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Friday, August 5, 2011

My Best Friend's Wedding

My Best Friend Brittany's wedding is coming up in a week. My daughter is her flower girl and we are both super excited. I went shopping for a dress last night and love the dress but realized I need to really focus on my diet and exercise this week so that I feel good in the dress. So here is my plan. I'm going to do a shakeology cleanse on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week. I'm only going to drink water and Shakeology, aka no pop, sugary coffee etc. I'm going to try and do Hip Hop Abs or modified workouts every day! If it works like it usually does I could lose up to 10 pounds in the next week! That would be super exciting and I would feel much better in the dress that I love. This is a reminder that no matter how far in advance you know about a special event you should start preparing right away! You never know how quickly that event will sneak up on you!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Mobile!

I'm mobile people! Well at least in the walking sense! I can't drive for at least another week so that limits my getting out and about, but at least I can walk! I did ask him the dreaded "when can I workout" question and the answer was not what I as hoping for. He said atleast 12 weeks total til I can work out. This means I still have 8 weeks left! Ah how am I going to make it! So I'm doing some research to see if any of the BeachBody programs would allow me to still workout with out any intense plyometrics. I used to be one to find excuses to get out of working out, especially in high school when it came to P.E.. But now I am so stressed out not being able to do anything! I'm getting frustrated! I need to do something or I'm going to go crazy! My try Hip Hop Abs tonight...not remembering any impact moves with that one! And I could always use a focus on my abs! I'm less likely to eat in my house because I hate going to the grocery store more than I have to, so that will be better on controlling my calories and making sure I don't over eat. The downside is I'm more likely to forget my Thyroid medicine and that prevents my metabolism from performing correctly, which prevents weightloss. So right now I'm trying to figure out something to make me remember! I'm really focusing on Personal Development lately. I've been through a lot in the past several years so I'm taking this time to become the person I was meant to be. I want to be the best that I can be for my daughter! Nothing else is more important than that. I also saw a post today from a friend labeled "Goodbye Beautiful Body, Hello Beautiful Baby"...do people really think it has to be that way?!?! You can so have both! Just look at my friends Tarah Carr and Lauren Knight! They are two hot mommas and have gorgeous babies! You need to be happy with your body so that you don't give your child the wrong ideas about body image! So get to where you want to be now and learn healthy habits so you can teach your child those habits and values! Well sorry for the rambling post I'll try to structure my next ones!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Needed Break

Do you ever feel like you just need a break for certain things in your life and you will come back stronger and better after. That's what last week was like for me. I was sick, behind in school, and tired. So I decided to slow down on the business side and get my health and school back in order. I feel now I am able to hit this full force and knock some socks off some people! I am really excited recently because a sad but exciting opportunity has come into play. My 8-star upline coach who was really over everything that happened in Decatur, has decided to move to Atlanta. Although this is really sad and everyone is going to miss her, it is an opportunity for others to step up to the plate and take charge. A good friend of mine, Jason, and I have decided to take this and run with it. So we are collaborating our ideas and we hope to set Decatur on fire for this business and especially their health! I'm excited for the opportunity to become a leader for our community. I've done a lot of work personally in my life. Reading Personal Development books and just focusing on my inner self has helped me tremendously! I feel like a totally new person! So I hope that you can watch me step up to where I need to be and become someone that other's come to for help with their fitness and nutrition and just life in general! Love you all and thanks for reading!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Cutting Calories is a Good Thing Right?

Most people know that the common rule of weight loss is to eat fewer calories than you burn. This is true. In order to lose a pound you need a deficit of 3500 calories. But doing this in a short amount of time can back fire one you. How you ask? When you body gets too little calories it goes into what we call starvation mode. The body starts to store fat instead of shedding it in order to prepare for "starvation". It's afraid it won't get food so it stores up instead. This will cause you to either hit a wall or even gain weight. NOT WHAT YOU WANT! So the MOST that I suggest you deficit from your day is 1000 calories. Now ok this does not mean that you only eat like 500 calories and burn 1500 working out 6 hours a day! NO! Your body burns calories when you are asleep! This is figured into your burn for the day. A calorie burn is all of your burn for the day...this includes digestion, moving, chewing, EVERYTHING! The equation for your resting metabolic rate if you are a female is this: (10 x w) + (6.25 x h) - (5 x a) - 161. W= weight in KG (lb/2.2) h=height in cm, a=age. So a 143 pound 5'5 21 year old's RMR would be as follows (10x65) + (6.25 x 165.1) - (5 x 21) = 650 + 1032 (rounded) - 105 = 1577. This means even doing NOTHING all day you burn 1577 calories. So if you wake up and walk to the bathroom...boom more calories. A normal person with a sedentary job would most likely burn an additional 500-800 calories. I highly suggest going to www.teambeachbody.com and figuring out your caloric needs under "Eat Smart" then Nutrition Tools. This will give you the calories you need to eat based on the RMR, BMR, and activety level as well as goals! If you are really serious I highly suggest a BodyBugg. It's 90% more accurate in giving you your exact calorie burn for the day! The meal plans on the Team BeachBody site will also help you stay in your calorie goal. I did a review of the BodyBugg in an earlier post so please check it out! So don't workout all day then only eat 1000 calories. You will be fatigued, have headaches, and NOT LOSE WEIGHT! If you have more questions or need help figuring out you caloric needs just message me on fb!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Day 1 of the 30 Day Challenge and my PB2 Review!

