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This is BIG News!

I bought a bikini!  bikini

Now…I didn’t say that I was going to wear it, but the mere fact that I bought it speaks VOLUMES!

I was trying to recall a time when I wore one of these suckers, and I think I can remember wearing one maybe twice! Even back in the day when I SHOULD have been able to wear one with confidence, I just didn’t. I’ve always been a pretty self-conscious person, so it’s just never been in my comfort zone. BUT, I’m envious of people who are so self-assured, no matter what their body looks like, that they can step out confidently in whatever what they wear!

Adding to my negative body image and lack of self-confidence, I’ve had 4 C-sections 2 of which went TERRIBLY wrong and left me with really gnarly scars! I’m extremely self-conscious and hyper-aware of one in particular, and it bothers me to no end. I dread the thought of anyone seeing it. 🙁 Now…if you look back through some of the before/after pictures, you will see what I’m talking about. It runs down vertically from my belly button. The inside of that scar adhered itself to my abdominal wall, leaving two bulges on the sides. No matter how much belly fat I lose, it’ll always look like this. 🙁 My dear sweet children tell me that it looks like a “butt”. I can’t believe I’m even writing that sentence down to be read by anyone and everyone. We all have our “issues” right? Well, this is mine. But maybe it’s like a Band-Aid? Maybe I just need to rip it off, let the world see what’s underneath, and get over it!

My confidence is building, each and every day. I’m getting close to feeling like I could do it! I’m talking myself into not caring if anyone notices my flaws and/or scars. This health and fitness journey has been very empowering for me, and has boosted my self-esteem more than any time I can remember! More important than losing weight and building muscle is the fact that I’m building my confidence. When you become more confident, you are just more comfortable in your own skin. When you’re comfortable, you’re happy. And when you’re happy…anything is possible. You can do anything! You might even wear a bikini. 🙂

*Want to start you own health and fitness journey. Join my next 30 day challenge! Want more information? Click “30 Day Challenge” at the top of this page.

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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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Groundhog Day – Virtual 5K!

groundhog_5k

Interested in doing a 5K? Grab a friend, spouse, neighbor, significant other, dog, stranger, etc…and hit the road, the sidewalk, the treadmill…WHATEVER! This is your 5K to run, walk, skip, hop, crawl ANYWAY you like! *You get the idea, right?!

You’ve got about 2 weeks to train, recruit, and plan for the big event. Map out a 3.1 mile course, dust off your treadmill, or find a local track…and lace up your shoes!

On Saturday February 2, at 10:00 a.m., we’ll all do our own personal 5K’s, however, wherever and with whomever we choose! We’ll then report back with our results and celebrate all of our personal victories! Whether it’s your first or fiftieth 5K, it’s your race to win! Put it on your calendar and start training!

Sign up below to receive additional information, training tips and instructions! Pass it on, and make it an event to share!

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It!

What_is_itDo you have IT? Do you want IT? What is IT?

IT is what pushes you, what drives you forward. IT is different for you than it is for me. There are no words for IT. IT just is. IT comes and goes throughout your life. IT changes from time to time. You can lose IT, but you can also find IT again. IT might not be where you thought it was and IT might not look the same as it used to, but IT is always there.  IT can feel like a fire in your belly. IT can look like confidence and success.

So what the heck am I talking about? It’s so hard to explain, because it’s an abstract idea. There is just something, that makes people who they are. There is something that creates drive and passion in all of us. If you can harness this ‘something’, it can take you anywhere! I mean that! It is what turns your “I wonder if’s…” into “I can’s…” and “I did’s”!

You have to find it and believe in it, with all of your heart. You need to feel it and give legs to it! What do I mean by ‘legs’? Put it in motion. Apply it to your goals, your desires, your passions, your “I wonder if’s”. Make a plan, and GO!

I know there have been times in my life when I had lost it and life keeps moving. But without IT…you become a passenger, rather than a driver. Be a driver! When you have it, or rediscover it, or find it…you are in control of where you’re going! And you can go anywhere if you believe in IT! Set your mind to IT and JUST do IT!

