You go girl!

This post is dedicated to my long time girlfriend Trenita Dickey! Trenita and I have been very close friends since our Freshman year in college. Trenita recently said that she was ready to make some changes! She decided to embrace better eating habits and fitness. When she initially told me I had no doubt for a minute that she wouldn't be successful because of her stong personality and her "no excuses" attitude. She joined and gym and that was all she wrote. She dedicated time for her workout no matter what! She started making healthy choices with her meals and scaling back her portions and viola just a few months and over 30 pounds later Trenita has seen the pounds and inches melt away from her body. We have had many conversations about her weight loss and how great she feels over all. She has watched her waist shrink and her stamina build and she is never turning back. Friends and family have seen the glow in her and are encouraging her all the way! She is excited to go shopping and try on smaller, cuter and dare I say cheaper clothes!

Tenita is looking forward to the spring when the coats and the sweaters are peeled off and the new her is revealed. She is comitted to a new lifestyle not a diet but permanent changes that will last a life time. Check out her "before" and "in progress" pics. You go Trenita! Keep up the good work, I'm your number one cheerleader! I love you!!

Happy New Year...a new you in 2012?

New Year's Resolutions anyone? Blah blah blah. I know you are seeing all the Nutrisystem and Weightwatchers Commercials and wondering if this will be your year to get it together! Why not? Start now, even if you have tried and tried again you can always keep trying and one day it will stick. Make healthy food choices and get moving this is your year!

The Holiday Season has arrived

We have sailed passed Thanksgiving and if you are like me you over ate! Get over it and get back on track and focus. Christmas is on our heels and you know what that means! Parties, family get-togethers, office treats, and food, food, food will be all around. This can be a good thing, think of the the money you'll save buying your own food when you can partake in all of the delights you have been invited to. Be careful, this can be worse than mine field! You have to navigate around the high fat, high sugar, high sodium goodies and choose wisely and yes it's hard and you will be limited but you can do it. Concentrate more on the holiday and the conversation than the food. Grab the small appetizer plate and fill up on the carrot sticks and whole wheat crackers with hummus, even treat yourself to a small slice of cake but if you go to three parties three days in a row just one slice at one party not all three please. Plan, plan, plan and never go in hungry, have some water or an apple before a holiday affair and the temptation won't be as great. I'm on a mission to shed a few pounds I put on over the summer and it's easier for me to shed weight in the winter. For some of you it may be the opposite because of all the goodies that are around. Of course none of this will make a difference without exercise. I'm currently hooked on my Saturday boot camp because it pushes me to do things I know I won't push myself to do. Sometimes we need to be held accountable, we need to know someone is paying attention and we staraighten up and fly right! Get it together now, don't wait for the new year just think how far you will be in it by the new year! Woohoo!!!

Just because you're not sick doesn't mean you're healthy!

Too many times we ignore signs that our bodies tell us that something is wrong! Are you getting routine doctors check-ups? More improtantly are you listening to your body and are you taking proactive steps to live a long healthy life. Your health status can change in the blink of an eye. We tend to think all is well because we don't "feel" sick. This may not be the case that's why regular health screenings are so important. Things like blood pressure, diet and exercise play a critical role in our health and these are things you can control. If you have the power why not use it? Sounds simple enough but so many people don't for whatever reason. Take control of what you have power over. You have control over every fork full that goes in your mouth! You decided when to get up and exercise or whether or not you are going to sit on the couch with some chips. Make a conscious decision to make whatever changes you need to make for a happier, healthier you. Even though your weight plays a major role don't be fooled to think that just because you aren't overweight that you are automatically healthy. Not true! So many people that look slim have the worst eating habits and may be in worse shape than some overweight people. Today is Halloween and Lord know I love any piece of candy with peanut butter in it. I really have to make an effort to stay away from the treat bag tonight! I won't even allow myself one piece becasuse it will lead to piece number two. I have to tell myself I already know what it tastes like so why eat it? Thanksgiving is around the corner and so is Christmas. That means food food food. Make your plan now to avoid overindulging! Just take care of YOU!

You are in control!

No more excuses. Plan to succeed in your weight and fitness goals. Treat it just like you would a job...because it is!!! If being fit and losing weight were easy everyone would be at their ideal weight and companies selling lies in a bottle wouldn't be making billions a year in brainwashing folks into thinking they don't have to put in any work. The good thing is so much of the work is outlined for you. Find what works best for you and stick with it! You can't be "good" for a week and workout once and then get mad because the scale hasn't budged and you throw in the towel. Nope you'll never succeed! Be patient and set short goals with realistic expectations! Trust me if you stay consistent you will see results and you will surprise yourself! So as you all know I'm always looking for a new fitness challenge and I have found yet another one. I'm in week 3 of a fitness boot camp and loving it! It's Saturday mornings at 6am and I look forward to it! I still do my regular gym work outs at the gym and I have found myself incorporating some of he same routines. The great part is it's so hard and that's what I love about it. It is 100% hard work the entire hour and it's never the same thing twice, maybe the same types of exercises but always switched up in a way that makes it more and more challenging. The first week I could barely do burpies and mountain climbers. If you don't know what these are go to You Tube and put them in the search box. Dozens of demos and they are no joke. I'm already so much better at them already in week 3. Burpies are the #1 fat burning exercise you can do and trust me you will know why when you do them. Notice how I said "When" not "If"? I'm expecting you all to try them. Don't give up! You are in control!!

WE are not alone!

So I discovered a new blog today and quickly signed up to become a follower, the blog is Fat Girl Dives In just reading her blog I could so relate and it was refreshing! So many of us struggle with weight it's no secret but it's harder I think to keep it all bottled up inside. Sometimes it helps just to share your insecurities, your victories and defeats and know that you aren't the only one going through it. So as the days start to get a little shorter and the breezes are getting cooler in the morning I'm thinking of how much I dread fall and winter. Not to worry gonna stay on my A game and try not to beat myself up over everything. I am too hard on myself and I have to learn to congratulate myself for reaching small goals which I tell people all the time to set for themselves. Everyone wants to look at the broad picture but you'll find the short-term goals are so much easier and less stressful. What are your short-term goal? Now that I'm thinking, what are mine? I actually want to cut back on my gym time! It really is time consuming but it also increases my appetite so I think I want to go back to 3 or 4 days a week verses the 5 or 6 I'm doing now. Especially since school is back in and the kids are going to have more activities. Of course I need my "ME" time but I have to keep that balance. So good luck with your short term goals and by all means please share with me and remember we are not alone!

A Serious Consideration

As I have blogged about before, I get many requests from friends and strangers alike who request my services to help them get on the weight loss train. It's part of the reason I started this blog because I was so tired of repeating myself (although it excites me every time) and I am so inspired by others success. I can truly say that I am passionate about what I say about my journey but it's just that...my journey. Although I tell people all the time "If it worked for me it can work for you too!" I think I need to add a caveat to that statement. You must be mentally ready to commit to yourself. Commit time, finances, and all the strength physically and mentally you can muster. You also have to be selfish and not make excuses. So I say all this to say I am really considering doing some consulting for weight loss and exercise. I have been turning down money to do what I love! What the hell is wrong with me? I asked my Biggest Loser team at work all the time, "Do you know how much people pay for the results you are getting for listening to me?" They were getting it free! LOL but it was because I believed in them and they were committed and that dedication showed in their weight loss. Anyway I digress...let me know what you think, this may take off, it may not, the point is I am considering!