Today officially started the 30 day Summer Shakedown Challenge! I have 3 girls doing it now and I'm so excited for them! I text each of them this morning with a word of encouragement and a tip of the day! One of the girls text me back and said she tried TurboFire and it was...and I quote..."that was 1027477282 times better" than the other program she used to do! I love converting people to my FAVORITE workout ever!It's just such high energy and the music makes you want to workout! Jeez please just click the TurboFire link to the right because the video speaks for itself!!! Now my diet on the other hand wasn't 100 percent today because I was at my grandparents. Now I love them to death, but fudge, ice cream, and chinese food are staples at their house. It's really hard to say you want something that they have to go out of their way to fix. So I had general tso's and ate very little. I fixed my unhealthy lunch option with a nutritionally power packed Shakeology for dinner. One thing was a little different with this Shakeology than any other I have had so far...PB2.

I learned about PB2 from other coaches and customers in the business but never really did any research til lately. I looked online and the prices are reasonable but the shipping is a little pricey. Luckily I found a local store that carries it. They had one left and said that they sell out like crazy. So note to self "stock up the next time they are in!". I was a little skeptical at first...would powdered peanut butter live up to my desire for creamy delicious peanut butter? and the results are in....IT DID! I could taste the Peanut Butter right away! It was a little more gritty than usual but I think if I try and mix the PB2 with the water first it would be better. Either way it was a great way to get my favorite taste of Peanut Butter with 85% less fat and only 45 calories compared to 190 in regular peanut butter. I will forever use this unless for some horrid reason I run out before I can get more! My tip for the day is learned from the Japanese and is about portions and fullness and is called "Hara Hachi Bu". It's about stopping eating when you are only 80% full because your stomach is probably really 100% full. This has helped the Okinawan's live longer and healthier than any other people in the world! This by chewing your food at least 20 times before swallowing or taking sips of water in between bites! I hope to visit Okinawa some day to not only visit a fellow coach and internet friend Tarah Carr, but to also learn secrets like these from the healthy and fit elderly there!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

30 Day Challenge Count Down

Hi All! I'm so excited because in 2 hours we officially launch the 30 day Summer Shakedown Challenge! This is 30 days on one on one motivation, support, and education about health and fitness. At the same time it's a competition to win a prize at the end, plus get the benefit of better health and wellbeing! I'm excited because at the end of this 30 days is my friend Brittany's wedding! I'm so looking forward to wearing a cute dress and feeling comfortable in it! Plus Bailey is the flower girl so I'm going to have to be in front of people trying to help her! The thing that I have learned in the past few weeks is how to get over temptation. It's amazing how just changing your eating habits for three weeks can curve your cravings and help you feel better. I had been eating so healthy for the past week and a half especially, and then Saturday night I had finished my cleanse and I was hungry. I have migraines and hypoglycemia so sometimes the cleanse is hard for me. So I just wanted good thick food!!! So I ate food that was CRAP, and what did I feel like afterwards? CRAP!!! OMG I regretted every bite I put in my mouth. So no more of that! I don't crave sweets anymore...sweets for me now are either frozen grapes or dark chocolate squares. I love these treats and they don't break the calorie bank! I also love my dinners. I use the rule of 1/2 my plate being a veggie, 1/4 being a carb, and 1/4 being meat (about 3-4 oz). For example tonight

this was my dinner, the carb was the corn, veggie was the asparagus, and then I had 4 oz of grilled chicken. Then if you can't eat chicken alone like me, I use BBQ sauce...and thick BBQ sauce...this way you use less and BBQ sauce isn't highly caloric!! This was sooooo filling and tasty!!! I also watch the FOOD Channel...you might think this just makes me hungry and I eat more...but I watch it to learn how to make delicious dishes with substitutes to make it more healthy! You'd be surprised that many of the shows show great ways and different ways to make vegetables! Also watch the portions they use...they are much smaller than we are used to in America...but they are what we are suppose to eat!! So if you want lasagna go for it...but eat the RIGHT portion. I perfer to eat MORE food like a huge salad...than a small piece of lasagna. Or I'll pick one meal to eat less and plan small snacks around it that are low calorie but filling. Like grean beans with spray butter and steak seasoning. It's about 70 calories and a huge portion. Great idea to add to a small meal! Message me on FB for more ideas or help! I would love to know your goals and where you are in life!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Day 2 of the Cleanse

I couldn't wait to post this! I got on the scale this morning to see a....drum roll....5 lb drop!! I almost started dancing, then I remembered I still can't put weight on my foot! So happy with my results so far! I feel lighter and I feel great! I am still struggling with the headaches though. Still haven't decided if its stress, weather, being cooped up in this house, or the calorie drop. Today I'm going to say the calorie drop because no one was here at lunch time to fix me my shakeology so I still haven't had it...that only puts me at like 200 calories so far and that is definitely not enough! So I can't wait for my mom to get home and fix me my salad and shake! I'm going in to work for a few hours tonight so hopefully that will not only help my headaches but my mood as well! oh and I also just did my first ever YouTube video and you should check it out and tell me what you think! I'm so excited to finally get my story out there and so that people know why I'm not skinny like I was a year ago. I love motivational videos of other people's stories and I hope that this can help someone else~ Well short blog today! See you tomorrow!

