Wednesday, January 20, 2016

**I'm NOT a product of my scale**

I'm in week 3 of my Hammer and Chisel program, and I've been feeling a little bummed.  After a really rough 2015 with my health and my weight, I was ready to take control of everything again.   I had some awesome progress on the scale during week 1 of the program, and I was psyched to see the progress continue.  I've been faithfully following the meal plan (I may be tweaking it a wee bit, but I also believe in the 80/20 rule), doing the workouts daily (giving them my all because I WANT results), and using the Beachbody Performance line (I've heard that it really enhances results...plus I love the lack of muscle soreness I have because if it).  BUT, this week the scale hasn't really moved AND I have been feeling "fluffy".  

Sound familiar?   I'll bet that at least 50% of the folks reading this have felt the same way after just a few week into a new diet/fitness routine.  You probably even thought about giving up.  I know that thought has certainly crossed my mind.  

It is such a mental game to keep at it and TRUST the process.  

The truth is that a healthy diet/fitness regimen is designed to CHANGE YOUR BODY.  Your body's progress is not reflected by the number on the scale!!!!  Did you read that?  YOUR BODY'S PROGRESS IS NOT REFLECTED BY THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE!   It's true!!!  So what if the scale says a certain number?  Maybe the earth had a small surge in its gravitational pull and the scale went up because of that πŸ˜‰.  The reality is that if you are losing inches, if your clothes fit better, if you have more energy, OR if you JUST FEEL BETTER, then you HAVE MADE PROGRESS.  

So dispute my lack of progress on the scale, I am still losing inches in my waist and hips.  I may have gained some inches in my arms πŸ’ͺ🏼πŸ’ͺ🏼, but that's ok πŸ˜‰.  I am really enjoying the workouts AND doing the program with my husband.  I am embracing the meal plan because I REALLY need the focus to fight my EBV and keep in in control. I am NOT hungry with this meal plan.  I definitely have MORE energy.  The truth is that I just FEEL GOOD.

I'm determined to make 2016 my healthiest year ever.  I will continue exercising, eating right and drinking my Shakeology (29/366 days for 2016...#healthiestmealoftheday), and I WILL see progress.  Who really cares about the scale anyway? Deep down, we all just want to feel good about ourselves, and have the confidence to just be us!


Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Happy New Year!

It is January 2016, and the time for the annual "New Year, New Me" mantra.  I am not doing that this year.  My slogan for 2016 is "Consistency Counts".  My goals for 2016 all revolve around my ability to remain consistent in my workouts, eating plan, and journey to better health.  I do not want to battle with lots of health issues in the same way I did in 2015.  I do not want to stop exercising because my poor eating choice let my autoimmune disease rear it's ugly head and cause me to have low levels of energy.  I am NOT making resolutions this year.  I am just setting goals.  Goals that I KNOW I WILL ACHIEVE.

Goal #1 - drink my Shakeology EVERY DAY in 2016...all 366 days.  I truly believe in the health benefits of this amazing product (I'd be happy to share, if you want to learn more...Message me).  I am committing to being proof that Shakeology really is the healthiest meal of the day, by drinking my shake every day and enjoying the added benefit of all those antioxidants, adaptagens, and natural energy boosting, immunity building, super foods..  I deserve to be healthy in 2016! 


Goal #2 - Be consistent with my workout programs. This is something I have been pretty good about in the past.  However, 2015 dealt me a rough hand when it came to energy.  Because of my big flare up of EBV (Epstein Barr-Virus), I allowed myself to slow WAY down and NOT workout regularly...sometimes not at all....for weeks at a time.  I made excuses, or chose workouts that were not challenging me at all.  That was not always the case, but enough that it impacted my fitness goals pretty significantly.  This year will be different!  I am committing to completing my Beachbody fitness programs from start to finish ALL YEAR LONG.  On January 4th, my hubby, Jeff, and I began Beachbody's newest workout program, The Master's of Hammer and Chisel.  This is a 60 day program that is dedicated to REALLY sculpting and toning the body.  It is the first program to feature 2 top celebrity trainers, Autumn Calabrese from the 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme workout programs, and Sagi Kalev from the Body Beast program (which I did part of last year).  After 3 days, I have to tell you, this is ONE TOUGH PROGRAM....and I LOVE it!  I am also sticking with the meal plan for the entire program.

 Goal #3 - I am committing to really putting my foot down with my eating habits! I TRULY want make a lifestyle change toward an eating plan that will impact my health in a way that I don't have to worry about EBV flare ups, and other autoimmune issues that can stem from the long term effects of having EBV.  I am going to nip this in the bud, and figure out what MY body needs to be healthy. That is one of my biggest reasons for Goal #1!  I am also going a step further and making an effort to turn my kitchen into an organic one.  In the past, I have always done the best I could to eat right and stick with healthy foods that were not overly expensive.  It can be pretty tough when you live paycheck to paycheck.  Now that things have become more financially stable in our house, I am ready to step up my game and make a difference.  Not only in my health, but that of my family as well.  I don't want my kids to have to deal with the health issues that I have had to endure.  Going organic will be a great way to remove (or at leas lessen)  all those unhealthy chemicals from the foods we eat.  Don't worry, I won't make my family go cold turkey, or even deprive them from occasional treats like Oreo cookies.  I just want to make a huge impact on their perception of what healthy eating should be.

On a side note, I am LOVING the Master's of Hammer and Chisel eating plan.  Because it is a muscle building and sculpting program, I get a little more food in my meal plan than I would with other programs.  IT IS AWESOME!!!  Here was my dinner from tonight: 
RED - chicken
FREE - Spicy mustard dipping sauce (link to recipe in comments)
GREEN & TSP - Boy Choy sauteed in coconut oil
GREEN - Brussels sprouts
2 YELLOW - baked sweet potato fries

As a bonus, I get to use the products from the Beachbody Performance Line...and  as long as I use them as the directions say, I DON'T have to account for those calories in my eating plan!


Goal #4 - continue to help as many people as I can on their own journey to better health.  Believe it or not, I am a fitness coach because I believe, from the bottom of my heart, that EVERYONE deserves to be healthy and happy.  If any part of what I do as a coach can help just one individual to find their own path to health and happiness, then I have done my job well.  And, no amount of money could replace the joy I get from seeing someone smile again because they FEEL GOOD about themselves!!
If YOU want to start on YOUR fitness journey, and would like my help, please drop me a message HERE.  We will talk about your goals, and get you started on your path to success!




My journey has been one of MANY ups and downs.  The one thing that has remained consistent is my goal to be a better ME.