistake as long as you don't allow it to compound on itself. Make the mistake and get on with it. In golf, it's far better to go bogey, birdie than to go bogey, bogey. You just never know, with the right attitude and foresight, there might even be an ace in your future.

What's it going to be?

2011-03-06T10:01:00.005-05:00

Greetings and Salutations everyone! As many of you know, I'm a busy girl. I work full-time as an 8th grade teacher (and bring work home with me regularly), I'm a doggy mom to three pups who insist on 60+ minutes of walking every day as well as my undivided attention throughout the evening and on weekends, I'm a wife and manager of a household, I volunteer two days per week at the CSRA Humane Society where I'm an adoption counselor, and I workout a lot. Sometimes it's tough to find the time to fit it all in. But you know what? If you want it badly enough, you find the time. Simple as that.

The way I see it, you have a choice to make. You can decide to either make changes that will improve your life, or you can decide to just let the status quo in your life reign. It's about priorities. What do you want the most and what are you willing to give up in order to get it?

I have a busy schedule, just like the majority of you. However, I had to learn to let go of some things that were simply time wasters. If you feel you don't have the time to fit exercise or proper nutrition into your day, I challenge you to write down every single thing you do for a week. I'd venture a guess that you'll find 30-60 minutes, probably more, that you could utilize for preparing healthy meals or fitting in a short workout. My biggest time waster is the internet...I LOVE pogo and their games. I can pop balloons, whomp moles, and put numbered balls into a grid like no other. However, I need that time to fit everything in, so I simply limit my mental downtime to 15 minutes (I actually set a timer and when it goes off, I'm done with pogo) and then move on with my day.

Busy people are multi-taskers and prioritizers. They get the most important things done first, and combine things that can be combined. I have a fitness acquaintance whose priority is her personal fitness. She feels that she can't be the best mom she can be unless she stays fit and remains fit. It's important to her because she knows that the example she sets will affect her daughters. So, she wakes up at 4:00 a.m. every single day (except Sunday), goes into her basement and works out for an hour. It's her priority. It may not be fun getting up at that hour, but it can be done. I know a lot of busy moms who do exactly that.

One thing that's important to me is reading books that are going to help me grow as a person. Alas, reading takes time. Because time is an issue, I download a lot of books onto my I-pod and listen while I walk the dogs or listen in the car on my way to work. It's simple things like that that make fitting it all in easier.

So I don't want to hear the excuse that you're too busy for yourself. YOU are important and your health is key to the success of your family, however big or small it may be.

Team Gregor!!!

2011-02-20T14:52:00.015-05:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! Today's blog is a bit out of the ordinary for me...it does involve fitness in some ways, but it's main focus is the other passion in my life, dogs and dog rescue.

I'm a dog mom...I have three boys, all multi-cultural canine Americans, aged 12ish, 8ish and 1 1/2ish. They're as different as can be, but they truly bring joy and fitness into my life. Dogs need walked. Period. In my opinion, a walked and tired dog is a happy dog. Thus, every day I put on my walking shoes to the tune of happy tails beating the ground in delight. My boys know that walkies will begin shortly! During my 45-70 minutes with the dogs, I'm improving my own fitness while aiding in their physical and emotional fitness as well. It's win-win for all involved.

My youngest dog, James, came to us from the CSRA Humane Society animal shelter in November of 2009. He was the last in a litter of 4 puppies left at the shelter (the photo is of all 4 littermates when they had reached an appropriate age for adoption--James is on the far left and Gregor is in the back right of the photo). His brothers, Ian, Samuel and Gregor, all founds homes before James was able to enter our lives. Unfortunately, Gregor's home didn't work out and he is back at the shelter awaiting a 2nd chance for a forever home. Gregor (his photo is at the top of this blog) is the reason that I originally began volunteering at the shelter and became an adoption counselor. As James' brother, I wanted him to have a great home, too.

The shelter is run mainly by a large group of fantastic volunteers who raise over $300,000 each year to house, feed, and provide veterinary needs to over 200 cats and over 50 dogs each day. On March 19th, the shelter is having their annual "Paws in the Park" pet walk in an effort to raise much needed funds to care for the animals until they can find their forever homes.

In honor of Gregor, and the other great dogs and cats that are at the CSRA Humane Society waiting to find their 'people', James and I will be walking in the 4th annual Paws in the Park pet walk for "Team Gregor." If you would like to sponsor James and I in this endeavor, we would greatly appreciate any financial contribution you would be willing to donate. You can do so by going to the donation page and clicking on the "In Honor Of" in the 'One-time donation' section of the page. Your donation can be in any amount, and simply mark that it is for Team Gregor. If you would like to write a check, please make it payable to the CSRA Humane Society and send it to: P.O. Box 14667 Augusta, GA 30919. Be sure to mark that it's for "Team Gregor" in the memo. Of course, as a non-profit, your donation is tax-deductible.

Of course, if you're in the area and are looking for a dog or cat of your own, PLEASE stop by and see if one of our current residents might fit into your family. We are open for adoptions on Wednesday night from 5:30-7:30 and Saturdays from 11:00-4:00.

That Tastes Grea...YUCK!

2011-02-06T11:45:00.006-05:00

Greetings and Salutations everyone! Hope this Super Bowl Sunday finds you in good spirits with good weather (especially those of you who have been dumped upon by the snow gods of late!).

As I'm sure you're all aware, Valentine's Day is upon is...it's a mere week and a few days away, and of course, along with Valentine's Day comes all kinds of confections sold in the store that promise someone will feel loved only if you offer them such a wonderful delight.

Just yesterday, I was offered a Valentine's cookie from a friend. She had gotten them, and not really wanting them herself (smart girl!), wanted to pawn some off on me. I hadn't eaten yet and was feeling a bit hungry, so after looking at the label to see what sort of damage would be done, I allowed myself one of her tempting looking Valentine's cookies (they were small, a serving size was actually three cookies). I promised myself to truly enjoy that little morsel of delight, so I promised to take small bites of the almond cookie dipped in white chocolate frosting with pink sprinkles on top.

So there I was, cookie in hand, ready to take my first bite. And I did. I was bound and determined to REALLY enjoy that cookie, so I chewed slowly, allowing my taste buds the time to really savor the almondness and the white chocolate. However, about three chews in something happened. I realized that the ONLY thing I could taste was the sprinkles on top...you know those cute sparkly little pink ones I mentioned? Clearly, a dye had to have been added to make them that shocking pink color, and that was ALL I could taste. Chemical dye. It left this aftertaste that was not appealing in any way, shape or form. YUM! NOT!

I think you probably get my point. Far too often, we rush through our food, not really even tasting it, just eating it to eat. If we were to slow down and really savor the taste of our food, how many of us would eat less because our brains realized it doesn't really taste as great as we thought it would?

It was quite the epiphany moment for me...a reminder to slow down, taste the food, really enjoy it, but if it tastes like crap, don't shove another handful into your mouth! Heck, even if it doesn't taste awful, does it taste good enough to want to eat more of it? Probably not.

So slow down and take your time with your food. I know it's tough sometimes...my husband was a Marine and eats a meal in about 15 seconds flat. I always feel rushed to keep up with him. He, however, can learn to wait...I plan on enjoying the taste of my food from now on.

Back in action!

2011-01-30T09:56:00.004-05:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! So, here we are, 10 days after my first experience with shin splints, and I can honestly say that I don't ever want to experience them ever again as long as I live! I'm no wimp, but geesh do they hurt!

I'm not 100%, but I did do a very low impact workout yesterday and walked one of the dogs. There's no way I'm going to try to go full-bore with a workout until I know that I'm ready to go. If I do, I realize that I'll just be back to square one, icing my shins and feeling icky about how I feel because I can't workout.

All too often, those of us who live for our workouts push ourselves to get back into the game too soon. When I rode horses competitively, if my horse had a tweaky tendon, or some mysterious lameness, there's no way I would put him back into work until he was ready to go. Six months of hand-walking an off the track Thoroughbred who is on stall rest is no fun. That said, I now totally understand their exuberance when finally put back to work. It's easy to do too much too soon. You just have to ease back into it, whether you're a human or equine athlete. Somehow, some way, you have to temper your enthusiasm at first. It is for the best.

So, no impact exercises for me during the next week. I can walk the dogs and do my weight workouts, but sadly, no Turbo Fire, no plyometrics drills, no running. It's for the best...you have one body, and you need to take care of it.

No pain, no gain, right? WRONG!

2011-01-23T14:57:00.006-05:00

Greetings and salutations everyone! I know that all of us have experienced some sort of pain caused by injury at some point in our lives, right? So, what do you do? Does it require an immediate trip to the doctor, do you rest, or do you push through?

Many people, myself included in the past, would just push through the pain. We would grit our teeth, hope that we 'worked out of it,' and push on. No pain, no gain, right? Sadly, it really should say, "Pain, no gain," simply because if you ignore it long enough, the pain is going to get louder and louder until you finally are forced to listen.

The problem is this...if you're anything like me, I LIKE to workout. In fact, it's a major part of my day that leaves me feeling good about myself. I feel sort of lost without exercise every day, even if it's just a walk with my dogs. There's a part of me that NEEDS to exercise. So, if I'm injured and need to rest, I have some major issues with the fact that I can't walk the dogs, do P90X, or push play with Chalene and Turbo Fire. Injuries just honk me off!

Alas, here I am again, injured (insert frustrated sigh here). On Monday afternoon I did my scheduled P90X Legs and Back workout, bright and early Tuesday morning I did a 30 minute HIIT, and by Tuesday afternoon, the front of my left shin felt like it was on fire. Wednesday was a rest day, so I didn't workout, but I did walk my 3 dogs for an hour. Just walking, right? I figured it would be no big deal. Sadly, by the end of the third mile with the third dog, I had to grit my teeth against the pain in my left leg just to make it home. My poor little pupster, James, couldn't quite figure out why mom was walking so blasted slow!

It's been four days and I'm SO sick of this. But here's the deal. When you're in pain, your body is screaming at you to listen up. If you hurt enough to notice it, you had better listen to what your body is trying to tell you. If you choose not to, a week of inconvenience may very well turn into a month or longer.

I did manage to do some push-ups and core work today, things that won't aggravate my left shin, and I am icing and stretching the injury like a good girl. I am feeling better...almost good enough to walk some dogs! But, I am going to force myself to stay immobile for a few more days to make sure that I've given my body time to heal.

Pain doesn't necessarily mean you're doing something right...pain means you'd better listen and you had better listen NOW!

A New Day Dawns--Facing Reality and Taking Action

2011-01-16T20:10:00.006-05:00

Greetings and Salutations! Today's blog is a challenging one for me...it's one in which I finally take a really close look at the things that stand in the way of my goals regarding my personal fitness. It's a look I've been dreading, but one that I know must be dealt with.

As many of you know, I've been able to lose just over 30 pounds in the last 20 months by revamping my nutrition and working out regularly. I'm excited about the changes I've made, and proud of what I've accomplished. But now I'm stuck...and I know exactly why. It's 100% my nutrition.

