Your Personal "Why?"

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?

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!

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!

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?

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!

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...

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.