You can see when someone has IT! They know they can, they can feel IT. IT changes how they approach each new day, and IT takes them exactly where they want to go. You can see their determination and their belief in themselves. They are taking IT to the next level. And they know that there is no limit to where IT can take them. I have participants in my challenge groups that have IT! I am inspired by them every day, and I’m sure that anyone who comes into contact with them is inspired, too. You can’t help but be inspired by someone who has IT. IT is a magical and sometimes contagious thing. You can catch IT!

Here’s the kicker though. I can’t tell you what IT is. Only you know. IT is SO much and SO little. IT is everything, and the ONE thing! Make sense? 😉

Do you have IT? I highly recommend IT! IT can change your life. 🙂

*Offer: If you have IT, and want to take IT to the next level OR, if you want IT and need IT, than consider joining my next 30 day challenge and put IT to the test! Click “30 Day Challenge” at the top of this page for more information.

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Groundhog Day – Virtual 5K!

groundhog_5k

Interested in doing a 5K? Grab a friend, spouse, neighbor, significant other, dog, stranger, etc…and hit the road, the sidewalk, the treadmill…WHATEVER! This is your 5K to run, walk, skip, hop, crawl ANYWAY you like! *You get the idea, right?!

You’ve got 4 weeks to train, recruit, and plan for the big event. Map out a 3.1 mile course, dust off your treadmill, or find a local track…and lace up your shoes!

On Saturday February 2, at 10:00 a.m., we’ll all do our own personal 5K’s, however, wherever and with whomever we choose! We’ll then report back with our results and celebrate all of our personal victories! Whether it’s your first or fiftieth 5K, it’s your race to win! Put it on your calendar and start training!

Sign up below to receive additional information, training tips and instructions! Pass it on, and make it an event to share!

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Top Ten Reasons You Should Find a Workout Buddy

workout_buddy

Having a workout/healthy-living buddy is SO helpful in SO many ways! If you are married, or have a significant other, you’ve already got a prospective partner. Do they need some convincing…get on it! Maybe you have a best friend or sibling that has similar goals…get them on board! How about a neighbor? Talk about convenience! Develop a plan, share a babysitter and make it happen!

Here are 10 reasons you should find a buddy:

1. Having a reliable workout buddy increases the chances of sticking with your program. It’s never a good feeling to let someone down.

2. You’ll have your own personal cheerleader; someone to push you when it gets hard. How often do we give up when something seems too difficult? Your partner can “spot” you when you struggle and pat you on the back when you pushed through it!

3. Time flies with a friend. You’ll be chatting and laughing and so busy sharing your workout time, that it’ll be done before you know it!

4. You can coordinate your busy schedules. You can sit down with your pal and figure out where your windows of opportunity are and then schedule your workout times! You’ll be more likely to stick to it, if someone else is relying on you.

5. You’ll be less likely to cancel. Again, if someone else took the time to fit it in, you will too!

6. You’ll have a talking mirror. Sometimes it’s hard to see and appreciate your own progress. A buddy will remind you that you couldn’t lift that weight last week, and look at you now! Or tell you that your clothes are looking a little baggy, or that you seem to have an extra ‘bounce’ in your step. 🙂

7. You’ll have an additional challenge; a little healthy competition! It’s ok to let someone else drive you to do more! You’ll want to match their intensity, and you’ll push yourself harder to keep up!

8. You’ll get a fresh new perspective and new ideas! You’ll get a chance to see how someone else does it. Maybe they do something a little differently than you do, and it’s easier, or more effective.

9. You’ll be paired up with a ‘fit’ friend; a positive influence you’ll want emulate more than someone else who doesn’t make their health a priority. If your friend orders a salad, it’s easier to do the same.

10. You can celebrate your successes together! What’s better than accomplishing your goals? Doing it with a friend/spouse/buddy that can celebrate with you!

Final thought: If you need a little extra help, grab your buddy and join one of my 30 Day Challenge groups! Find a program you love, a diet plan you can stick to, and the support you’ll need to get it done! 😀

*This post was inspired by a friend that seems to inspire a LOT of my posts. She is a trooper, a tryer and a never-give-upper! I’m one of her biggest fans! 😀

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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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Are You Going to START or Make it Last?!

jancalendar

It’s mid-December, hard to believe right? But you know what that means…January is just around the corner. And you know what that means, right? A new year is approaching! And you know what that means, right? Time to make your resolutions a reality! As we prepare for Christmas and do all of the cooking and baking and eating and running around like crazy chickens without our heads…we should take a minute and think about what we want for 2013. What do you want? Is it going to be the year of YOU?!