Now, keep in mind that my nutrition has improved by 150+% in the past two years. I was a Dorito eating, drive-thru loving, Starbucks caramel macchiato swilling girl. I ate too much and I made really bad nutritional choices. Fast forward to today...for the most part I eat about 85% 'clean,' I combine a complex carb with a protein at each meal, I eat 5 small meals per day, and I really try to fuel my body rather than just 'eat.' On most days, I stick to my caloric allowances. Alas, Houston, we still have a problem.

I overheard one of my family members last summer mention that if he or she worked out as much as I do, that he or she would easily lose weight. Granted, I do workout for 45-60 minutes each day and then I walk my dogs on top of that. I probably workout more than the average person, but I relish in it and I love it. That I'm not going to change. But I don't 'easily' lose weight like my family member would...what, pray-tell, could be the problem with Nancy and her struggle?

I've known for quite sometime that I have emotions that trigger certain eating behaviors. I don't binge or purge or starve myself...but I'm a habitual 'snacker.' I'm learning that food, to me, is comfort. When I'm bored, I grab a handful of pretzels or peanuts. When I'm stressed, I dip into the peanut butter jar. I also tend to look at my day as time between meals. Instead of planning my workout mid-morning on Saturday, I have to schedule it appropriately around the mid-morning snack time. It's just ridiculous that I allow the concept of food to control my life the way it does.

I also am learning that I tend to use food as a showing of love. In fact, just last weekend when I was at the grocery store, I bought a chocolate cake mix and icing for my husband because he likes cake (seriously, I affectionately call him Mr. Little Debbie, which is his favorite food group). Back in the recesses of my mind, there was probably some pleasure sensor going giddy with delight because that stinking cake proved my love for him. WHY?

So today is the day that I start working as hard on this aspect of my fitness as I do the actual workout aspect. My plan is to utilize a workbook that came recommended to me by another emotional eater, "The Food and Feelings Workbook: A Full Course Meal on Emotional Health." I'm excited about the next phase of my journey and welcome any comments you may have along the way.

Feel free to drop me a message or stop by my Facebook page if you'd like. If you're on the same journey, support is always welcome!

Beginnings...

2011-01-09T08:54:00.007-05:00

Greetings and salutations my friends!!! I'd like to start off this Sunday with a quote from Jeff Olson who wrote the FANTASTIC book, The Slight Edge. In it he says, "Success doesn't come from nowhere; it can't be conjured up out of thin air. It comes from a very small, tiny beginning--but there has to be a beginning. That beginning is the thing (other) people miss, the thing they don't see. And they don't see it because it's so tiny, it's almost invisible."

For those of you who are contemplating a beginning, be it for your fitness journey or some other lifestyle change, what is holding you back from achieving your dreams? I know, I know...change is hard, but you have to start SOMEWHERE. If you don't take that first step, you'll never get whatever it is that you want. Period.

Maybe yesterday you said, "Tomorrow I'm going to start." Perhaps its the beginning of an exercise program, or you're going to create a budget and stick to it, or you're going to work more on your faith. Well, guess what? TODAY IS TOMORROW. Don't fall into the rut of always waiting for tomorrow because tomorrow never comes. It's always a day away...get it going NOW.

Perhaps you've already had your beginning. If so, how's it going? For many of us, when we commit to change, we tend to get discouraged because change doesn't happen fast enough for us to see. If we're working on fitness goals, too often we want to see a drop in the weight on the scale, or smaller pants, but we expect it too soon. I hear from people all the time who tell me that they worked out for a week and NOTHING. You know what, though? You DID have improvement...it was just so small at that stage that you couldn't see it with your own two eyes. But, the change was there. Perhaps it was only an improvement of 1/3 of 1%. Sounds tiny, right? But what if you keep proving by that much every day? In three days, you will have improved your fitness by 1%. What if you keep going...where will you be at the end of a year, 365 days of improvement?

You have to be patient, you have to keep diligent, you have to keep at it to see those results over time. You can't just expect to wake up the next morning and see a svelte new you the next day. It just doesn't work like that. But compare day 1 with day 365...you just might be surprised at the change you see then.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to hear Tony Horton (of P90X fame) speak. What he said was so powerful to me, and you might use it as a reminder for yourself. "If your worked out today, you're already healthier than you were yesterday." What a concept, right? It also works for quitting smoking, or eating healthier, or using stress reduction techniques. If you make the change today, you've already improved your health. What happens if you do it again tomorrow? And the day after? Eventually, you'll string 30 days in a row together. Imagine how much improvement you will have invested in your health!

If today is the day, then let's begin. If you're struggling, don't give up. Invest in yourself. You deserve it.

Drop me a message if you'd like some help. I'd love to chat with you. If you're a Facebook user, please feel free to drop by and 'like' the page I created to support others who are on this same journey.

You ARE Great!

2011-01-02T09:44:00.013-05:00

Greetings and salutations my friends and happy 2011!

I realize that every time we roll into a new year, millions and millions of people make resolutions. They resolve to make changes, to do things better than they have previously. Sadly, much of this resolve will dissolve over time, and many people feel stuck, and sad, and frustrated, and angry at themselves for not following through. Others will make excuses why their resolve failed, pointing fingers are others rather than looking inwardly at him or herself.

I'm not here today to try to make people feel badly about not finding success in past resolutions...instead, I'd like to offer hope in a new way. Positivity.

You see, I've been the 'big boned girl' (that's the nice way my friends and family would help me to defend the fact that I was fat/overweight/obese) most of my life. For awhile, I'd resigned myself to staying firmly in that role, as it seemed that there was no way to make those changes no matter how hard I tried. It took its toll, though. I felt pretty worthless in my own skin...it isn't a good place to be, even for a short period of time (let alone for 20 years).

Finally, for whatever reason, I had my epiphany, my breaking point. I WAS going to do something about my weight. I knew it wouldn't be easy, I knew there would be good days and crappy days, but I would push through. Along the way, I learned something really valuable...positive self talk. Too often, we get stuck on the negative aspects of ourselves. We focus on our fat thighs, the last minute run through the McDonald's drive-thru that resulted in 1000+ calories consumed, the 'muffin top' above our jeans, or whatever negative aspects of you that you just don't like. Let me share a little secret with you...and listen up because this is big...the more you focus on loathing who you are, the less successful you'll be in changing any of those things.

When you start to make changes and work towards goals, you CANNOT focus on those stubborn things that are refusing to get with the program. I'm almost 2 years in on my own fitness journey...I've lost a considerable amount of weight, I've built a lot of lean muscle mass, but you know what? I still have fat thighs! Yep, there I said it...the top six inches of my thighs still carry a lot of lumpy, gross fat. There's clearly still work to be done. But you know what else? There's several inches less of lumpy, gross fat there now than there was two years ago? And you know what else? I can do push-ups on my toes! LOTS of them. And guess what else? I have developed some abdominal definition, and shoulder muscles that look good in a tank top, and calves that look great even when I'm not wearing heels! Most importantly, I've realized that I'm not worthless, that I'm intelligent, have a great sense of humor, am eloquent, have a kind heart, and that I'm strong both physically and mentally.

So while you may feel discouraged during parts of your journey, I have to ask (and I'm borrowing this quote from Chalene Johnson--the creator of great fitness programs such as Turbo Jam, Turbo Fire, and ChaLean Extreme), "What positive things have you said to yourself today? Acknowledge your greatness." Come on...shout it out there, if not to the world, at least to yourself. It's important, it will help you stay on track and remain true to yourself.

Take a look at the picture at the top of this blog post. That concrete block wall and concrete pad are pretty darned ugly. They're a bit crumbly around the edges, it's a boring grey color...it's tough to find something beautiful and great in that. However, look at what it was able to do...it allowed a beautiful pink flower to grow in its midst. Instead of seeing the ugly crumbling concrete block, see the beauty in you. Look for and find your beautiful pink flower and remind yourself daily of how great you truly are.

Drop me a message or join me on Facebook so you can have the opportunity to share with me your greatness. I'd love to hear all about it!

Love the Fire!

2010-12-20T12:47:00.009-05:00

Greetings and salutations my fitness friends! Hope today's blog post finds each one of you happy, healthy, and solidly moving towards your fitness goals, regardless of whether it is the holiday season or not!

Many of you know that many months ago I started the 20-week ChaLean Extreme/Turbo Fire hybrid. I'm pleased to say that I finished said hybrid earlier this fall, and have just been bouncing around from workout to workout, making sure that I lift weights 2-3 days per week, walk my dogs 6 days per week and fit some cardio in wherever I can. I really liked the hybrid, but really wasn't ready to jump right back into 20-weeks of training. That said, I can honestly say that I have found that one workout program that speaks to my heart, and it's Turbo Fire.

Honestly, I started out as a Tony Horton/P90X girl through and through. I wanted to do massive amounts of push ups and my nemesis, the pull up bar, challenged me every day. I was never a cardio girl, so P90X was a good fit for me. Then I upped the challenge and made myself do Insanity. I appreciated the program for what it is...butt kicking cardio that will get you into GREAT cardiovascular shape. However, it wasn't until I pushed play on Turbo Fire that I fell in LOVE with cardio.

Seriously, the music is fantastic, Chalene Johnson has powerhouse moves, she pushes you to work harder, and I burn, on average, 100 calories for every 10 minutes of the workout. Just today I did the Fire 55 EZ workout (which by NO means is EZ!) and burned a good 542 calries in 53 minutes. I burn more in Turbo Fire than I do in Insanity (which leaves me exhausted on the floor), probably because the moves incorporate lower body, core and upper body movement versus one or the other.

Anyhow, I'm here to say that I LOVE Turbo Fire. Honestly, I can say that it will be a part of my fitness rotation for months and years to come. If you're unfamiliar, here's a little taste of what Turbo Fire is all about. Also, please feel free to JOIN ME on Facebook if you're on there...I'd love to help you on your own fitness journey as well!

I am a WARRIOR!

2010-11-28T15:08:00.012-05:00

Greetings and salutations my fitness friends! I realize it's been a long time, and I'm going to be honest...I've been in a funk. While I've still been working out consistently and eating fairly well, I honestly have been dogging it a bit here and there and not really attacking my goals with the enthusiasm I once had.

It's difficult sometimes being the only one in my household that is interested in working out and eating well. Sometimes I allow myself to fall back into some old patterns that I don't like just because it's easier. However, I've recently realized that I can count on some others that aren't in my household to encourage me to really push myself.

Recently, a Facebook fitness friend, Daniel Beggs, posted this link on his Facebook. It was to an event called the Warrior Dash. I looked at it, and honestly, it scared the living crap out of me! It's a 3+ mile run through chest deep water and mud. It requires the strength to climb up and over walls, the ability to balance on a beam over cold water, crawl through pitch black pipes, trudge through water while ducking under low beams and the grand finale, leaping over fire! However, as scary as it seemed, it also seems like a total gas as well! Plus, by participating and finishing, you get a free shirt, a cool medal, beer and a warrior helmet!! Come on...who wouldn't sign up immediately?!

Here's the thing. I love fitness. I really enjoy lifting weights and doing my cardio workouts at home. I also love walking my dogs every day. What I don't love is running. Seriously...CANNOT. STAND. IT. Despise every single stride. Running, jogging, walking with a bounce, they're just not my thing. That said, it's a new challenge...