YOUTUBE LINK: http://youtu.be/Q6TqidnXe_M

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Shakeology Cleanse Day 1!!!

Ok so my Best Friend's bridal shower is Saturday...first public appearance besides church since my surgery. So what am I going to do? A Shakeology Cleanse of course!!! Gotta look good at that party! Especially since my friend is a super fit woman and I'm going to look like her someday. At first I wasn't sure...I was really hungry this morning and my usually egg white on toast sounded so good...BUT I did it! I had my shake for Breakfast and Lunch. Only water and ice mixed into it! I've also just been drinking tea and water all day (besides my coffee this morning!). For dinner I did the salad with chicken on it. Now I'm waiting to have me midnight snack of my last shake! I can so do this for two more days! I did get a migraine tonight, thought at first it was the calorie restriction, but then I looked at the radar and noticed it was probably the massive storm on its way, not my diet. After a run to the pharmacy for some emergency Rx meds, I'm feeling much better! Had the Shakeology Summer Shakedown Challenge Kick-Off webinar too! It was awesome! My success story was shared and I got to share a lot through the chat! Its amazing what information we can share together to inspire and motivate people! I can't wait for this Challenge to start so I can be there for my girls and help motivate them to get them results!! This is going to be amazing! I still have some spots left if you want to join!!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Accountability

This is probably the biggest key factor in any success. Whether it's Network marketing, job hunting, relationships, or weight loss. You need someone by your side who is going to push you to do more, be more, and achieve more. Think about it, if you had to get on the phone every night and tell your best friend that you didn't do anything you were suppose to do that day, that would suck. You would feel like you were a failure. Now if you are competitive like I am there is another key to this. If you get on that call and your friend tells you she did 5 exposures about her business, did a 60 minute workout, ate clean, drank 8 glasses of water, 20 minutes of Personal Development, and spent an hour bounding with their husband. Then you have to turn around and tell her you only did 2 exposures, 20 minutes of exercise, had some pizza, drank only half your water, skipped your Personal Development, and didn't do anything with your friends or significant other. You would feel like he or she won. So every day I do the most that I can physically do so that I can get on that call with my success partner and at least feel like we did what we could do if not more! It challenges us to be better and that is something you need to do where ever you are in life. I bet you even the top people in Fortune 500 companies still have people who keep the accountable. I've had a sort of success partner in the past week and I have my Success Club Team Challenge Team that I have a weekly call with as well to keep me in check. Since I started that, in the past week, I have made so much progress with my business and myself! I'm eating better, exercising what I can, doing my personal development, getting my at least 2 exposures in a day, and staying on top of everything! I love how having someone there keeping me in check isn't a burden but a lift in my life! If you need someone to keep you accountable let me know! I'm starting a 30 day Summer Shakedown Challenge Monday and its all about accountability! I would love to have you join!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

depression

I have struggled off and on with depression since I was 16 years old. It started when my relationship with my daughter's father began and has haunted me since. I spent days in high school just sitting in an office with a counseler just crying. It was mostly due to the fact that her dad tore out every ounce of self confidence, trust, and worth I had in me. I got to my smallest weight in high school because I just stopped eating or sleeping, or the opposite I slept all the time. After Bailey was born I struggled with it again. Afraid I wasn't going to be able to provide for her, that I wasn't going to be able to find her a dad she could actually look up to etc., and again when my ex fiance started the process of leaving me and then when he left. Sometimes I store it up and then it just eats at me. I'm a firm believer that I don't have a reason to be depressed because other's have it much worse. This was instilled in me from an early age. So I'll just start crying out of the blue because I've let it build up in me. Then I feel bad for feeling the way I do. Well I learned to overcome this with exercise. When I'm sad, depressed, angry, etc I run, I clean, I do TurboFire, I kickbox the hell out of something...and I'm better. I've been stuck on a couch for a week, I can't walk let alone the things above. I'm in a house that isn't mine. I have no control over anything and that is a problem for me. Today I quit my hotel job permenantly, then 6 hours later got a call from the job I kept and was promised 30 hours at...telling me she only can give me 13. Now I am job hunting again. Other things are bothering me which I can't talk about on this page due to the readers who I know have atleast previously read this. Then there is men, I like a guy, one that isn't taken or I find out is severly overage for me, and yet I feel like I have no chance. I can't trust myself to go out there and see. My selfconfidence is something I'm still working on due to my recent re-weight gain. So I'm admitting...I'm not positive 100% of the time, I have my down days, like I think everyone is entitled too. So don't put a smile on 24/7 if what you really need is just a good cry. Cause that's what I'm doing tonight, I'm going to get out a good long cry...then wake up tomorrow with a smile because I dealt with it and I'm going to see the best in everything I can. Each day God gives us the chance to start over and wake up refreshed.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

PB2 and Fireworks

I have had many friends tell me about PB2 and the benefits of it but I thought it was going to be really expensive so I didn't pay much attention to it. Well today I realized that for every Shakeology I was making I was adding 190 extra calories to the shake. So I googled the PB2 to research it. It is a powdered peanut butter that can be mixed in to anything. It has 85% less calories and only packs 45 calories into 2 tablespoons instead of 190. Ok so that part sounded great but how much am I going to shell out for this? Enter the shop page. You get 4 of the one pound bags for just $30 dollars! Thats a lot of peanut butter! Considering most little jar of peanut butter is 5 dollars, that isn't that bad at all! So as soon as I can get the order in I'm getting it and I'm so excited! I won't feel as guilty about my shakes. Now, for the fun! Fourth of July weekend! Luckily I only have one party to go to this weekend so I won't have the temptations that I thought I would have. I managed to semi-stand on a scale and realized I hadn't gained a pound! yay! This is really exciting to me because I've not even really moved in the past 5 days. Today I probably got to work out some more calories because I got up, showered/bathed, dressed, put makeup on, crutched out the car, wheelchaired all around the church, and everything. I'm still going to stay on my 800-1000 calorie goal so that maybe I can start losing weight. Now I'm getting ready to crutch my way back to the church for games, food, socialization, and fireworks! It's going to be a hot one!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

The Boredum is Overtaking Me!