January is always such a big time for STARTING! It’s a new beginning, a new chance to get it right. The trick is to MAKE IT LAST! A good start begins with a solid plan. Do you have a plan? Consider this: I have a new challenge group starting up on January 7. This gives you about a week to recover from the holidays, formulate a plan, get organized and then CRUSH IT for 30 days! We’ll focus on health, fitness, eating clean and accountability: this is the key ingredient! We report in daily, and let the group know what we’re doing and how we’re doing. Are we sticking to our workout schedule? Are we eating the food that will help us achieve our goals? We’ll talk about our struggles and our achievements! You’ll take your before measurements, set realistic goals, and check your progress weekly. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in 30 days if you stick with it! After that, you’ll have the momentum and motivation you’ll need to carry on and MAKE IT LAST!

If you know you’re ready, than let’s get you set for the 7th NOW! You can contact me through the “30 Day Challenge” link at the top of this page. We’ll talk about your individual goals and formulate a plan that will work best for you. Get ready, get excited, and then let’s get started! 😀

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A Public Service Announcement

warning

Unless you WANT your husband to get buff, healthy and totally hot…forget about getting fit! This is a warning to women everywhere. The following events will happen, and it’ll be your fault!

Here’s how: First, you’ll start working out with HIS weights! Not to be outdone, he’ll work in a couple sets of his own, and ask you to “spot” him, which means…”Look how STRONG I am”! Then, you’ll take the dog out for a few runs, and suddenly he’ll be dusting off his running shoes and “testing” them out to see if they still feel good. You’ll inevitably start cooking and eating healthier foods. He’ll  begrudgingly take one bite, and then he’ll clean his plate, get a second helping, but save enough of the leftovers to take for lunch the next day.  You see where this is going. Go ahead…get healthy…see what happens!

Here’s the truly discouraging thing about this phenomenon. Your husband will ‘decide’ to get fit, and the next day…he’ll be down 10 pounds!  Just deciding seems to work up enough of a burn to accomplish this feat…overnight! Before you know it, his pants won’t stay up, he’ll need new belts and you won’t be able to pry him away from the mirrors in your house. 🙂  It’ll happen. Trust me.

It won’t stop with your husband either…nope. Your mom will be calling you and wanting to know what healthy recipes you’re making for dinner this week. She’ll want to start working out with the latest and greatest programs available and taught be women half her age! 😉 She’ll be leading a revolution in her own house and then guess who’s next…yep…your dad! (See above for how that’s going to turn out)

Don’t even get me started on your kids! They are going to be running downstairs to follow along with your workout video. Your 5-year-old might even decide that he is strong enough to pick up your 15 pound dumbbell after you explained to him at least a dozen times that he should not pick it up because he’ll likely drop it, it’ll land on his foot, and he’ll break a toe! But he won’t listen to you. He’ll pick it up anyway, drop it on his foot and break a toe! Your six-year-old might be learning how to read all of the big words in the world around her, but pay special attention to food labels and words like: calories, sugar grams, high fructose corn syrup, etc. She’ll point out again and again what ingredients are in the foods you’re all eating and make dinner time a real learning experience for everyone.

So you can see…this is not a decision to take lightly. Are you ready for the consequences of your actions? If so, I suggest you buy men’s pants on sale, get more mirrors, some protective foot coverings for your children and a dictionary. Then, you might be prepared to take on this new healthy lifestyle, and all that comes with it! Good luck! 😀

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What is this “Clean Eating” you Speak of?

veggiesDid you know that you don’t have to diet anymore? Dieting is SO last decade. Seriously though…just eat clean, whole foods and combine it with some phyical activity at least 3-5 times/week, and that’s IT! So easy!

Want to know what I’m always talking about when I say “clean eating” this and “eat clean” that? Watch this quick little video that I made to get an idea of how to eat, without dieting, and still get the results you want.