It took me about a week and I relented. I'm signed up to run in the 1:30 heat of the May 14th Georgia Warrior Dash. I am completely out of my comfort zone. I will prevail, though, because I AM a warrior!

Take a look at their website, see if there's a Warrior Dash near you and sign up. We could train together (via the net) and commiserate on our warrior lumps, bumps and bruises afterwards. Come on...I know you, too, are a warrior!

Persistence

2010-10-09T13:49:00.005-04:00

Greetings and Salutations!

I just wanted to do a quick check-in to see how you were progressing towards your fitness goals and to share a little something about the value of persistence.

You see, I get messages from people all the time on Facebook about how I commit to my fitness regularly, day after day, week after week, without fail. "How do you stay motivated to do it?" they ask, or "I missed a month...isn't it pointless to start again now?"

Let me tell you...I'm by no means perfect, and the past two weeks have been a perfect example of my own imperfections. I was finishing up week #12 of the ChaLean Extreme/Turbo Fire hybrid and I simply felt WRECKED. I hurt, I ached, I was tired, I was run-down...I didn't want to workout. So I listened to my body and took two days off from workouts. After two days, I felt pretty good, but not awesome, so I took two more. I was ready to jump back in...but you know what? I didn't.

Instead, I just made excuses. I still was walking my dogs for 60-90 minutes every day, which is a workout in itself, but for 11 days I didn't push play. I felt guilty, but then I convinced myself that since I wasn't really staying honest to my fitness goals, I may as well let my nutrition slide. Yep, I'm going to admit it right now...I ate an entire carton of Ben & Jerry's Boston Cream Pie ice cream in an 18 hour period (though I did feel like crap the day after!). Finally, after 11 days of this nonsense, and starting to feel sluggish and 'thick' in the middle (hello...Ben & Jerry's...see comment above), I decided that enough was enough. It was time to get back on track...no ifs, ands, or buts (or ice cream in the house).

By now, I knew where my weaknesses were...I was allowing myself to push my regular after work workout time to the side, so I needed to workout before work. Period. This past Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I was out of bed at 4:15 a.m., pushing play at 4:30 before work. It's not the perfect arrangement for me...I can't do a long workout as I have to leave for work at 6:15 a.m., and my body is pretty creaky in the morning, so high intensity cardio doesn't really feel good. But I will admit that I felt great for the rest of the day, got my dog walk in during the afternoon, had time to do the things that were plaguing me in the first place (mainly grading student work), stayed more committed to my nutrition, and eventually got back to my TF/CLX hybrid schedule today.

I could have, however, decided that since I had already missed almost 2 weeks of working out that it wasn't worth jumping back in. It happens too often...people miss a day, a week, a month, or even two months of working out and then talk themselves out of getting back on the workout train. They tell themselves that it's pointless because they're a month behind schedule or that they can't commit to working out 5 or 6 days per week. Don't let it happen to you.

Nobody said that P90X or ChaLean Extreme HAD to be done in 90 days. Nobody said that you HAD to commit to a 6 day/week workout schedule. I assure you, neither Tony Horton or Chalene Johnson is going to come to your house and yell at you if you don't. They key, though, is to make fitness work for you. If you only have 3 days/week, do three days/week. If you missed 2 weeks, push play and jump back into where you left off. Yep, it might be more difficult than when you quit, but you can modify until you're feeling stronger again. Do NOT let excuses run your life...set a goal, practice persistence, and feel the power of accomplishment.

Message me if you need some support, answers to questions, or even if you just want to say hey. I'd love to hear from you.

Crush play!
Nancy

You have to walk the path...just you.

2010-07-24T17:37:00.005-04:00

Greetings and salutations my friends. So what do you do when your partner or spouse isn't on the bandwagon with regards to the changes you want to make in your fitness and nutrition? Do your rely on someone else to motivate you to workout each day or to eat well?

All too often I hear from individuals who started P90X or some other fitness/nutrition program with a wife, husband or partner and loved it, but when the significant other quit, they did too. They felt it was just too much of a challenge to do on their own. To this, I have to ask, "Why?"

This journey isn't about your spouse's health or about your boyfriend or girlfriend's fitness, it's about YOURS. YOU are the one who has to make the decision and the commitment to make your life healthier through proper nutrition and exercise. It's not your responsibility to drag anyone else along with you, nor are you their responsibility either.

Sure, it would be a heck of a lot easier if my Little Debbie breakfast eating (seriously, I wish I owned stock in Swiss Cake Rolls), Coca-Cola swilling, Big Mac loving, cigarette smoking husband would embrace the changes that I've embraced over the past 16 months. But he hasn't. He's 6'4", thin, and every year at his annual physical, his doctor says he's in good health. He says he wants to stop smoking, he says he wants to eat healthier, but he always has an excuse for why he doesn't. He always is talking about tomorrow, and tomorrow has never come. If I waited for my husband to join me on this journey, I'd still be a miserable, 200+ pound woman who couldn't stand the sight of herself in the mirror.

Instead, I had to go it alone. And you know what? It's okay. In fact, I've relished in the fact that I've done this all by myself. I've become empowered by the process, and love myself even more for doing it all by myself.

Perhaps one day, Mr. Little Debbie will realize it's time to make changes. I hope the day will come soon, but I know that the more pressure I put on him to make those changes, the more he'll keep them at arm's length. He's got to do it for himself, just like I did, and right now, he's not ready.

For those of you who ARE ready, find your motivation. Ask yourself, "WHY do I want to make this change?" Write down your answer. When you're tempted to cheat on your nutrition or not workout, go back at look at your why. It'll remind you to stay focused and to keep fighting.

Find others who are like-minded and surround yourself. There's something very powerful in finding others on the same journey, even if you only are in contact with them through Facebook or through myfitnesspal. I have over 700 individuals who are on my Facebook friends list. I don't personally know 75% of them, but the majority of them have impacted me in a positive way and helped me stay focused on my own goals. I hope in the process that I have helped them as well.

If you're ready to start, but don't know where to begin, send me a message. We can talk about your goals.

I LOVE FOOD...too much sometimes...

2010-07-21T16:35:00.006-04:00

Greetings and salutations my friends!! So here's the deal...I love food. I love it a lot. Sometimes I love food too much. Seriously, I wake up in the morning and the first thing I think about (well, perhaps the first thing I think about after going to the restroom and letting the dogs out) is breakfast. Then I think about my mid-morning snack, and after that it's what's for lunch, then an afternoon snack, and then it's dinnertime, and I'm off to bed and once again waking up thinking about...BREAKFAST!

For many of us, our struggle with our weight isn't our lack of fitness or exercise time, it's food...mainly too much of it. I'm fortunate...at 5'9", I carry more weight than your average height female, so lucky me, I get to eat more! However, I find nutrition to be a battle almost every single day. Bad habits, such as taking the entire bag of pretzels into the living room to watch t.v. (as Chalene Johnson says, "Open bag = Saddle Bags!"), 'grazing' while fixing dinner, or convincing yourself that since you did workout today you can eat the 2 dessert servings, rear their heads from time to time, and sabotage your results. So...what's a girl (or guy) to do?

With regards to my own nutrition, the best thing I have done so far is log my calories every single day. I got out of the habit this spring when I was injured, and slowly, but steadily, I started to pack on a few pounds. Now that I'm back in the habit, it really helps keep me accountable and makes me more aware of what I'm putting into my body. I use an online food diary called My Fitness Pal, and I like it for it's ease of use, the fact that it's free, and it's extensive food database. If you join, I'm on there as "Glfprncs2." Look me up, friend me...we can support one another! If you're really brave, make your food diary 'public' and let the world see. Talk about some major accountability! There's also a really nice group of supportive people on the message boards who really want you to succeed.

If you are going to utilize a food diary, you've got to be TOTALLY honest with yourself. You can't have the candy bar at work and not log it in...period. No grabbing a handful of pretzels or peanuts as you fix dinner without logging it in. You eat it, you log it. You want results, you track it. Simple as that. It's truly an eye opening experience.

The other thing that's key for me is setting myself up for success when I hit the grocery store. My biggest piece of advice: DON'T GO GROCERY SHOPPING HUNGRY! You know as well as I do that you'll buy the Chex Mix and eat the bag before the kids get home from school. Go after you've eaten so you don't make those 'munchy' purchases because it looks good.

Second...shop with a list and stick to the list. Yep, I'm sure that when you walk through the pastry section the pound cakes, sugar cookies, and glazed doughnuts look appealing. Well, unless it's on your list, you dont' put it in your cart (and I'm here to tell you, the pound cake, sugar cookies, and glazed doughnuts shouldn't be on your list!). If you're tempted...keep reading...

Finally...if you pick something up that's not on your list, I want you to really think about it before you put it in your cart. Ask yourself, "Will this food item nourish my body and provide it the nutrients that it needs to sustain my life?" If the answer is no, then you need to put the object back on the grocery store shelf and allow someone else, who doesn't mind gumming up their own gut with preservatives and non-nutrients, pick it up. I know that sometimes things just look yummy...it can be agonizing, especially when your head says, "Buy it! I want it!" On Monday, I agonized over Honey Graham Crackers. It's just a graham cracker, I know, but was it something I needed? I think I put it on the shelf and picked it back up 3 times. I WANTED the graham crackers. After reading the label for the 3rd time, and knowing that the honey grahams really weren't going to provide my body with much nutrition, I put them back, and went on my way. The inner battle was maddening!

Food can be tough...take it one day (or even one meal) at a time. If you mess up, and totally blow a meal, don't allow that to be an excuse to ruin the rest of the day. Pull up your big girl (or big boy) panties, forgive yourself, and do better next time. It's a process, and little by little, you'll win the fight...

Message me if you'd like some help on your own journey...

Feel the FIRE!

2010-07-05T07:56:00.005-04:00

Greetings and Salutations my friends! I can't believe it's already July...that means my summer vacation as a middle school teacher is already halfway over and I'm going to have to change the spinning of my wheels from fitness, fitness, fitness to fitness, reading and writing. I'll be honest...I'm not ready for the kiddos to come back into my classroom just yet. I'll get there, I promise, but it'll probably be August 9th at 7:25 when my new sweethearts walk down the hallway as the biggest, baddest 8th graders the school has seen. You see...THIS is the real reason why I workout!

I finished my first 90-day round of ChaLean Extreme on Saturday even though it took me about 110 days to finish (due to a muscle injury in my groin, hip and low back. I absolutely LOVED the program. The injury, though, inspired me to listen even more to my body (I wish I would remember this lesson as I tend to forget it from time to time) and I've started studying yoga at a local yoga studio. Let me just say...Yoga IS TOUGH. Seriously, those yoga peeps are strong, strong, strong. The thing is, I'm strong too, but not yoga strong. Yoga will identify every single one of your weaknesses within the first 5 minutes of class. It's a very humbling experience, but I know that if I keep up with it, it'll make me a better person overall as well.

Anyhow, my purpose today is to talk about FIRE...as in Turbo Fire.