It's amazing how bored one can get sitting on the couch for four days straight. Movies don't entertain you anymore...books get old...facebook can only be updated so many times. So I'm taking this time to do some research...on diets, BB workouts, and more. I've learned alot. Most of the information I already knew but is refreshing to hear again. I have more confidence now that I can accomplish my goals and that it won't be as hard as it may have seemed at first. Before the surgery I was having issues with my diet. I knew the foods I needed to eat but I had problems with my calorie goal. I thought that I couldn't be full in the calorie goal that I set for myself. In the past four days I haven't gone over 1000 calories a day. Now that is no where close to the amount of calories I need to eat on a normal day where I am walking and working out. Not once in the four days have I been "hungry". So now if I added the 500-800 calories on a normal day there is no reason I should be starving at any point. The thing is finding foods that are low calorie but filling. Vegetables and fruits are key. Today I had a huge plate full of food...and only 250 calories on the plate. Why how? I had 3/4 of the plate full of green beans with spray butter and steak seasoning. The rest was 3 oz of salmon. It was so delicious, and filling. Eating slowly is another key to staying in calorie goals. If we eat fast our body doesn't have the time to process when you are full. So here is a way to make sure that happens. Drink one glass of water 30 minutes before a meal. Sip on the water in between every 1-2 bites during the meal. Then drink another glass after the meal. This way your body thinks it's full sooner and you can stop eating at the right time. Another way is to eat small meals several times a day. 6 meals at 200-300 calories each can keep you satisfied all day. This way you never are starving so you don't binge and go way over your calorie goal. The greatest tool I have found to help is the BodyBugg...I enter in my calories all day long, then about 6 I plug it in to see how many calories I've burned that day...if I'm not close to my 1000 calories deficit I'll go for a run, clean the house, or do TurboFire. If I have worked hard that day and I am there or above the deficit I'll treat myself to a movie or a hot bath as a reward. There are surprising ways I've been able to burn those extra calories as well! I'll turn on Barney and dance to the songs with my daughter, burns tons of calories and I get bonding time with her! Cleaning my bathroom, playing tag in the back yard, folding laundry at work...etc. There is never an excuse not to work out some. Trust me I'm sitting on a couch not able to walk but I'm still doing sit ups, arm curls, anything to keep my muscles in use! So get up and do something! It might not be a workout but moving burns calories!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Bonus Post

Ok so I know I posted today already about the Shakedown Challenge. I had this come up today though and thought it was super important to share. A big part of getting healthy for most people is working out and eating right, but that's not the only thing. I could know that is what is going to get me in shape but my attitude and personality will decide if I succeed. That is why I believe personal development is the biggest factor in your getting healthy success. Positive attitude is what attracts people to you and is what makes you feel good about your life and about your self. If you feel like crap and you are always down, you are less likely to push play and get up off the couch. I also use to think that I couldn't help being depressed and that it was just because of what I was handed. THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE TRUTH. Perspective is everything. I could have sat there and been sad and not done anything. Truth is that my life is a lot better than some and I still have several blessings in my life. I call it "seeing the silver lining". I may have lost my fiance, but now that I look back on it the decision was one that had to be made and was a better choice for both of us. I lost my job, but I was able to find another with in a short period of time while others are still unemployed. I'm a single mother, but at least I have a family that supports me and my daughter is growing up knowing both her mother and father, when some kids don't grow up knowing their real parents at all. Being positive is a real struggle for me, but it's something I'm working on every day and getting better at. I'm not going to please everyone, but I can avoid hurting people. If you think the best of people you are giving them a chance til they prove you wrong. If you automatically judge you may miss out on something great with that person. Think of how much of a better place this world would be if people saw the glass half full and gave people a chance instead of dismissing them on presumptions. I can't change everyone but I can change my perspective on life.

30 Day Summer Shakedown Challenge

Ok so I'm writing this blog to explain something further that I'm doing on Facebook. It's a 30 day diet, exercise, and motivation challenge. I'm accepting 5 people to go through this with me. Each contestant gets a diet plan, picks out an exercise program, orders HD Shakeology, and gets daily motivation and accountability from me. At the beginning each person will send me their measurements and goals for the thirty days. I will give them a meal plan and they will commit to an exercise program. My upline Kristina Sullins will kick it off with a webinar next Thursday and the official challenge will start Monday July 11th. Each day the contestants will send me exactly what they ate and the exercises they did. I will text or call them with motivational quotes and words to get them through their day. I will help them tweak things along the way if I see red flags with any of their reports. At the end of each week they will send me new results and new goals for the next week. Those who reached their weekly goal will get a small prize. Then at the end of the thirty days the one with the most progress will get a bag of Shakeology or workout of their choice. On top of this, if for some reason they didn't like the Shakeology and it didn't help them they can return the empty bag and get their money back. I'm so excited so facebook me if you are interested!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

NO SCALE!!!

