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My View from the Front Row

lift_spiritsSo, I posted this picture on Facebook the other day, because I liked the message quite a bit. The day before that I posted some pretty amazing results from a couple of my favorite challenge group members, who also happen to be my aunt and my cousin. I have a challenge group going with some of my cousins and my aunt and they have all been so gracious, kind and thankful ever since I invited them to get started. BUT, I insist that THEY are the ones who deserve all of the credit, and that I’m just fortunate enough to get a front row seat. This is truly how I feel about it.

You can’t get the results these ladies are getting without a strong desire to change. It comes from inside of you. You can be inspired by others, and motivated by things you see and hear, but until you flip that switch that’s someplace inside of you, at the right moment in time, nothing can happen. I just have to hope, that what I say and do connects with someone at just the right time, because that’s when the magic happens. Once you flip your switch, you’ll just start to get it. You’ll want it. You won’t stop until  you reach your goals. And then you WON’T stop, because it’s not something that has a beginning, middle or end. It’s a process. It’s a journey.  And if I’m lucky, I get to be there to see it…from the front row!

Losing weight and getting fit and healthy is so much more of a mental battle than a physical one. It’s a mindset. It’s taking the little steps everyday, knowing that this isn’t a quick fix, it’s a lifestyle change. If you don’t want the life-change, than it will never work. Let me say that again: If you’re not willing to change your life, IT. WILL. NEVER. WORK. You really can’t ‘dabble’ in health and fitness. There’s no sense in it. Why would you kill yourself in the gym for an hour, and then stop and get a cheeseburger on the way home? You have to flip your switch to ON. You have to commit to change. And here’s the good news: it’s totally, entirely, incredibly, unbelievably do-able! You can ask anyone of the challengers from my groups who have ‘gotten it’. They switched ON and it all makes sense now!

Here is the secret: Eat clean and exercise. That is it. There is no fad diet that will do what those two things will do for you. Will you have to change your habits? Yes. Will it be hard at first? You bet. Can you do it? I’ve seen people busier, older, more tired, with more physical restrictions, crazier work schedules and more excuses than you, and they’re doing it. How? Their switch is ON! That is all it takes. Because it changed their priorities, the way they use their time and their mindset. I have had a front row seat to see the journey they’ve been on ever since, and they are my motivation!

And here is the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time. When I insisted that THEY take all the credit for the hard work they had done, my cousin said this (I’ve copied it and saved it because it really meant the absolute world to me): “you definitely deserve some credit! Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am. I wouldn’t have started… We each have to individually and physically take responsibility for what we put into our bodies for fuel and for what exercise we do with our bodies, but because your heart is so strong (you lift our spirits so much!), you are giving others the strength and confidence to do this, when maybe they couldn’t/don’t do it on their own! Like I said… thanks is not enough. You have a gift and it is such an awesome thing to share with others! You are the greatest coach ever! And I am so glad you like the front row seats!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! ”

<Gulp>

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I love this job! I am so lucky! And I can’t wait to help someone else flip their switch and see the results and the success that comes from the hard work, the time and the commitment to their own health and fitness. Is it going to be you? Spring is such a great time to get started, and if you’re ready…I am too! Get yourself signed up for my next 30 Day challenge. It will start April 1. Get the results you’ve been wanting for yourself. You can do it, you just have to want it! Go to the 30 DAY CHALLENGE link at the top of this page to sign up, or get more information. I hope I get to watch you from the front row, too!

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This MIGHT be for YOU!

BB_opportunity

So, if you read my last post…then continue on now. If not, I’ll give you a minute to go and check it out….

….OK, Now, you’ve seen my before and after pictures. The first picture was taken in August 2012, just a few weeks before I decided to go for it as a Beachbody coach. And the second picture is me now, in February 2013, having too much fun to even call my job ‘work’. I’m 5 months in as a coach now, getting in the best shape of my entire life and getting paid on top of it! I get to pay it forward too, and help other people who are on their own journeys. I get to share health and fitness with my friends and family, which has been so fun and rewarding! It wasn’t a step I was totally sure about taking at first. I had some doubts and reservations, but after the first step, I started sprinting! And I haven’t looked back or regretted it for one minute.

If you enjoy helping others…If you like the idea of getting paid to get fit…If you LOVE the idea of being able to work from home, be your own boss and set your own hours…If you would enjoy earning some extra income WHILE helping to end the trend of obesity…than you should check it out!

If you’ve ever considered coaching, or just want to hear more, I’m doing a quick webinar tomorrow night @9:00 EST. It should only last about 30 minutes. I’ll tell my story, and explain a little bit more about what coaching is, and what I do, and how you might enjoy it, too! You can register here: http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=E953DE8587473D

“See” you then! 🙂

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To Do, Or NOT To Do…

resolutionNew Year’s Eve is just around the corner. The next day is the new year! 2013! What does the new year have in store for you? Have you given it much thought yet? Maybe it’s not a big deal. Maybe it’s just another day, a continuation of the same routine. But, I like to think of it as a new beginning! A new chance to make some little or BIG changes in your life! Whether you intend to or not, you’re making a resolution that day. You’re either going to make a FIRM decision to DO or NOT to do something.