I started my 20 week (yes, I said TWENTY WEEKS) hybrid schedule that combines ChaLean Extreme and Turbo Fire yesterday and I am SO psyched about the results I know I'm going to get. Chalene's Turbo Fire workouts (both the Fire and HiiT) workouts are killer calorie burners (seriously, I got 700 calories in a 55 minute workout the other day!!), and combined with the strength training with ChaLean Extreme, I don't know that there's going to be a better combination.

One of the 'new' things in the Turbo Fire program is a concept called HIIT...High Intensity Interval Training...short bouts of high intesity exercise for about 45 seconds followed by short rests. Rinse, repeat. Granted, you may be looking around for your left lung between HIIT intervals, but the good thing is that the HIIT workouts are generally short (15-25 minutes) compared to the Fire workouts (30-60), but continue to give you the 'afterburner effect' once finished.

Here's just a little sneak peak of what the HIIT 15 workout entails (though this is just 2 of the 3 intervals...I somehow managed to erase the 3rd circuit off my camcorder and my body was too toasted from fatigue to try to record it again once I'd realized my faux pas):

Now, I know, I know...many of you want to tell me that, "I don't jump." Well, you know what? I didn't either a year ago. I was too fat to get my big old booty off the ground. It was like trying to jump with an anvil in my pants. But here I am today, a regular old jumping bean! Don't fear, though...every single move on every class session of Turbo Fire has been modified for those of you who don't want the impact of jumping. You'll still get a great workout, but without stressing your knees.

There you have it...my two favorites...Turbo Fire and ChaLean Extreme. Who would like to join me and fuel their fire?? Message me!!

Number 2 is number 1!!!

2010-05-22T08:15:00.019-04:00

Greetings and saluations my friends!! I know, I know, it's been a long time, but luckily, I've got a fantastic topic to discuss with you today...if you guessed from the picture to the right that I may be talking about regularity, you're right on the money.

So, before I begin, I wanted to offer you fair warning that what I'm about to discuss may be considered inappropriate chat amongst friends. The problem is, I used to work for my dad's construction company, and building and installing sewer systems (waste water treatment facilities if you want to be politically correct) was our specialty. In fact, one year my grandfather (who started the business) said that he wanted to get hats made that said, "Your !%(#'s our bread and butter." Obviously, poo is important to both my family and I.

Now, back to the topic at hand. The #2, poo, poop, b.m., whatever you want to call it, is an important function of our body. No one knows this better than those of us who have suffered from irregularity either for a brief or, even worse, an extended period of time. Let me explain (because I know you're all giddy with anticipation to hear my poo drama).

As a kid, I grew up in a Southeastern Ohio meat and potatoes family. My mom cooks great food, don't get me wrong, but all my life, as far back as I remember, I have dealt with a giant lack of poo. As a kid, whenever I had a stomachache, the first thing my mom would say is, "Do you have to #2?" The answer, inevitably, was always a resounding yes, but the problem was, things weren't moving...AT...ALL. This led to upset stomachs, bloating, gas, and just an overall feeling of being about to blow up. It was awful!

As an adult, I drank my daily glass of orange fiber therapy (which truly is like watered down orange drink with sawdust mixed in), added fiber supplements to my diet, but about the only thing that could get things moving was a good Friday night out at the bar. Inevitably, once coffee hit my gut on Saturday morning (after the 12 oz. curls that were done the night before), things were moving, and quickly. But clearly, you can't rely on a good bender to get things moving. Plus, pooping once per week just doesn't cut it. I wanted poo, and I wanted it at least once every other day. What does one do?

I changed my diet, I ate lots of fresh fruit and veggies, I supplemented with fiber, I drank nine gazillion glasses of water a day, and I still couldn't poop unless I had a death grip on the toilet seat and a vein popping out of my forehead. NOT enjoyable.

Then, one day, I heard about this thing called Shakeology. It was supposed to increase your energy, help reduce cravings, aid in weight loss, and (can you hear the trumpets blaring now?) improve digestive health and regularity! Okay, seriously...sounds like a wonder product, doesn't it? Knowing I had to give it a shot, I commited to the product for 90 days...3 months of Shakeology. And here's what happened...

I POOP! Seriously, I now go 4-5 times per week without worrying that I'm going to injure myself in the process. Gone is the bloating, gone is the feeling of heaviness in my mid-section, gone is the constipation, gone are the stomachaches...gone, gone, gone. I'm regular, I'm efficient,, I'm like a puppy with the most incredible digestive tract in the universe, I'm a good pooper! Woo hooo!

I'm a Shakeology convert. Plus, I also get the other benefits...I have noticed an increase in energy without caffeine, I don't have cravings even though I'm still working on my own weightloss and maintain a calorie deficit most days, but clearly, to me, the greatest thing is that my digestive tract is a lean, mean, pooing machine. So now you know why I think the old 'number 2' is truly number 1.

If you, too, would like optimal digestive health (and all the other great benefits that go alongside being a Shakeology drinker), send me a message and we can chat. Also, here's a little information video about the product as well. Thank you Beachbody for creating such a fantastic product...you've truly saved my life!

Spring Cleaning--For your insides!

2010-04-05T11:28:00.007-04:00

Greetings and salutations everyone! I hope this finds each and every single one of you enjoying some springlike weather. The temperatures here are fantastic (80s today), but we're enjoying our annual pine pollen epidemic, so everything is covered in a fine yellow powder. Heck, even the dogs came in from the walks this morning with blonde hair!

Now that I'm finally injury free, I've started a new 90 day program (new to me, anyhow) called ChaLean Extreme. I'm really enjoying the new challenge, the creativity of moves, and the opportunity to lift weights again. I feel great and look forward to what I can do in 90 days.

In addition, with my new 'start' after my almost 2 month hiatus from working out, I decided to do a little spring cleaning for my insides by participating in a Shakeology Cleanse. It was created by Steve Edwards (a fitness and nutrition expert who works for and helps develop products for Beachbody) and then tweaked by Mike Karpenko (a Beachbody Coach who once worked for Steve) and involves three days. As Steve says in his blog, "It's not the Master Cleanse. The goal is to promote flushing junk from your system and regulating hydration levels." In addition, try not to workout extraordinarily hard during the cleanse...for most people, the calorie levels of the cleanse won't support a really hard workout.

In a nutshell, in consists of three days of:

Three servings of Shakeology each day (made with water)

Two-three servings of fruit (or you can mix them in with your Shakeology shake)

For dinner, a salad, unrestricted with regards to veggies, with 4 oz. of lean protein (white meat or fish), and olive oil/balsamic dressing.

If you feel you need more calories (as some may), add chia seeds, nuts, flax seeds and the like to your salad.

Drink all the water you can and if you'd like to add green tea or coffee, you may as long as there are NO additives. No dairy, no sugar, no flavorings, no nothing!

So there you have it...the Shakeology cleanse. I started yesterday and was pretty ragged by the end of the day (the workout of choice for the day was too tough for the calories I took in), but I woke up this morning two pounds lighter than I was yesterday, retaining less water than normal, and with plenty of energy to tackle today's 'lightish' workout.

If you've got questions, or would like information about Shakeology, let me know!

Your Personal "Why?"

2010-03-06T17:02:00.009-05:00

Greetings and Salutations my friends! I was chatting with an acquaitance on Facebook the other day about why I started my fitness journey. It was a good conversation...one that reminded me of where I was, where I am now, and where I want to be in the future. In reflecting upon her question, I was reminded of how I became the person that I was just under a year ago...fat, unhappy, no self-esteem...and the person that I am today...fit, healthy, positive, and ready to take on the world. It's amazing what a mere 300+ days can do to a person.

The most miserable I ever remember being was when I was in high school in the late 1980s. I was the 'behemoth' of my peer group at 5'9" and weighing in at a 'hefty' 142 pounds. I remember recording my weight in a journal every night, knowing that my friends were topping the scales at 100-110, and there I was, the rotund one, knocking on the door of 150 lbs. Sure, I was a good eight inches taller than they were, and when I look back on those days now, I don't know what I was thinking. But the funny thing is (funny, sad, not funny, ha-ha), some of those 'friends' of mine told me I was fat because I didn't weight 105 pounds and I couldn't wear a size 1 or 3 in Guess jeans (yep, I'm going 'old school' on ya'!). In fact, some of those same 'friends' would head out into the school parking lot during school hours and throw cookie containers and other junk food trash on top of my car to make me feel even better about the fact that I weighed 40 pounds more than they did. Another of their favorite ways to empower themselves was to follow me down the hallway, oinking like a piglet and mooing like a cow. And you know what? Their cruelty was really effective. I allowed them to take away my power...I allowed them to take away my self-esteem...I allowed them to have their dreams and to take away mine. I became a shadow of what I could have been.

I went through a major part of my life with very little self-esteem. I did a pretty good job, for the most part, hiding that fact, but I truly thought pretty little of myself until the time I was well into my 30s. But in typical fashion, I started to spiral into a rut where I didn't like myself much, and that took over every aspect of my life...my marriage, my career, my outlook, everything. I was down in the dumps, I wanted to feel good about myself, and I didn't know what to do.

On April 2, 2009, I took the initiative to take one small step to get my life back. That was the day that I decided that I was in this for me, me, me. I simply HAD to love myself for the person I was, but I knew I had to make some improvements to truly feel that love. I started pushing play that day, immersed myself in learning everything that I could about fitness and nutrition, lost weight, empowered myself with strong muscles, and learned to love me. Instead of worrying incessantly about things that I couldn't control, I learned to manage the things that I knew, without a doubt, were 100% within my own control. Funny how that makes EVERYTHING in your life better. With my improved fitness was better health, a better marriage, a better career, simply a better outlook on life. Just because I made the decision to empower myself with good exercise and nutrition.

I had to ask myself a very important question, "Whose dream did you build today--yours or someone else's?" (Jeff Olson. 2005). If you spend your whole week, month, year, or life, trying, or even allowing someone else's dream to build, rather than your own, you're doing yourself a tremendous disservice. Sure, great things do come out of doing for others. I'm not going to deny that, but what about you? What about what YOU want? Where is the time you deserve to achieve all of those fantastic things you desire?

So here I am...almost a year later still continuing on my journey to be the best me that I can be. And yes, those are my pictures there on the top of the page. I figure there's no better way of being accountable to goals than putting that first picture out there!! There you have it, there's my 'Why?' What's yours?

If you'd like some help on your own fitness journey, I'd LOVE to help...send me a message from my coaching page.

Injury! WHAT do I do now?

2010-02-28T14:52:00.006-05:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! Well, as the title of this post states, I'm struggling with my fitness goals due to injury and my lack of patience. It started about 10 days ago with a tightness near my ribs, got worse, got better, got even better, and even though I knew it was still there, I went ahead and tried to work out today. Of course, I'm now worse off than I was. Imagine one of those side stitches you sometimes get when you're running, and then multiply it by 5. I was in so much agony that I truly couldn't get myself up off the floor. To compound the situation, EVERY muscle in your body seems to be tied, somehow, to your abs and ribs. Ugh! I truly despise injuries.