Ok since I was probably about 13 years old I ALWAYS used a scale atleast twice a week if not more, especially when I was dieting. Well now that I just had foot surgery I realized that it is going to be almost impossible for me to weigh myself for FOUR WEEKS!!! AH! At first I was upset by this and a little scared because I think that if I don't know my exact number that it won't change. Then I realized that this could be a really exciting time. In four weeks if I keep to my normal goal and plan, I will have lost atleast 8 pounds. That would be so exciting to walk on to the scale and see. My resting metabolic rate is somewhere around 1800...this means doing almost nothing I burn that many calories in one day. So since I literally am doing NOTHING right now but laying on a couch, I've been aiming for 800-1000 calories a day. This will give me a deficit of 800-1000 calories a day...meaning about 2 pounds of weight loss a week (3500 calories= 1 lbs). Now once I'm not crying in pain everytime I move I will do arm exercises and anything else I can think of. When I set a calorie goal of 800 I started to freak out! How in the world could I stay satisfied with that little calories...EASY. It's day two of that calorie goal and I haven't been "starving" yet. I eat about 150 calories for breakfast, 300 calories for lunch, and 300 calories for dinner, leaving me about 50 calories (grapes) for a snack. I'm really surprised at how easy this has been! I've been worrying for months that I would put a ton of hard work into working out and weight loss and then go right back during the surgery...but it looks like the opposite is going to happen! yay!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Footsie!!!

Today was the day of my surgery! It went much better than expected. So far no major pain just some discomfort. The worst part is not being able to move. Over the past week I've been walking/jogging/running 3-5 miles every day and so my body doesn't do well laying on a couch right now. I've lost about 6 pounds in the last two weeks which is 8% of my goal so I'm psyched about that! In order to maintain or lose til I'm released I'm going to have to be hard core about my diet. Luckily I can't eat out or heck barely get to the kitchen so my mom will be able to control what I eat. I also brought home weights to work my arms out and I'm going to try and do sit ups or whatever I can. I'm really worried because I won't be able to consume as many calories because I'm not burning as many. WE are doing what is called a Success Club Team Challenge for Beachbody too so I'm trying to expand my business massively in the next two months! I just love helping other people reach their goals. This isn't about money to me, its about helping them reach healthy goals to better their lifes. Well this is short because I'm on Vicodin and I can barely focus.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Work and Super Saturday

So I'm in my last two shifts of work at the Fairfield. It's not bitter sweet...it's just sweet. I honestly feel so much negative energy when I walk in this place that I just want to leave. Negative energy is not what I need right now. So even though in the next 20 hours I will be working 14 of them, I'm celebrating because I know its the end of a very unpleasant journey. I know a job has to be bad when even my ex tells me I should just not show up because of all the crap they've put me through. He is usually the one saying its not that bad and I should just suck it up. Well anyways enough about the old job and on to the new or more like more full time job. I work at the YMCA in Decatur. It started off as just 8 hours a week in the beginning and I loved the positive energy and the fact that I was helping others reach their goals that I asked for more hours. Now I also work the front desk so I get to meet the members more personally and get to be so positive while I am there. I love the people that I work with too. I think that I have found as a general rule that people who work out have a more positive energy. They have something that they look forward to or at least they have goals in life. I had an extremely busy day today. It started off at 5 am and will last til I jump in bed probably around midnight tonight. I had Come Together, Let's Walk which is our local version of Race for the Cure this morning. My mom is a 2 year survivor of breast cancer and my aunt is a survivor as well. It was a great walk and its always emotional to see all the survivors and the people supporting them! Then I had to rush to meet a friend and drive to Normal, IL for the BeachBody Super Saturday event. This is an event held by local coaches and supported by BeachBody once a quarter. It's an opportunity to share the business and success stories with friends and family, as well as a learning opportunity for existing coaches. You also get to sample shakeology and there is a free workout (I've never had a workout like this!). This Super Saturday was focused around a recap of Summit which is our cooperate event held once a year and is huge! You get to workout with the trainers, shop, meet other coaches, and get to hear first hand about the new things coming for BeachBody! I'm so upset that I missed this year but I was one of the first to purchase my ticket for next year because I won't miss it for anything. The meeting was great and learned a lot about new things coming out. Then came the workout! Mark Briggs leads our workouts, he is a retired cop and a beast lol. He travels around the world with the creator of P90X and does Military trainings and infomercials. Well last year during this "fun" workout he made a girl pass out, so needless to say I was a little scared of what was to come. My great friend and coach, Lauren Knight was there and just having her perfect body in front of me kept me going. It was a brutual workout, moves I didn't think were possible! But I finished (had to modify and slow down at points but I pulled through). You know what? I thought I was going to be exhausted and suffer through my shift, but the workout actually gave me energy! I feel more energitic than I do on a normal day! And I love the feeling after working out....its like a great feeling radiating through your muscles and you feel better about your body! Thats why I want to help other people workout and achieve their goals, cause the feeling is something you can't get elsewhere! Now I wish I had time for my Shakeology today, but I guess I'll have to double up tomorrow! Something I don't have a problem with!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Breakdown Breakthrough