I bet very few people will roll out of bed that day and think to themselves “I’m NOT going to do anything to make my life better this year”. However, the passive act of NOT thinking about it, is your decision, which becomes your resolution. You will have resolved to do nothing.

Instead, start thinking about it NOW. Lay the groundwork to be actively resolved and determined to make 2013 a better year! So that when you roll out of bed on January 1, 2013 you have a plan of action. Maybe that means that you make a list of the problems or things that you need to change, and start thinking about the solutions! For me, it’s time management. I have been actively pursuing solutions to this problem already. I’m formulating plans, trying different methods, looking at all the possible solutions. I am determined to make 2013 a year that I bring it all together. I plan to continue working toward my health and fitness goals, developing as a coach and work at home mom, and organizing my days so that my family experiences the best ME I can be!

So everyone is making a resolution. It’ll be a firm decision either way. So ask yourself this: Am I firmly resolved to do nothing to change my life, or something to make it better? Even if it’s just something small, make a little tweak here and there, but have a plan. Start thinking about it now. Act with determination ‘to DO’! Don’t let your resolution passively default to ‘NOT to do’.

*If health and fitness are part of your firm decision for the new year, consider joining my 30 day challenge. We’ll start on January 7! You’ve got until January 2 to sign up, but why not be resolved enough to do it NOW! Get yourself signed up, and FIRM up your resolution today. See the “30 Day Challenge” link at the top of this page to get started. 🙂 And have a HAPPY HEALTHY New Year!

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30 Day Results Are In!

There are some excellent results coming from my October Challenge Group!  With 5 challengers reporting so far…check this out…

In 30 days they have lost:

5.1 pounds and 6.25 inches

9 pounds and 6 inches

3.4 pounds and 6.5 inches

8 pounds and “I lost my before inches number, but it must be less now”

5.6 pounds and 9.5 inches

Five of the participants so far have reported losing a total of 31.1 pounds  and 28.25 + unknown 🙂 inches !!!  And more importantly…they’re still in it, pressing forward and committed! We are all using programs such as ChaLEAN Extreme, Turbo Fire, Yoga Booty Ballet and Tony Horton’s 10 minute Trainer. You don’t need a gym to get results like these! The participants were all able to accomplish this while working out in their own homes, and eating well. Most importantly, we keep ourselves accountable and provide support to each other along the way! I cannot wait to see how we all do over the next 30 days.  I love my job!

Also…want to see how I make my Shakeology every day? It’s quite possibly my favorite meal of the day. I actually start looking forward to it the night before. Is that weird?

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Oh Happy Day!

Happy Halloween!

So good news first! If you’ve been following along, you know that I decided to start Beachbody coaching about 2 months ago. Since then, I have lost 12 pounds and almost 10 inches! This alone is so fantastic and thrilling, but on top of that I’ve been working with friends and family members who are all on their fitness journeys, too. It’s been so fun to connect with friends and family and new people as well!  Thanks for being supportive, and please feel free to contact me if you’d like any information about the programs I use, the food I eat, or the coaching opportunity!

So here are my updates for days 20-23 of the cleaner eating challenge.

Actually…there really isn’t anything too exciting to report in terms of food, come to think of it. I think the most exciting thing I did was to make a warm-up for Thanksgiving meal last night that was all squeaky clean! I cooked a turkey breast in my crock pot all day, with some carrots and celery, and made some green beans (which happen to be one of my favorite veggies!). The hubs and kids wanted Stove Top stuffing of all things with it…though I did not partake. Enjoy the turkey recipe, maybe it’ll come in handy for your Thanksgiving! 🙂 I need to start thinking about how I’m going to clean up that holiday menu…it’s going to be a real challenge, but I’m up for it.

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Hold On to Your Bootstraps!

I wanted to find a fun way to show people who are curious, what it is that a Beachbody coach does all day. 🙂 It’s really not all that different than being a stay at home mom. And anyone can do this, not just a stay at home parent, but anyone who has an interest in making time for health, fitness and helping others. I am fortunate to have found something that lets me be here with my kids, focus on my heath, work with other people who want to do the same thing, and… make money doing it…BONUS! As silly as this video is, it’s not much of an exaggeration to tell you the truth. I may not ACTUALLY move this fast, but sometimes it feels like it! I’m a mom on a mission.

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The Glass is Almost Totally Full! and Challenge Catch Up

I am an optimist.  It has mostly served me well in my life.  I say ‘mostly’ because I can think of a few instances where it hasn’t…like believing that people are always good, nobody will ever hurt me, and nothing bad could possibly happen.  I’ve been wrong a few times about those things.  But overall I’d say I’m right most of the time.  I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.  Actually, I have no choice.  I’m a die-hard optimist.