So, clearly the point of this post is about patience. I knew I needed to continue resting my body...it was telling me LOUD AND CLEAR, but in typical fashion, I chose to ignore it. This happens a lot, though, with individuals who are so focused on goals. In fact, the Olympic games was a great example of athletes who fought through pain in order to compete. But sometimes you have to wonder, would they have been better off being patient, and waiting another four years? Was their performance what it could have been? Is it worth the risk? While I wasn't trying to win a medal, my fitness goals are in the front of my mind every single day. It's tough for me to miss a workout, especially considering what I've accomplished so far. But now, I can't work out. It just hurts too badly, so you've got to wonder what I was thinking at the time.

There's nothing now for me to do except to truly rest. I'm allowed to walk my dogs casually (NO power walking), and that is it. It'll be hard for me because I truly have spent every week since April 3, 2009 pushing myself as hard as I possibly could to make myself physically better. However, what comes to mind is that even elite athletes don't push that hard every single day. They choose to workout in a way so that they peak at a certain times, like the Olympic games. At other times, they are able to back off, allow their fitness to drop a smidge, and then build towards another peak. It's a good lesson to be forced to learn because I know when I do come back, my body will respond well after this rest.

That said, there are still ways I can work towards goals. Nutrition. What a perfect opportunity to REALLY work on eating as clean as I possibly can. I can still work on dropping pounds, I can still work on a slimmer physique, and I can really improve my health by making sure that what I put into my body is there to fuel it for the activity required of it. A great resource that I ran across recently is Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Recharged. It's a nutrition guide that really makes sense to me. It's not about eliminating food groups from your diet, but about utilizing REAL foods to fuel your body. It's as simple as that.

So, my focus until I'm well enough to really push my workouts again is to finally ditch the sugar lurking in the small amount of processed foods I eat, eat 5-6 small, nutritionally balanced meals throughout the day, and to eat as cleanly as I possibly can. My journey continues.

If you're ready to start working on your own fitness and nutrition goals, and would like some help, I would love to offer you my help along the way. Just go to my Beachbody Coaching Site and send me a message. I'm sure that together, we can work towards your own transformation as well.

What do you want in your body? You decide!

2010-01-31T07:24:00.014-05:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! As you can see from the picture to the left, I've been thinking about body fat and lean muscle mass. All of us, from the very lean to the extremely obese carry both of them in our body, but I've got to ask you. If you could choose, which one would you rather have going along for the ride of your life?

Obviously, the lean muscle mass has some advantages to it...let me point them out:

1. Lean muscle mass is going to help you in the day to day activities of life. Need to lift a child? You need muscles. Want to stretch up onto the top shelf of the cupboard to lift down the gravy tureen? You need muscles. Ever tried to open a jar of peanut butter or fruit preserves, and were unable to get it open? You need muscles. You need lean muscle mass to live!
2. This is the biggie...as you can see from the picture, 5 pounds of lean muscle is compared to 5 pounds of fat. Which one is bigger? Which one is going to take up more space in your body? Which one will give you a bigger waistline? Which one will allow it to shrink? It's true that 5 pounds of muscle equals 5 pounds of fat, but clearly the lean muscle mass takes up MUCH less space in your body. So for those of you who worry that the scale isn't getting any lower, TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS! It is very likely that you're swapping out fat for lean muscle, which weighs the same, but you'll notice a huge difference in the size of your waist, hips, thighs, arms, etc.
3. Lean muscle mass burns more calories than fat. Hello!! That means you have to eat more in order to maintain your body weight. And if you're trying to lose weight, building lean muscle will supercharge your metabolism!!!

I've been working out regularly since April 3rd. I've dropped 32 pounds or so, and in the past 3 months, the scale hasn't been very kind to me. However, I took my measurements yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. Though I may have lost only 2 pounds or so, I lost another inch from my waist, an inch and a half from my hips (this one is a miracle!), another inch from my thighs, and I'm losing a ton of belly fat so that the ab muscles I've been working on are starting to show. Obliques look pretty nice on a body! So no, I'm not 'losing weight' but I'm definitely getting leaner, getting rid of body fat, dropping pants sizes, and getting SO much healthier.

So how do you do it? You've got to invest in some sort of resistance and cardio program. Cardio helps burn fat, resistance work helps build lean muscle. You really do need the two. Some really good options are ChaLean Extreme (5 days per week @ 45 minutes per day--90 day program), Slim in 6 (30-45 minutes per day, 6 week program), P90X (6 days per week @ 60-90 minutes per day--90 day program), and for those with little time, Ten Minute Trainer (stack 10 minute workouts each day to create the length that works for you). Plus, all of these programs come with good, basic nutritional guides to help you burn fat, build that lean muscle, and boost metabolism.

In addition, you can get me as your free Coach to help you along the way. Yes, I said FREE!! I'll be here to provide support, answer questions, and offer motivation whenever it may be most needed. Don't wait until tomorrow, when today could be the day to jumpstart the rest of your fit life!

Send me a message if you have questions about how to get started, and if you're ready to start today, you can find the products here. Push play, everyone!!

Shakeology--it's what's for dinner, or breakfast, or lunch, or a snack!

2010-01-23T17:02:00.010-05:00

Greetings and Salutations! Do you lack energy? Do afternoon cravings making you so ravenous that you feel as though you could eat the kitchen counters? Have problems with high cholesterol? Want to lose weight? Shakeology could be your answer.

At the same cost as your morning Starbucks or McDonald's run, it's not only a much healthier option, but could possibly be the healthiest meal of your entire day. I'm a chocolate Shakeology drinker, and I've seen increased energy, better digestive health, regularity, and most importantly for me, NO MORE CRAVINGS!

For more information, check out my Shakeology page.

Goals...what do you want?

2009-12-23T10:39:00.008-05:00

Greetings and Salutations!

To start off, I just wanted to pass along a little note to wish each and every one of you a happy and healthy holiday! Of course, along with the holidays comes New Years's, and alas, with the new year come those resolutions that many of us make, promising to do something different over the course of the next 365 days. I've made them, too, and what started as a good idea and the right idea, generally led to some sort of failure. So, instead of a resolution, why not try a goal for the year? I know, I know, it sounds like the same thing, but I assure you, goal setting is quite different.

First off, what do you want to accomplish? Keep in mind that as you set your goal, to make it as specific as possible. Also, we need to be able to measure your progress. So, if you want to 'lose weight,' you need to state it more specifically and with a weightloss goal in mind (i.e. I want to lose 22 pounds). You might also consider things such as a body fat percentage that you'd like to have, a clothing size that you'd love to fit into, or a distance that you'd like to be able to run. Whatever you choose, give your brain a clear message that you WANT to be able to accomplish this specific thing.

Second, set an achievable goal and don't settle for less than what you really want. As Tom Venuto stated in his book The Body Fat Solution (2009), "As long as your goal is achievable, believable, and you're willing to do what it takes to get it, then the sky's the limit." In addition, set a deadline for meeting your goal that is a reasonable and realistic amount of time for meeting your goal...you might make it, you might not, but you need a specific amount of time with with you can work. If you want to lose 50 pounds, six weeks is NOT reasonable, 6 months is doable, but tough, while 8-9 months is realistic.

Next, write some reasons why you want to meet that specific goal. This is going to help with your own intrinsic motivation, and when you start to stray, you need to remind yourself of WHY the goal is important to you.

Set some mini-milestones to meet along the way. Have mini-goals that you strive to meet each week, month, etc. Let others know about your goals so that you can surround yourself with a positive support crew. Finally, and this is the hardest part, what do I need to do in order to meet my goal? If your goal is serious weight loss, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in order to do so, you're going to have to make some major lifestyle changes.

This is where I might be able to help. If your goal is fitness related, but you don't just know how to get there, LET ME KNOW! If you've set a goal, but you're having troubles staying committed, let me know! If you met a mini-goal, or met your yearly goal, let me know! I want to celebrate with you!

When I started thinking about goals, I wanted to just say, "I want to be the fittest I've ever been in my life." Obviously, not specific enough and not measurable. Also, I think I'm probably the fittest I've ever been in my life already, or at least a close runner-up to my Junior and Senior years of basketball season. Thanks Coach Sines, those suicide drills DO get you in shape! So I really need to think...what do I want to accomplish this year with regards to fitness and health? And how can I measure my success? I've got some thinking to do over the next few days.

For those of you who have regularly pushed play with Tony, Chalene, Debbie, Shaun T. and others, or who have just made regular fitness activities a part of your daily life, bravo to you! Keep pushing hard. But for those of you who keep walking past the dust covered Turbo Jam or P90X workouts and saying, "I should start that today," what's keeping you from pushing play and meeting your goals? I'm here for you either eay...let me know what I can do to help.

I'm off to do some Insanity with Shaun T. and walk the dogs. I've got to finish up my 2009 goals!

Have a safe, blessed, and happy holiday!

Now it makes sense! To lose, you need to lift!

2009-11-07T12:55:00.009-05:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! So here I am, in month number 8 of my fitness journey. I have to say, it's been an incredible ride thus far, and I have learned so much about becoming, and staying, a healthy individual.

When I started this journey, I was miserable. I felt fat, I looked fat, my BMI said I was fat...I didn't want to believe it, but I was, indeed, too big for my height and frame. At 5'9 1/2", I was 203 pounds, and growing out (in a bad way) of my size 16 pants.

In the past, I've lost weight. I would spend months and months working out like crazy. I ran, walked, did step aerobics, kickboxing...you name it, I've probably tried it to beat the battle of the bulge that had consumed my life for so long. I generally would get results, but for the results to continue, I found that I had to do so much cardio that my day was consumed by it.

My journey with P90X, and the other products that are offered by Beachbody, has literally changed my life. You see, in the past I left out one integral part to truly managing my fitness goals: resistance training. Yep, if you are serious about getting in shape, burning fat, losing weight, and leaning out your body, you HAVE to lift weights. Now don't think I'm telling you to go out and become a body builder...I'm just saying to invest in some sort of program that requires you to lift weights (3, 5, 8, 12, 15 lbs.) several days each week in addition to the cardio training you do. You see, lean muscle takes up less space than fat (it doesn't weigh less, a pound IS a pound, but a pound of lean muscle takes up less space in your body than a pound of fat), so when you swap out fat for lean muscle, you will get smaller. Lean muscle also burns more calories than fat, so when you carry more lean muscle, your body is a much more efficient calorie burning machine. So, by regularly doing some type of weight training, your body swaps out fat for muscle and gets smaller AND you burn more calories automatically. It's a win-win situation!

I have been using the P90X and the P90X+ products regularly for the past 8 months. I'm now 172 pounds, and down from a 16/18 pants size to a 10/12. The day I slipped on size 10's, and they fit, was a joyous day! I haven't seen that size since I was in the 9th grade (which was in 1986). However, I'm not going to tell you that it's not hard work...it is. I push play every day and workout for 45-75 minutes a day. However, I do not starve myself (in fact, I eat around 2000-2200 calories each day) and I feel good physically and mentally. To be honest, I've been quite surprised how easy it's been to become a fitter person.

If you're interested in a good, well thought out fitness program, one that includes cardio, resistance, and flexibility training, you might consider P90X or ChaLEAN Extreme. Both will get you incredible results, and will allow you to get the body that you desire. They also contain nutrition guides to help you make better nutrition choices. They're not diets, but a new way of thinking about, and eating, food. Of course, it will require some motivation on your part, and a lot of sweat equity. But if it's a new body that you want, the opportunity is available...you just have to want it badly enough.