I'm a firm believer that some people just need to breakdown before they can breakthrough. For other's this can drive them insane...they want to help people but they can't til they realize they need their help and are at their bottom. I didn't think I really was near a bottom, didn't see an area where I was completely messed up. Boy was I wrong. Yesterday I broke down. I went to the doctor and stepped on the scale...I hadn't seen that number since pregnancy. Grant it I just had ate lunch and am probably bloated, but still I shouldn't even be close to that. What frustrated me the most is that I tried so hard for the past week to lose weight...I lost 6 pounds but it didn't feel like it at that moment. To make matters worse my Aunt is my nurse so now she knows exactly my weight. She does know though that it was the steroids and stress that got me to where I am, but still it sucks to put it nicely. So needless to say I've watched every drop that's gone in my mouth since then. I've tried something new too, running. I was never a runner, asthma made sure of that. I've learned how to thought with my breathing. Sadly this new love will have to be put on hold for two months come Wednesday when I'm stuck on my butt after my surgery. That's why I have to work really hard to get my nutrition in check that whole time! On top of that the stress of not seeing my daughter alot lately due to her Dad taking her three weeks in a row, financial hardship due to vacation and now surgery with an unexpected phone purchase, I just lost it and unfortunately on my mom. Hopefully this busy weekend will help me get some stress out and be able to keep my mind off everything else. My last weekend working at the hotel too which is a unstressed and a stress. I'm glad to be gone because I'm not a fan of the job at all, but I will miss the money side of it, not like its a ton though! Well please comment, message, fb, twitter, anything and let me know if you need motivation or anything...I like to have friends in this journey!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

and 5 days later...

Wow I can't believe I haven't posted in 5 days! It was a crazy weekend and I was sick for most of it! I'm in love with this new bodybugg system! I think I do more during the day just because I can't wait to see my deficit at night! Saturday was kinda rough, I went to see my ex, and the nurse mentioned the other girl and I blew up, I hate being reminded that I'm not his anymore. But, I can still be his friend to the best of my ability through this rough time for him, he doesn't need me freaking out on him and leaving his side completely right now. So I'm biting my lip and just remembering what I do have...a loving family, daughter, Beachbody family, my health back slowly but surely, a job or two lol, and almost a bachelor's degree with almost NO debt! No to my diet and weightloss. I found that weekends are my hardest. I'm not at home as much because of work and family stuff. I also went out on Saturday night and learned that alcohol calories can add up fast! Luckily I didn't binge eat too! I'm down 4-5lbs now since last Wednesday! I love to see progress! I also measured today and I've lost about 5 inches. I've been sick for the past few days so my eating pattern has been off and not as much physical activity which has brought down my calorie burn. I did run tonight which felt amazing! I did about 2 miles in 30 minutes...not the best but I was pushing a 35 lb kid in a heavy stroller and had to stop a few times thanks to a phone call and some nasty bugs attacking me and Bailey. According to my Bodybugg I was burning about 9cal/min though and I'm pretty happy about that! My BeachBody business is booming as well! I'm so excited to see people wanting to get serious about their health and weight loss! I'm not in this biz for the money...I'm in it to help my friends see the benefit of these products like I have! Money is always an issue for my friends and I can understand because I was there at one point too. I had to tell myself that my health was more important than my caramel macchiato and suck it up and make some financial adjustments! My health needed it too! I wasn't going to be found in a coma from low blood sugar, or overweight just because of a hormone imbalance, and I wasn't going to have my arthritis get worse because of the excess weight I was carrying around. I decided to join BeachBody because it is my family. The most important thing in life is to surround yourself with like-minded people. So I joined a group on the journey to be at their healthiest and happiest! They keep me in line and accountable and I couldn't ask for better friends! Wanna join me with them in Vegas next summer?

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Calorie Intake Goal

Ok so I've been a yo-yo dieter for YEARS...pretty much from when I was 12 on...thats ten years of dieting ugh! Even in those ten years I think almost every day of dieting I cheated atleast once...a fudge piece here, chips there...and so on. Well today I can say that I recorded EVERYTHING I ate and I am in my calorie goal! You have no idea how excited I am! It gives me hope that this can continue and I can reach my weightloss goal! I can't wait to be under a size 8...something I have never fit into in my life...ok I might have been able to when I was 4 and was a twig (another only time in my life I could say that). What started me on this goal path you may ask? A fellow BeachBody Coach Tarah Carr. I have never had the chance to meet Tarah before but she is a coach under my coach Lauren Knight. This year she qualified as a contestant for the Million Dollar Beach Body Challenge. She went from a size 14 to a size 4 in 120 days. I was blown away. Then I got to thinking, she is no miracle, she put the concept of mutrition and fitness together to reach her goals. I knew that now I saw someone, like me (I'll explain just how), who reached the goal I wanted to achieve. Tarah isn't a single mom like me, but in essence she is. Her husband is in the military and was gone the whole 120 days she went through her transformation. I'm a single mom with 3 jobs (Beachbody and two others) and I'm also a full time student. I use this as my excuse a great deal of the time. I say I don't have time to workout or that I'm so drained by the time I get home that I just don't have the energy left. So I sat down and create a schedule for everyday of the week. I SCHEDULE my workouts. If I'm having a busy day I put it in the morning or afternoon so I am not too tired when it comes time. If I literally don't think I can workout with out sacrificing my sleep time down to 6 hours or less, I incooperate my workout into my daily tasks...ex: pushups while waiting for laundry at work, doing a workout with a client during PT job, standing and walking during front desk, lifting weights while reading my HW, or squating while folding laundry. Small things all day long that can add up to a calorie burn equal to a 30-45 minute workout. So the next time you think you don't have time to workout, try being in my shoes lol. So please help encourage me on this journey because I'm going to need it on the days that all I want to do is go to bed, or read a book, or actually watch the cable that I for some reason still pay for!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

BodyBugg!

Ok so I got a BodyBugg back on my birthday in October. I got it on ebay and couldn't get it to work online and I've procrastinated about calling the company to figure it out until today. So i got it figured out and all set up today and I must say...I love it! I can barely tell its on me and the online program is so helpful! So far all of the foods I have put in there have been in their database. It breaks down all my meals, my goals, my nutrition plan, and I get to plug it in every night and see how many calories I have burned. I also did wonderful on my nutrition today. Instead of eating huge meals I snacked on fruits, cheese, and nuts along with some other healthy foods all day and I stayed satisfied in my calorie limit! Also I've been using gum to curve my appetite when I know its just boredum or something else. Having all my vegetables and fruits ready to go at all times really helps! I'm so glad I spent a few extra bucks to get better foods for my body! Can't wait to try some new foods tomorrow that I bought! Of course Shakeology is still my favorite meal of the day :-)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Set Backs and accomplisments

I am really trying lately not to focus on the road blocks I run into in life but to see the opportunities that are available to me. Last night my air went out and my arthritis flared up. I was in no condition to workout at all and I was so depressed! I was so ready to get back on the bandwagon after vacation and then I hit a road block. So instead of spending today sulking I used the extra time to work on my personal development and wow did that make my day better! I had such a great time at WORK!!! because I smiled, genuinely listened to people, made a positive out of every situation, and made a point to see the good in people. Then after I got to spend an enjoyable time with my daughter and was able to focus on her. After she left for her nap I went grocery shopping. Usually I hate this but I decided that since with my physical conditions exercise couldn't be a guarenteed consistency in my life, but nutrition could be. So I focused on the perimeter theory of shopping. This means that the best foods for you are usually on the perimeter of the story. Now you have to be smart about this because obviously the bakery, liquor, and processed meats section is not the cream of the crop, but fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, protein, and more are always found on the perimeter and not in the aisle. Now I am a single mom with four jobs and a full time student so I did grab a few frozen veggies and 1-2 meals for my busy days but mostly my cart was full of fresh fruits and vegetables and other goodies. A few finds are as follows: use hummus instead of cheese or mayo on your sandwiches and you can save 50-100 calories. Greek Yogurt is so much better for you and thicker so can be used to replace other additives. Grapes can be frozen for a sweet snack. Grape tomatoes with a little sea salt and EVO Oil taste delicious! Egg whites with turkey bacon make the most filling and energizing breakfast (besides Shakeology!). I love my fridge now and I can't wait to make all of the foods I've planned!

Monday, June 13, 2011

HOME

I'm home at last! Sorry I didn't have internet at our house in Alabama so I wasn't able to post except from my phone and that is super time consuming! But I'm back and ready to tackle this. I haven't gotten on the scale yet since we got back but I feel like I atleast maintained. I did great until the last few days! I got into the mind set that I only get to eat these foods once a year which is true but was it worth not losing the 1-2 pounds I could have last week? No...also my foot injury set me back. Today I start up again with Mrs. Chalene and I'm so looking forward to it! I have my goals posted all over the house so I am constantly reminded of what I'mk aiming for. Plus it helps to see my goals as I'm reaching for the fridge or pantry. Another part of this journey is getting to a better state of mind. I do this by reading Personal Development books. It makes you have a new perspective on life and keeps me in check when my mood gets crummy...like it is today. Every time I've started the car today Eli Young Band's "Crazy Girl" has been on. It makes me miss getting the butterflies in my stomach and having someone to hold me. Then again when would I have time...I mean I know I would but it would be busy life again. It was easy with Erik becuase we lived together so I didn't have to rush home to get Bailey to bed. Plus Bailey grew up with Erik in her life and if I found someone else I would have to wait til I was sure about that person before introducing them to Bailey. It's just way to complicated when you are a single mom. The last thing I need right now is stress so I'm going to try not to think about it and instead focus that energy on my workouts and eating right so that when I do find Mr. Right that I am where I want to be physically and emotionally.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Vacation update and fitness fail

Well first full day on the beach and it's gorgeous! A little hot but I can't complain! My daughter is loving the water and I'm loving getting tan! Well I went for a run last night with the girls in the family....made it about a quarter of a mile then bend pop and down I go! I thought my ankle was broke at first but as of today it appears to just be a sprain and bruised bone. Starting to walk more normally so hoping to get my work out in today. I shared a shrimp wrap with my mom for lunch yesterday and had Shakeology for dinner. Woke up this morning and weighed myself and was pleasently surprised to find I had actually lost two more pounds since Thursday! This was such a great motivation for me! I love when I see the results of my action! I feel so much better! I'm not bloated! I'm not tired! I'm loving vacation but I'm excited to get back to working on my BeachBody business when I get home! I think I'll switch to P90X when I have my surgery though and work on my upper body since I'll be non-weight baring on my left foot. Oh and my new favorite snack/dessert is frozen grapes! It's like candy!

Friday, June 3, 2011

Vaca Day 1...Turbo Day 5

I so debated all day doing this workout. It's 100 degrees in Gardendale, AL right now and the last thing I WANTED to do was TurboFire's longest workout in a small gym filled with windows and only one working air conditioner. I laid there as Bailey fought sleep and thought I'll just do two tomorrow...but was I really going to want to do two tomorrow on our first day at the beach...hell no. So I asked my mom to put Bailey to bed and I marched downstairs to the "fitness Center" aka three broke machines and a highly outdated treadmill. I popped in Fire 55 and pushed play...about 20 minutes...scratch that...2 minutes in I wanted to die. Did I quit? No I finished all except maybe 10 minutes because this lame thing closes at like 9:30. Now I have to figure out how to sneak into the room...into the shower...into my bed...without waking a two year old...ugh.
As for diet I did alright. I had my normal shake for breakfast, coffee at the gas station, a few walnuts for snack as we went. Grilled Chicken and Vegetables for lunch...the sour cream is where I messed up here. Then for dinner I grabbed a grilled chicken salad with vinegrette dressing and yogurt. I didn't even eat a single piece of pizza which is major self control for me and something I wouldn't have even been able to do a year ago! Well high hopes for tomorrow...we go to a famous Pecan Shop with all the "samples" aka "temptations" in the world...my favorite beach hangout restaurant for lunch, then finally the grocery store to grab my healthy necessities for the weak so I can atleast have some nutrition! Bed Time!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Day 4

Why did I have to decide to get 100% commited the week that I'm sick? If you would have asked me if I was going to do today's workout like 3 months ago on a week like this I would have said "No I'm too sick". Now I have people keeping me accountable, not that I don't think they would understand with Tonsillitis and a Migraine but I wouldn't be able to stand telling them I didn't do it because my throat is a little sore and my head hurts. So when I get off at 11 tonight I'm going home, pushing play, and letting Chalene kick my you-know-what.
Another thing I've debating...taking my TurboFire on vacation with me. 12 of us stay in a 4 bedroom house on the beach I got to wondering if I would have enough room to do it...but I will it was just an excuse popping in to my head. Plus maybe I can do it on the deck and get my family to do it with me! I'm also going to try and run each morning. The difficult part of that is I will be staying in a room with my aunt and daughter and really don't want my daughter to wake up while I am gone and my aunt have to wake up early and take care of her. But maybe I can get my mom to have the monitor while I am gone. I also wondered if people would be mad at me for taking an hour to and hour and a half out of our day each day of vacation to workout. However, if they are really my family and really love me they will respect my decision to get healthy and honor that.
I weighed myself this morning and I'm down 5 lbs! Thats only after 3 days of turbofire and Shakeology! It would be amazing if this could be the first year in 12 years that I actually LOSE weight on vacation! I'm going to try my best, just hoping my family's restaurant decisions cooperate!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Hello!

So I've tried blogs before and just stopped but third time's the charm right? I'm a 21 year old mom of a 2 year old daughter who is my world. About a year ago I joined BeachBody and loved it! I was an emerald coach, lost 30 pounds, and was feeling great. Then in October of 2010 I was diagnosed at the age of 21 with 4 different back conditions, told I couldn't lift more than 10 pounds (aka my daughter couldn't be held by her mother), and lost my job due to it. I was depressed to say the least! On top of all of this my relationship with my fiance was starting to fall apart. I fought for the two months it was crumbling and a year later from the day we got engaged, almost to the hour, he left me. Depression wasn't even describing my state of mind anymore. I was done. I felt I lost everything. I had lost 50-70% of my income and basically what I thought was going to be my family. I now had to figure out how to manage financially with a new apartment, my own bills, etc. on my maybe 800 a month. I had to quit BeachBody in October when I lost my job because one I didn't have enough time and even though I was breaking even I still couldn't do it. So I didn't have my BB family to rely on. Well after 2-3 months of sapping around and gaining all 30 pounds back due to lack of activity and depression, I knew what I had to do, I needed BB again. So I signed up. At first I was energized and on fire. I started the shakes again but was scared to workout because of my back even though I had been released from my restrictions. I got a job at the Y so I started slowly working out there. Then I decided to start TurboFire again, yeah Sam good idea pick the most intense workout to begin with, but I owned it already and I couldn't imagine anything more motivating to me at the time then Chalene Johnson's voice. So I pushed Play. The first week I made it through one day. The second week two days. Now my off and on third week I'm proud to say I'm on day 3 and don't plan to stop. It took a while to work back up to the fitness level but did I quit? No....and I won't til I'm done. This time I wrote down goals and have pasted them throughout my house. 1) A size 4 by the time I walk across the stage at Millikin Graduation. 2) Diamond by Summit 2012 3) car payment and cable ($300) in BB income by Jan. 1 2012 (fyi my coach who started about the same time I did a year ago, will probably hit 100,000 this year)4) put $2,000 in an IRA every year starting 2013 and finally 5) work part time after my 5 years are up at Memorial Medical Center ($30,000 in BB income per year or more). So there you have it now the world (or the 2 people who read this) know and can keep me accountable! Do you wanna run this race with me side by side? Let me know at www.beachbodycoach.com/samfitmom