I was thinking about this today in terms of health and nutrition.  Here’s how an optimist looks at these particular goals: I like to think of what I CAN eat, as opposed to what I CAN’T.  As you know I’m participating in this cleaner eating challenge, and when I look at the pictures I’m taking, I can’t help but think how pretty and delicious everything looks.  It doesn’t seem like a sacrifice at all to me when I GET to eat all of that yummy food.  I go to the store with a different mindset.  I’m looking for what I can have, and not begrudging what I can not have. I come home with bags of fruits and veggies and other healthy foods. I get excited to cook new recipes and try new foods.  Maybe I’m weird.  Ya, probably.  😉

For exercise, I like to think of what I CAN do, and not what I CAN’T.  Maybe not everyone can, or wants to try, to run.  So, what CAN you do?  Can you walk?  I bet you can.  Maybe not everyone has weights in their house.  Can you do push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups (there are a lot of “ups” here that require only your body as weight) squats, lunges, etc? I bet you can.  Maybe you can’t go to the gym, but do you own a DVD player?  I’ve got some awesome workouts I could recommend to you.  And they’re FUN, too!  You see where I’m going here.  Start with what you CAN do.  Focus on what you CAN eat. Your mindset will change, and so will your habits. You’ll be on your way to eternal optimism. Well…maybe. 🙂

Who would think that they could start a new health and fitness business at 40?…Me! But this one was kind of a no-brainer for me.  I love to workout.  I enjoy eating healthy foods. And I LOVE to talk.  That just about sums up my new job.  These are things I most definitely CAN do.  🙂

So here are my weekend Clean Eating Challenge pictures and a couple of recipes:

 Nothing remarkable on Day 5, except I learned how to make my own “almost” fat free coffee cream.  Want the recipe? Click here:   Oh, and the pretty green drink is a spinach, kale, strawberry, pineapple smoothie that was delicious!  Seriously, don’t knock it til you try it.

Day 6 looked like this:

  This was my “cheat” day, well sort of.  I ate really clean during the day and then it was “Ladies Night Out”.  So for dinner I splurged on 2 small pieces of veggie pizza and a salad with a little drizzle of raspberry vinaigrette dressing…oh…and 2 vodka tonics :o. Ladies night out doesn’t happen very often, so I forgave me.

Day 7 looked like this:

 I had a big salad for lunch, with lots of veggies and 1/2 of a very lean turkey burger sliced on top. Raw almonds are an excellent snack to keep in the house. I had mine with half of a honey crisp apple and a tall glass of water and felt very full.  Dinner was so yummy, I’ll have to share the recipe.  I made a spinach, ricotta (low-fat), tomato frittata.  It was delicious!  Recipe here:  (I added tomatoes to mine, but it wasn’t part of the original recipe).

So there you go!  What CAN you do today?

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Best Friends Forever…For REAL!

If you know me well, you’re either one of the ladies in these pictures, or you know that these are some of my favorite people in the whole world.  This post is dedicated to them.

I have known a few of them since I was about 4 years old, in preschool.  Others I met along the way, but we’ve all been friends for at least 30 years.  That’s crazy right!?  I am so lucky to have these wonderful girls in my life, I literally thank my lucky stars for them every day.  When I am with them, I am all me.   There’s no need to pretend to be anything else, because they would know better anyway.  I can count on them to be there in the best of times and the absolute worst of times. And Lord knows we’ve had our shares of both!  

I look so forward to the times we spend together.  We’ve had a lot of adventures.  Our most recent adventure was a 40th birthday celebration trip to Jamaica. Despite the unfortunate snorkeling incident it was the most fun I’ve had in…well…honestly, I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed that hard for that long!  Talk about an ab workout: four solid days of giggling!  Sure, the all-inclusive trips to the bar might have played a role, but I think we’d all like to think that we were the funniest 8 ladies that ever stepped foot on the island.

We go camping with our whole families every summer, and it’s such a blast the kids start counting the days til we go again the very day that we get home.  Our husbands might have a different analysis of the annual camping trip, but they are good sports about it, because they know how important it is to us.  

When I decided to take up this new fitness business, guess who were the first to congratulate me, offer support and ask for my advice?  As a result, 6 of us are embarking on a 30 day fitness challenge together, along with some other amazing  friends and family members. I know that with support from each other…success is not only possible, but inevitable.   And when it happens (not if it happens) there will be great joy and celebration!  In other words…party!  Which means…I’ll get to hang with my bff’s very soon!

These ladies are blessings in my life.  I feel so lucky, at my young age :), to be in such a great place in my life right now.  This fitness business has really made me sit back and take stock of who I am, who I want to be, where I am and how I made it here.  I made it here with a little help from my friends…no doubt about it.  And not a day goes by that I don’t think of them and appreciate them for the impact they’ve had on my life.  I love them as dearly as you could love a friend.  And now I’m feeling a little weepy, and oh…here come the tears…

Do you have a best friend, how bout 8? Call one or two today, and tell them how much they mean to you.  Grab the tissues first.  🙂