Along the way, if you need some help, let me know. Send me a message and I'll do what I can to help!

You HAVE to listen...

2009-10-03T14:08:00.023-04:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! Hope this blog post finds each and every one of you happy, healthy, and working hard to meet your goals.

I know that you all truly challenge yourselves every day in order to transform yourself into the person that you know you can be. I'm on that journey right alongside you, however, it's important that no matter what your goals may be that you LISTEN to your body. Yep, you heard me...you HAVE to listen to the clues your body is giving you, and you must heed those warnings or else you may find yourself in the situation that I was in, with an injury forcing you to take time off.

As many of you know, during my 2nd round of P90X, I challenged myself by committing to a doubles rotation. I was up at 4:30 a.m. four days each week for my first workout of the day, and also worked out in the afternoon each day. Right around week number seven my body started talking to me...and sadly, I ignored it.

In week number nine, two weeks after my left hamstring told me I better rest, I had to stop doing my leg workout each week. I simply replaced it with something else that I felt didn't nag the hammy. Of course, that little tweak was still there, it just wasn't screaming at me as loud. Thus, since I was so focused on that goal of finishing 90 days of doubles that, once again, I pushed through and ignored the pain that was there nagging me in the back of my left thigh. In week twelve, I was in the middle of a cardio workout, reached down to touch the floor prior to leaping into the air, and a sharp, stabbing pain shot up my leg, through my butt, and into my lower back, where is stayed. I was done. Ignoring a hamstring is one thing, but I know better than to ignore my back. I stopped right where I was, and made myself take a full week off. I visited my chiropractor, stretched my legs multiple times each day, and I did nothing more than walk my dogs. It was agony for me to not push play every day.

The week turned into 8, then 9, and finally 10 days. I started back with a few days of easier workouts, and now I'm back into the P90X groove again, but I assure you I will now LISTEN to my body. I also make sure that I do a LOT of preventative things to insure that the hamstring is truly warmed up and stretched prior to putting any stress on it. Fortunately for me, I received my September installment of the Tony Horton One-on-One program during my forced rest, and it has become a lifesaver. September's One-on-One is called, "Patience," and it is a 30 minute yoga/stretch workout. It's perfect for my tweaky little hamstring, it's now my daily warm-up prior to any workout that will stress my hamstring, and it's also a great day starter at 4:30 a.m.

So, lesson learned. I knew that my hamstring wasn't just sore from working out. I knew there was something going on, but I ignored it. By ignoring those warning signs, my body had to say something that I would listen to. Had I ignored those red flags flying in the air, the results could have been far more detrimental to my goals that a mere 10 days off. So listen...when your body tells you something, it's important that you pay attention, back off, rest, recoup, and then when your body says it's ready, get back into the groove.

Now I'm feeling strong and am ready to start round #3. Ding, ding, ding...P90X+ starts in five days. If you'd like to join me in the journey, send me a message.

If you're feeling 100%, go push that play button and BRING IT! If you're not, be patient and crush it another day.

Burn, baby, burn!

2009-09-06T18:13:00.011-04:00

Greetings and salutations my friends. As many of you know, I'm currently in my 2nd round of P90X, and in an effort to really try to dump some poundage, I committed to doing doubles. That simply means that I work out, really hard, six days per week, and on 3-4 of those days, I add in another cardiovascular workout. You'd think that the weight would just be sliding from my body, but alas, such is not the case. Sure, I've lost a few pounds, and I'm pleased with the progress I've made with regards to fitness, strength, and the like. But I felt like I'd hit a bit of a plateau, I didn't know if I was eating too much, too little, or if my newly fit body was just more efficient, and I wasn't burning the calories like I was 20 weeks ago. So, I purchased a Bodybugg, an electronic device that you wear around your upper arm that calculates caloric expenditure throughout the day. It is accurate to within 90%, and I felt that this would be a good investment that could provide me with additional feedback while working towards my goals.

I started wearing my Bodybugg a week ago (I wear it 24 hours/day unless I'm in the shower), and was really surprised with the findings thus far. Now keep in mind, this is just my experience with the device...everyone is different, and your body may react differently to exercise than mine does, but there were a few things that surprised me enough that I felt the need to share with you, in the hopes that, perhaps, you might be able to take one piece of information to use along your own journey towards fitness.

To begin, I really was quite surprised at how many calories I burn in a typical work day (2850, which includes a one-hour long workout). As a teacher, I'm on my feet most of the day, and that walking around the classroom really helps the numbers add up. Throughout the day, I average a 2.4 calorie per minute burn while at work. On the weekends, when I'm just sitting on my caboose, it drops to 1.9-2.0. Doesn't seem like much, but spread that through an 8 hour workday, and see a significant increase in calories spent. In addition, I've found that by walking the dogs or doing a 30 minute cardio workout in the morning before work, it boosts my calorie burn another .3 per minute for about 2 hours after the workout. Also, while I show a 12 calorie per minute burn during workouts such as plyometrics (jump training), I still burn between 6-8 calories per minute during brisk walks with the dogs. Heck, even those muscles that I've worked hard to develop help burn 1.2-1.3 calories per minute while I sleep!

Today, knowing that I wasn't going to have the benefit of walking around the classroom or up and down the school hallways, thus gaining that extra burn, I decided that I was going to burn 3500 calories from midnight to midnight. When I woke up this morning, my 'bugg' showed that I'd burned 520 calories from midnight to 6:20 a.m., and at 6:30 p.m., I'm already sitting on 3207. So, I've burned just over 2500 calories in a 12 hour period. To do so, I had to do the following: Cardio workout (42 minutes), brisk dog walk (up & down hills--40 minutes), yard work (1 hour, 15 minutes--push mowing with a self-propeled mower, trimming two shrubs, and raking up scraps), Strength training and ab workout (65 minutes), OLD SCHOOL exercise video (25 minutes--it was MTV's The Grind with Eric Nies), and another 35 minute dog walk. Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not saying to go out and do this every day. This was simply a scientific exeperiment to see what it would take to burn those calories if I wasn't at work, moving around all day.

I'm sure many of you are wondering what my point is. I promise, I'm getting there. Here's the deal...if you want to lose weight, you simply need to burn more calories than you consume. However, it's not as easy as just limiting what you put in your mouth, because you still need to feed your body. I've eaten a LOT today, and I'll definitely be at a calorie deficit, but without that nutrition, I could never have done what I accomplished today. So, you've got to eat...and you've got to eat good stuff: Whole grains, lean meats & fish, fresh fruits & veggies, legumes, nuts, etc. You also need to eat often. I try to eat three big meals per day, and 2-3 smaller snacks interspersed between. You need to ditch the Doritos, white bread, and sugar-laden foods that make losing weight harder.

Next, you've GOT to move. If your job requires that you sit at a desk all day long, you're going to have to move a LOT more at home in the evening than someone who has a job that allows them the freedom to move while working. In addition, working out causes your body to burn calories at a higher rate. So, not only are you reaping benefits during exercise, but you reap benefits for hours afterwards! That, to me, is a win, win situation.

No, I'm not suggesting that you go out and purchase a Bodybugg. However, by working out five-six days per week, you can burn up to an extra 500 or 600 calories each day (depending on your current fitness level, body efficiency, and how hard your push during workouts). Your workout can be programs such as Power 90, Slim in 6, or Turbo Jam, or one of the many others offered through Beachbody. OR, it can be something as simple as walking your dog or pushing your child in a stroller for forty-five minutes to an hour. My point is, if you truly want to lose weight, you must move your body, and burn more calories than you consume without limiting your calories so much that you prevent weight loss.

If you want some help, or have some questions, PLEASE feel free to ask. You can contact me through my coaching page, and I would be more than happy to help you out. My services are FREE...all you need to do is ask.

Here's to taking the stairs, going for a walk, push mowing the lawn, or pushing play on your favorite workout. Bravo to you who are already investing sweat equity in yourself. I'm sure you can feel that calorie burn!

"Pay it Forward" workout--FREE!!

2009-08-15T09:03:00.020-04:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! Last month, Beachbody, the company for whom I am an Independent Coach made an incredible gesture in an effort to help America meet their goals of fitness, and to help reverse the trend of obesity. They provided a beginner workout DVD called, "Pay it Forward," to all of their Tony Horton One-on-One customers with the directive to give that workout to someone who wants to get into shape, but feels they're too out of shape or too big to workout. The individual that I shared it with has pushed play at least twice each week since receiving the workout, and her husband loves it so much that he's incorporating it five days a week, and is almost ready to invest in a more challenging workout program! If that's not success, I don't know what is!

So for those of you who keep saying, "I'm too big to workout," or "Workouts are too hard at my size or fitness level," have I got a surprise for you! Just by clicking HERE, you can view the entire Pay it Forward DVD and utilize it to help start your fitness program. All you need are some clothes you don't mind getting sweaty, good supportive shoes, and some light dumbbells or even soup cans for the resistance work. What are you waiting for?! It's free! It'll change your life! You'll be so proud of yourself for pushing play and investing some sweat equity in yourself that you'll want to do it again, and again, and again!

Along the way, if you need some help, or have any questions, just send me a message by going to my coaching page. My assistance, like the Pay it Forward workout is FREE! If you'd like to join my fitness crew, you can also sign up through my coaching page by clicking the "Join" tab and selecting the free membership. Free workout, free coach...that's a great deal!

Finally, after you've worked out with Tony and Brian for awhile, and you're feeling fitter, stronger, and are ready for more challenges, check out the fantastic programs available through Beachbody. You might try the 10-minute trainer or Power 90, Slim in 6, Turbo Jam, Shaun T's Get Real, or a variety of other programs that interest you, and will get you in the best shape of your life! Send me a message if you have questions about any of these programs.

What are you waiting for? Go push play and begin your journey towards a fitter and healthier you! Today's the day...all you've got to do is: "Decide. Commit. Succeed."

Confessions of a Peanut Butter Junkie

2009-08-09T15:59:00.005-04:00

Greetings and saluations my friends! It is with great regret that I am forced to ban my good friend, Peanut Butter, from my household. I truly love him with all of my heart, and I know that in moderation he is high in protein, low in carbs, and contains 'good' fats. Sadly, my relationship with my Peanut Butter friend, and all of his cousins, the 'other' butters (i.e. Almond Butter, with whom my relationship was even more reckless) is one that I simply must give up. Goodbye my friend...I hope one day our relationship can be one that does not focus on obsession and gluttony.

On a serious note, I know there's a lot of us out there that simply crave certain foods, and time after time, we submit to our cravings too often. Such is the case with me and peanut, almond, and cashew butter. I simply love them. I love them so much that I can put it on celery, in protein shakes, on pretzels, or just eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon, fork, or even a serated knife. In moderation, the 'butters' are great snacks, but when you keep traipsing back into the kitchen for just 'one more spoonful,' something's got to give.

While allowing yourself an indulgence from time to time isn't a bad thing, daily indulgence can wreck your progress towards your goals. If you're like me, and you simply cannot walk past the peanut butter in the cupboard, you've got a choice to make: 1. Get some SERIOUS willpower, 2. Wreck your diet for the day, or 3. Get the food out of your house. I have zero willpower around peanut butter (none, zilch, nada, the big goose egg), I've added too many servings of PB into my diet on too many days, so it's just got to go. It is my goal that with more time, I'll get my Peanut Butter obsession in check. But until then, the temptation won't be there because I just refuse to ruin the hard work I've invested into myself.

Got questions or comments? Send me an e-mail.

You, you, YOU!

2009-07-28T09:38:00.005-04:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! Last night, I had the opportunity to listen to Tony Horton speak about the "Zen of Fitness." Now, don't think I'm going to start 'ohm'ing or requiring you to meditate, but he brought out some really valid points that can be helpful to many of us.

First, he talked about the last 20 years of life. Now I'm sure most of us are nowhere near that phase (at least we hope we're not), but what you do today clearly will affect how comfortably you live the final phase of your life. It's important enough to repeat...what you do today will affect how comfortably you live the final phase of your life. Look around at the older generation with whom you come into contact. There's a tremendous variety, and I assure you, some took better care of themselves in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, which is why they do so much better in their 70s and 80s. It makes sense, so start taking care of yourself today, so that you can truly enjoy those twilight years when they come.

Second, Tony talked about accountability. Look, I'm not going to sit here and say that working out six days per week and eating healthy is easy. Oftentimes finding the motivation and willpower to push play or to not eat that entire strawberry pie is quite the challenge. Too often we make excuses for ourselves. I hear it all the time...it's too hard to cook healthy, I don't have the energy to workout at the end of the day, I don't have any time to workout, my husband and I were working out together, but he quit, so I did, too. I know all of them, because I used to use them all the time. Put the excuses away...you deserve to be healthier. You deserve to be the best version of yourself that you can be.

Quit thinking that you NEED others to be successful with YOUR goals. Quit thinking that you need your spouse to be your workout buddy. If he or she quits, fine, but don't let that be your stumbling block. If I waited around for my husband to workout with me, I'd be waiting an awfully long time. No energy? Well I'm here to tell you that if you workout, you'll actually gain energy from the endorphins that rush to your brain during exercise. No time? Put down the remote control, step away from the computer, and make time for yourself. Let your spouse watch the kids for 30 minutes and do something JUST FOR YOU. I experienced a lot of grumbling on behalf of my spouse when I committed to me. He grumbled about what we ate, he grumbled about the hour I needed with our one television, he grumbled that there weren't potato chips in the house. After he started seeing the changes in my physique, energy, and attitude, he stopped grumbling. Heck, he now is trying to quit his smoking habit and is cutting back on the Coca-Cola and Ding Dongs. So while my changes may have helped motivate him, HE is making the choice to invest in changes for himself.

Noone is responsible for you except for you. As Tony Horton wrote in his own blog, "It's not your mother or your father. Not your sister or your brother. It's not your God or your Government. It's not the high school bully or your eighth grade home room teacher. It's not your therapist or your wife or your boyfriend. It's not luck or even circumstance. It's not your height, weight or age that makes life great, or not. It's You!" While it's great to surround yourself with positive, supportive individuals, noone except you can make the decision to change your life and make it better.

Let me know if you're ready, and we talk about fitness and nutrition goals. Just go to my coaching page and send me a message. I will be in your corner, if YOU are ready to invest some sweat equity in yourself.

Day by day...it's a process

2009-07-26T20:31:00.004-04:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! It's been awhile since I last blogged, but I just returned home from a fantastic two weeks in Ohio with my parents. I dragged all of my P90X gear to Ohio with me, and didn't miss a workout while I was out of town, for which I give a big kudos to myself. On the other hand, I fear that my diet did suffer a bit, but rather than beat myself up for my transgressions, it's important to remember that this is a process. I'm not going to change 38 years of bad habits in 115 days.

The worst foods at my mom's house were, sadly, the two things that I crave the most...ice cream and pretzels. Yep, I ate them, but unlike the old me, I didn't eat half the carton or half the bag of pretzels dipped in cheese. Also, my parents go out to dinner once per week, and I met some friends from high school on several other days, so the opportunity to eat at restaurants was much more frequent than normal. Restaurants really do pose some challenges for those who are trying to eat healthier and with moderation.

We like to think that a good old fashioned salad is always a great choice, but some of those 'nutritious' salad choices contain over 1000 calories and 40+ grams of fat! I had lunch one afternoon with my mom, and after searching the menu, chose a grilled chicken sandwich, thinking I was doing myself a favor. Upon coming home and entering my lunch into myfitnesspal.com, I realized that my 'good selection' boasted 910 calories JUST FOR THE SANDWICH! I was devastated and really angry with myself.

After that, I was determined to really make sure my choices were the healthier one on the menu. In many places, it was hard to find a single option that was less than 900 calories, while other restaurants do go out of their way to provide less fattening fare for the calorie conscious. If you're going to go out to eat, do your homework first. Most restaurants provide nutrition guides for their menus online. Also, myfitnesspal.com has a food search, and many chain restaurant foods have already been placed into the database. Do some searches and write down your options. This is what I ended up doing, and it saved me a LOT of heartache later. In addition, the options were still good tasting food, they simply didn't provide me with an entire day's worth of calories in one sitting.

So yep, I struggled. As each day would close, I would promise that I'd do better the next day. And I did, for the most part. The surprising thing is that even though I felt like like I had disappointed myself with regards to my diet for the past two weeks, I came home and got on the scale, and I'm down 3 pounds. Go figure...I'm obviously making MUCH better choices than I would have made 4 months ago, but still have a ways to go. I just have to remember, day by day, it IS a process. Some days will be good, some not so good, but in the end, we will make positive strides towards a fitter lifestyle.

If you have questions about diet, nutrition, or fitness, please feel free to ask. Just go to my coaching page and send me an e-mail. Day by day folks...we just have to take it day by day.

90 Days to a Better Life

2009-07-02T20:04:00.005-04:00

Greetings and Salutations my friends! It was 90 days ago today that I made the decision to invest some sweat equity in myself. Ninety days ago the naysayers told me, "I'll give you a week with that P90X before you quit." Ninety days ago I felt fat and was uncomfortable in my own body. It's amazing what can happen to a person in a mere 90 days.

I made the decision to attempt P90X not because I wanted to 'get ripped,' but because I wanted to feel good inside my own skin. The number on the scale had risen to a level that I swore I'd never allow, but alas, there it was, staring me in the face in late March. I had made a comment to my cousin, Sarah, who was yammering on about loving this workout program she was doing, about how I wished I loved exercising. That was the day she told me to go to YouTube and check out P90X. I did, and was mesmerized, but worried that I wasn't strong enough 'to work' the program. She assured me that I'd be okay. I invested my $120+ that same day. I then waited anxiously for my package to arrive from Beachbody.

Upon arrival, I completed the fit test. I couldn't do a single push-up on my toes, couldn't do a wall sit for 60 seconds, a pull-up wasn't even in my vocabulary, and I thought I was going to keel over dead during the last 30 seconds of the 2-minute jumping jack drill. I decided the "Lean" program would be a better choice for me due to my fitness level, I pushed play the very next day and never looked back.

With the support of the fantastic Beachbody community, as well as some fantastic 'friends' on Facebook, I didn't miss a day. I made the decision that I was going to make time just for me, and that nothing was going to prevent me from becoming a better version of myself. Along the way, I fell in love with exercise, and more importantly, I fell in love with myself again. I had no idea that this body was capable of the things that it can do.

Now, don't get me wrong, it was HARD WORK! There were days when I didn't really want to work out, but I knew that it was necessary. On the days that I needed some motivation, I simply contacted my own coach (thanks, Keith), and he busted my chops for all of 30 seconds, and off I went to bring it. Just knowing that he was in my corner was enough to motivate me. Changing my eating habits has been the more challenging part of the program for me. I have good days, and not so good days (I have those days where I think I'd eat the kitchen counters if they weren't nailed down), but I accept the things I do well each day, and vow to do better the next day on those things that I don't do so well. Ninety days in, I can say that I have truly revamped my former eating habits, but it's still a tough road. It's a progress...and I must remember that each day is part of that progress, and each day that I am successful will make the next easier.

Along the way, I started coaching for Beachbody. I must say, it has been one of the most fulfilling and motivating experiences in my life. I have met some wonderful people, have inspired many to push play every day, and myself, am inspired by their perserverance as well. So, a little shout out to small part of my 'crew' who allow me to be their 'coach' and who motivate and inspire me along the way...thanks to Carolyn, Katrina, Noah, Alisha, Reem, Matthew, and Crystal. You are all ROCKSTARS for pushing play alongside me!

So my 90 days is up...but for me, this journey is far from over. Tomorrow I set new, realistic goals, and push play on a new day. I'm ready to invest another 90 days of sweat equity into myself with a second round of P90X, this time the 'classic' version. Who wants to go along for the ride? If you're game and ready to make some changes in your life, sign up for FREE Team Beachbody membership with me as your coach, here. Let me know how I can help...because I'm willing and able as soon as you are committed.

Sometimes you gotta' be a little INSANE!!

2009-06-25T12:44:00.002-04:00

Greetings and salutations! As you know, variety is the spice of life. I consider myself a P90X/Tony Horton girl through and through, but sometimes you just have to go a little out of your comfort zone and see what else is out there. You know, push yourself in new ways, just to see what the 'ol body can do. Well let me tell you, Shaun T's new program, "Insanity," does JUST that!

I received a preview copy of one of the DVDs (Plyometric Cardio Circuit) that will be part of the full Insanity package about five weeks ago, and have done the 42 minute workout on five different occassions. It's SERIOUS cardio, and a butt-kicking good time! I found myself, more than once, asking myself (while gasping for air), "Is this guy crazy?" Obviously, Insanity lives up to it's name.

So, for those of you who want to dig a little deeper and see how fit you REALLY are, you might just give Insanity 60 days of your time. Don't be shocked...there's no Hip Hop Abs here, it's pure cardio drills where you keep up a high intensity for a longer time with a short rest period. Shaun T has simply pushed interval training to a new level.

Scheduled to be released in July, once released, you will be able to order it here. If you'd like a heads up on the release date, just send me an e-mail through my coaching page, and I'll let you know when it's available. Once you're ready for some Insanity, you might want a little support, so go ahead and sign up for my fitness crew and I can help you on those days when you, too, think Shaun T. might just be a little insane...

Something for Everybody...so cut the excuses!

2009-06-20T09:17:00.021-04:00

Greetings and Salutations everyone! I've gotten a ton of comments lately about how motivational others find me because of my personal commitment to my P90X workouts. Yeah, it's true that I have pushed play every day for almost 90 days, but let's be honest here. I had to make some serious changes in my life in order to make that happen. I haven't always been the most health-conscious, fitness oriented person...in fact, my family is shocked that I lasted one week with Tony Horton and his "Bring it!" madness. They all figured that I'd stick with it for awhile, get frustrated, and plop my butt back on the sofa. Part of the challenge for me was in proving them wrong, but more importantly it was about ditching the excuses that I would have made in the past.

However, along the way something life changing happened...I fell in love with exercise, my gains in strength, and more importantly, I fell in love with myself again. I found my niche, that product or exercise regimen that works for me, and because I found that 'something' that I truly enjoy, I'm inspired and motivated to do it again, and again, and again, day after day.

We can all make excuses that prevent us from making change in our lives. We're too tired, the kids have baseball practice, we have dinner to cook for the family, we work too many hours, "The Biggest Loser" is on, blah, blah, blah. I made those same excuses...but they certainly didn't help me in feeling better physically and mentally, and they certainly didn't make me a healthier person. I finally made the commitment to work out because I want to feel less tired at the end of the day, I want to feel good in my own skin, and because I want to be the healthiest version of myself for both myself AND my family. Guess what? Working out actually works! Sometimes it would be easier to fall back into that rut where my excuses run my life, but I'm not willing to jeapordize the good work that I've done on me. I've invested too much in my self, committed that sweat equity into myself, and you what what else? I deserve it! I deserve the opportunity to invest in myself. I think you do, too.

I've included a little video that highlights many of the programs available through Beachbody. For those of you who say time is of the essence, check out 10-Minute trainer or Slim in 6. Want to punch and kick your stress away? Turbo Jam might be the ticket for you. Want to include some serious strength training? ChaLean Extreme or P90X may be a perfect fit. Just find something that you like and enjoy, so that you can commit to doing it every day. If you have any questions about any of the products available through Beachbody, just send me a message through my coaching page. Otherwise, find an activity that gets your heart rate up and get moving, today! Don't put it off until tomorrow or next week...because if you do, you may never start. Today's the day...so get to it!

You can also sign up to be part of my fitness team here (just click the little "Join") tab at the top of the page). It's FREE, and you'll get some messages from me from time to time to keep you on top of your game. If you need help with fitness or nutrition questions, I'm there. Oh, and did I say already that it was FREE?! Plus, if you ever desire that motivational kick in the pants, I'd be more than happy to do the kicking when needed!

One Day at a Time...

2009-06-13T16:43:00.008-04:00

Greetings and Salutations my friends! I had the opportunity today to travel to Atlanta for a Beachbody business meeting that had Tony Horton (fitness trainer extraordinaire for those of you who may not recognize him) as a special guest speaker. In one word, I'd categorize his talk with us as simply inspirational.

Tony is all about getting people healthier. You see, we have a HUGE epidemic in our country called obesity. Sadly, it's only getting BIGGER (Georgia, the state where the business meeting was held holds the current record--along with three other states--as having the highest rate of obesity in the U.S. at over 30% of the state's population), and the only way we can reverse this trend is to get people off their butts and moving again. The consequences of not making changes can be catestrophic...diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, heck, even death.

So here's a little tidbit that Tony said several times (he would call them "little nuggets") that I thought was really key: "If you worked out today, you're already healthier than you were yesterday." Think about it...just one workout improves your health. Imagine if you string 7 of those in a row? How about 14? 21? 90? How about a lifetime? Imagine the benefits you'd reap from a lifetime of exercise. Think the trend towards obesity might shift? Think we might be able to reap some benefits as a nation?

I know, I know, you have kids to take to baseball, after school piano practice, dinner to cook for the family, dogs to walk, and "Dancing with the Stars" is back on, so I know that's a priority as well. BUT, shouldn't you be a priority somewhere in that 24-hour day? Isn't there 60 minutes, 45 minutes, 30 minutes, heck even 10 minutes that you could give just to yourself and your own health?

There are all kids of programs that you can do right from the comfort of your own home (or those that take place outside as well if you prefer), that run the gamut of time required from 10 minutes (Tony Horton's 10 minute trainer), 30-45 minutes (Chalene Johnson's Turbo Jam), as well as longer, more intense programs such as P90X and ChaLean Extreme). Heck, you can even put the kids in a stroller, or put the dog on a leash and go for a walk...it doesn't matter to me as long as you make the committment to do SOMETHING for yourself that makes you healthier today than you were yesterday.

As Tony Horton always says, "Do your best, and forget the rest." It's important folks to take that time out for you, and for you only. Those people in your life really would like for you to be there for as long as possible, and if you can put a little sweat equity into yourself, the benefits will be well worth it. If you have questions about these workout programs, or want some fitness support, let me know.

I'm off to workout...I want to be healthier than I was yesterday.

The Numbers Game

2009-06-05T12:00:00.004-04:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! I've gotten some recent e-mails and messages through Facebook about, you guessed it, that number on the scales: Why is it going up, why have I plateaued, why isn't it dropping as quickly as it should?. Let me tell you...I understand your pain, but we need to look at a few things here.

That number on the scale isn't the end all be all to weight loss. In fact, that number on the scale can oftentimes do more to hurt your efforts at weight loss than it can to help. Oh sure, when the numbers drop each week, we're elated and it helps boost our motivation. But what happens when it doesn't work that way? After a week of busting our butts, do we simply quit when we don't lose a number on the scale? I know of more than one person who simply gave up exercising and eating right after 2, 3, 4, 8 weeks because they didn't meet the 'magic number' that they had in their head. Come on now...you and I both know that there's more to being healthy than a scale, and is that scale SO powerful that it's going to allow you to quit and not meet your goals?

My advice is to ditch the scale. Put it in the linen closet, put it somewhere out of reach so you're not tempted to just take a peak. Instead, look at the other fantastic ways your body is showing you that you're making strides towards your goals. Do your clothes fit loser? Do you look more toned in the mirror? Have you lost the double chin? Do your biceps no longer wave in the breeze when your hands are in the air? How about that muffin top? Gone yet? Take pictures of yourself every 30 days and put them side by side. What changes do you see? If you've been taking your fitness and nutrition seriously, I know without a doubt that you will see progress.

When I first started my cycle of P90X in April, I was elated with the scale. I dropped about 10 pounds that first 30 days, but when I compared my day 1 to day 30 pictures, I wasn't as elated; I really didn't look that different. At day 60, I only lost another 4 pounds, and I'll be honest, got a little discouraged, but when I looked at my side by side pictures from day 30 to 60, the difference was HUGE! The layer of blubber from my middle was gone, the muffin top missing, and arms with definition. HUGE changes, not on the scale, but in inches and pant's sizes (even though I weigh more now than I did when I met my husband, I'm a full pant's size smaller!). Even yesterday, as I was walking the dogs and got caught in a rainstorm, I ran home 3/4 of a mile. Not ONCE did my shorts ride up my inner thighs! Now THAT is progress.

It's time to get to work...keep working hard at it, push the play button (on an exercise DVD, silly), go for a run, push the kids in the stroller, do something to get your body moving and your heartrate up. But do NOT get yourself stuck in the rut of staring at the scale. Need some help? Just join my fitness team here with a free account and I'll be more than happy to help you along the way. If you need me to come over and throw out your scale, I'll be more than happy to do that for you as well!

The Power of Two

2009-05-29T13:17:00.006-04:00

Greetings and saluations my friends. I've had a lot of people ask me lately about staying motivated, and how I stay motivated to keep working out every day. The answer to this isn't always easy...there are certain things in my life that I enjoy, that make me feel powerful and strong, and doing them is a no-brainer to me. Working out is simply one of those things. At the end of a workout, I get great satisfaction in knowing that I just invested in my health, and that working out again the next day will simply be an even better investment in myself. It's my own personal sweat equity in me. Today I did P90X's Chest and Back for the first time...and let me tell you, I was grunting and groaning and cursing Tony Horton out during that second set of Dive Bomber push-ups, but after it was all over, I was pretty darned proud of myself, too. It's that satisfaction that makes me want to come back for more tomorrow.

That said, the deck you see above has been one of those things that I've been promising to take care of for the past 18 months (seriously, I DESPISE home improvement projects and will do anything to get out of doing them). It's been awhile since it was stained and treated, and the poor thing was starting to look pretty ratty, and you certainly didn't want to go out on it in bare feet. But I just kept putting it off and putting it off. Well, that ended today because my mom, Marilyn, is in town, and when you mention something to Marilyn about a project that needs to get done, I assure you, it WILL get done.

Mom arrived at my house this morning at 8:00 a.m. ready for battle with the deck. She gave me time to work out while she had her morning Diet Coke (I know, I know, but she drank TAB when she was pregnant with me, so Diet Coke is probably a step up) and then it was time to work. And you know what? Even though it took us 3 hours to get the project done together we had a great time. Even at hour 2:20 when I was ready to call it a day, mom pushed for more and insisted that I touch up about 40 more places. Upon finishing, I look at my now beautiful deck with a sense of pride and accomplishment, something that I couldn't have done had mom not been there for me today. She was a tremendous help to me, not only because she picked up a paint brush, too, but because oftentimes those things that we just don't want to do, are much more doable when we have support.

So don't think you're alone in your battle for improved fitness. If you don't have a friend to workout with, sign up for a free account on my coaching page and then you can access WOWY, the Beachbody online supergym where you can find others with whom you can become accountable. Also, you'll also have little old me to help you along the way whenever you need it, because I know that there is more power in two than there ever will be in one alone.

A Nation in Need...

2009-05-28T18:39:00.000-04:00

Greetings and salutations my friends! When I first saw the image at the left, I managed a brief chuckle before the reality of it sunk in.

As many of you know, I'm a teacher. 8th grade to be exact, and there's a trend that bothers me more and more each day...the rising number of overweight and obese adults and children that walk the face of our planet each and every day. According to the Center for Disease Control (2009), 66% of Americans over the age of 20 are currently overweight or obese. SIXTY-SIX PERCENT!!! That's two out of every three people, folks. To make it even better, 32% of Americans over 20 are more than merely overweight, they're obese. Those are some pretty sad, and alarming, statistics. In addition, almost 20% of children (teens and younger) are already fighting the battle of the bulge and are overweight.

Why, you ask? Well, my guess is because we've become a nation of indulgence where everything must come to us in a hurry. Hungry? There's a fast food restaurant on every corner. Don't like the number on the scale? I'm sure there's an advertisement on television or in a magazine that promises instant weight loss in mere minutes (or with zero effort) a day.

I hate to be the one to burst your bubble my friends, but there's nothing quick or easy about fighting this battle. It takes work, and committment, and serious changes in the way you eat and move your body every day for the rest of your life. But you know what? The good news is that if you do start making those changes, you WILL see results. So, why not make today the day? Start moving everyone...play with your kids at the park, stay up in two-point for 15 minutes straight (for my horse friends, you know this is a thigh burner), walk the dogs, go to the gym, crank the elliptical higher, go for a run, start one of the fantastic workout programs available through Beachbody, SOMETHING to get your heart rate up so you can build some sweat equity in yourself.

To make it even easier, I can help. Join my fitness team here with a FREE account. Not only do you get great information about fitness and nutrition, you also get me as your free coach, your own 'go to gal' for your questions and motivational needs. So what are you waiting for? Today's the day, my friends; it's a win-win situation and a decision you won't regret!

References:

Center for Disease Control. (April 2, 2009). "Fast Stats: Overweight Prevalance." Retrieved May 28, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm.