The Weight of Guilt

When you are trying your hardest to live a healthy lifestyle you will feel your share of guilt.  That guilt can stem from not putting in the work you know you need to in the gym, falling off the wagon and eating the wrong foods or even the guilt of leaving your loved one's at home while you workout.   The key is to not allow the guilt to cause you to spiral out of control, turn to depression and stop you from reaching your goals.  If you have someone you can trust and talk to freely, share your thoughts.  If you journal, write them down and most of all if you are a believer, pray.  Instead of feeling guilty when I leave for a workout, I think about the positive outcome it has for me and my family.  If I decrease my chances of illness, I lessen the chances that I will be sick and require my family to care for my every need.  When my mind is free and clear of stress, I can better deal with the day to day obligations of being a wife and mother.  In addition, when I can fit into the type/size clothing I prefer, I feel better about myself.  Take the time to do something good for you and push the guilt aside.  You deserve to be the best you possible! Head high, shoulders back & ABS tight! XOXO

No Excuses

In the world of fitness we hear every excuse in the book regarding why someone can't commit to working out/staying fit.  I heard two just today from my 6pm client, "I'm going to start my diet tomorrow", "lets reschedule for tomorrow...my shoulder is sore".  There are times when obstacles come up and we can not let minor inconveniences keep us from doing what we know is right.  In the end, you are only hurting yourself and hindering your potential & success.  I know what you are thinking...you always say listen to your body.  I guess I need to add a caveat to that...listen to your body but truly understand what its trying to say to you.  My knee hurt very bad this morning...I could have easily cancelled my workout and stayed home with it elevated.  The reason I did not is because I knew that if I put a bit of pressure on it and kept moving, I really would be okay.  The same goes in regards to nutrition.  I often hear that eating healthy cost too much.  My question is, "Does it really cost more than the fast food stops"?  It certainly will cost less then the doctors visits, co payment and medicines you will be taking if you don't get serious about your health and well being.  If you sit down and write a plan and stick to it, you are more likely to succeed.  Take a little to create a Vision Board...I'm doing mine this week.  I have a pair of hot abs cut out, some firm round glutes, a bible, sunshine and my family.  What are you doing to stay focused on your goals?  Head up, shoulders high and read deltoids poppin'.

No Judgement Zone

I try to live my life without judgement but I often fail.  I find that I judge the way people drive, how people chew (it makes my skin crawl when people smack or chew w their mouths open) and I even judge how I look in the mirror.  There is one place however that I can honestly say, I do not judge and that is in the gym.  Rather its in a Zumba class, hip hop, boot camp or during personal training there is absolutely no room for judgement.  I am so inspired by people wanting to get healthy that I will do all I can to help them be successful.  We all make mistakes, we all go the wrong way and we all have days were we can't do as much as we would like but I applaud people for simply taking the time to come out.  I recently had someone tell me they can't come to a Zumba or hip hop class because they are not coordinated and do not dance well.  I had to literally laugh out loud because I am not talented in the dance category.  As a matter of fact, I tell people I was swag-less when it came to hip hop until I joined Mike's class.  Keep in mind, I won't be chosen for a video anytime soon but if necessary...I can cat daddy, and drop it like its hot with the older crowd, lol.  The bottom line is we are all there to get in shape, rather you do the moves just right or turn left instead of right doesn't mean a thing.  What means something is that you come out and burn calories and get fit.  Don't worry about what others may think because honestly at the end of the day...we are so busy looking at ourselves in the mirror, we hardly even notice anyone else :=).  Whatever you do, give it your all and remember...its fitness, not world peace.  Stop making excuses and get in shape.  Keep your head high, shoulders back & abs tight!  We are a fitness family and we take care of our own!!!!!!!  XOXO

Who's In Your Corner?

In life you should always have someone in your corner that you can depend on.  When I'm stuck at work and my children need something, I have people I can call on.  For example, just this week my son asked me for some money (for a good reason) and I forgot to leave it.  I sent my bestie a text that said, "Please stop by the house and give your nephew $X.XX and I will give it back to you when I see you".  Her reply, "Okay...as soon as I get my car, its done".  I can honestly say finding friends of that nature is a rare feat but there are people out there.  Now when it comes to fitness, I am that person for a lot of people.  I am here to encourage them, motivate them, provide information on classes, train them and get in their heads when they are slipping.  I am not exempt from the lack of motivation or the need of encouragement and I am so grateful that I have the right people in my corner for that too!  When I am questioning a nutritional supplement or a need for a certain type of food, I can call on Dave Nelson.  Doesn't matter when I send him a message...he always responds.  When I have a question regarding a modification for kickboxing, I can call Chrys Pelton Zinnecker.  When I am in a fitness class, the energy from Shana, Anna, Martha, Katherine and so many others keep me going.  Of course there are many more examples but what I am trying to say is I have people in my corner that I can count on.  Get to know those around you and if you do not have enough people in your corner to support and encourage you...enlarge your territory.  Of course my biggest supporter is my husband, he affords me the flexibility to live my dream and does all he can to make things at home a bit simpler for me...and for that I am grateful.  Keep in mind though, it hasn't always been that way...I have been a single mother of many (foster & biological) and have had to make a way and guess what!  I wanted it bad enough that I decided to seek the right people to be in my corner.  I want everyone to have all the support and encouragement they need and I will give my all to provide that but I am only one person.  I implore you to partner with a good friend/family member and stay committed to your goals/dreams.  Keep your head high, shoulders back, ABS tight and your two pack firm (gluteus maximus).  Blessings to all and always remember...if no one else is...I'm in your corner!

Dedication without Hesitation!

My passion in life is truly people and as much as I love to help others, the one thing that is difficult is trying to help those who do not want to help themselves.  There are times when people reach out, say they are ready to make a change and after you invest a lot of time, they do not act on any of the information your provided. In order to make a change in your life, you have to be ready...I mean, really ready.  At some point its no longer about lip service, its about action.  You will not reach your goals by talking about them, reading about them or even dreaming about them...you have to be about them.  My mother always said, if you don't have your word, you don't have anything.  By that she meant, if you say you are going to do something, be a person of integrity and do it.  That includes getting fit/healthy!  I know time constraints exist, I know children get sick, work schedules fluctuate and your mood does to but you have to look at fitness as a job.  Its something you have to do, to stay healthy, just like you have to work to eat (in most cases).  My fitness schedule is just as important to me as my work schedule.  If it something I wouldn't miss church or work for it...I won't miss my workout for it.  That is a commitment I have made to myself and I stick to it.  Take some time this week to make a contract with yourself...rather your contract states you will take 3 days a week for you to get fit or 5 days, that is totally up to you.  But whatever you chose make sure you stick to it and keep your word!  I would be very interested in knowing who makes a contract and how they plan to stick to it.  Until next time, head head held high, shoulders back, squats low, lunges deep and crunches plentiful!  XO

Understanding Your Worth

Raising girls has not always been easy, they have so many emotions and self esteem issues as they grow and develop, I sometimes have to check to make sure I am not doing anything to add to their stress level.  There issues range from not liking the way a certain pair of pants fit, complaining about the darkness of their skin tone, questioning their weight and sometimes trying to hard to fit in.  I can honestly say that my husband and I have done a pretty good job at combating these issues by staying on top of them and constantly reminding them how beautiful and wonderfully made they are.   As adults, these same issues sometimes plague us...I'm just as guilty as the next person so understand this blog benefits me too.  As a matter of fact, just this weekend while talking to a confidant I said, "I feel fat".  She replied, "PHAT" and I said, "NO! FAT as in larger than intended with an extended stomach".  Because she cares about me, she quickly set me straight and later I thought...as much as you preach on self esteem, understanding your worth and not letting one day get you down...you need to check yourself.  So there are a few things I want to get across today...regardless of your current state, the Lord made you so you are blessed.  You may not be the size you want to be, you may not see a supermodel when you look in the mirror but know that you are wonderful.  From the time my girls were little I have said to them, "Understand your worth".  In other words, don't sell yourself short, don't stand for less than you deserve and always hold your head high. So when you think you don't have time for a workout or to eat healthy, say to yourself..."I am worth it" and just do it.  Be Blessed!  Hold your head high, shoulders back, ABS tight and take time to care for YOU.

Exercise & Nutrition

Exercise without proper nutrition is like a peanut butter & jelly sandwich without bread, a husband with no wife or how about life without SUPERGREENS...it just doesn't work :-).  I cringe when I see people post their meal plan for the day and it says: Breakfast-Dry Wheat Toast, Lunch-Tuna Pack w lettuce, Dinner-Large Salad w Tuna and no dressing.  YIKES!  Rather your goal is to lose weight, maintain your weight or to simply get healthy you have to focus on both your exercise and your nutrition.  Proper nutrition will allow you to have the energy you need to effectively complete a workout, burn fat and see results.  When you don't take in enough calories your metabolism shuts down, your body holds on to fat and you eventually lose muscle because your body has nothing else to pick from. In addition you weaken your immune system and will find you are sick more often than when you fuel properly.  Again, I am not a registered dietitian but I do know enough about the subject to consider myself dangerous and I have some of the greatest subject matter experts surrounding me as mentors. I try to never go more than 3 hours without eating, I don't mean eat a big meal every 3 hours but I do eat something that's good for me.  An example would be Greek yogurt (Chiobani is fav), a serving of nuts w an apple, natural peanut butter w a banana or a MRP meal replacement protein.  My diet is not perfect and there are days when the tortilla chips follow me through the house and beg me to eat them and guess what...I do. The thing is, it's okay and human to indulge sometimes but don't let it overtake your life and become a part of your daily ritual.  My challenge for you this week is to do your best to maintain a healthy diet, properly fueling your body and getting your exercise in.  I would be real interested to see who says they feel better and are more effective in their workouts, let me know!  As always, head high, shoulders back and ABS tight!  Be Blessed! 

Listen to Your Body

I wasn't going to blog today because I promised myself that if I didn't have anything inspirational to say, I just wouldn't write.  I wanted to ensure that the words I say could inspire, motivate or educate someone and this morning...I was blank.  After a 6am CRAZY fun kickboxing class, work, doctors appointment for my son, lab work for me and a volleyball game for my daughter; I really thought I would be able to go to hip hop to support my friends.  Keep in mind, I was tired (exhausted) and thought three times, I really should just go home.  I didn't listen to my body which is totally against everything I believe, try to do and tell others to do. I got to hip hop and I knew on song #3 that I had made a very bad choice and it took everything in my to keep it together.  My body screamed for mercy and I caved...I didn't ignore it...I got my daughter, my bag & keys and left.  Rather you are training for a marathon, working hard to get fit or in any situation, listen to your body.  God designed us with what I call warning bells...when you feel a lump in your breast, it could be cancer.  When you have chest pains...it could be a heart attack. When you have hot flashes...well your probably on your way to menopause :-).  When it comes to fitness if you want to reduce your risk of injury, give you body proper time to repair/recover...you have to take rest time and you have to listen to your body.  Tomorrow...I plan to take it easy and listen to what my body tells me to do, if that's nothing, so be it...that's what I will do!  Be Blessed!  Hold your head high, shoulders back and ABS tight!

Overcoming Depression through Exercise

I can honestly say, 2011 has been the toughest year of my life.  People ask me (and my friends) if I am really this happy all the time and the answer is, no.  I deal with the same issues that everyone else does, I have obstacles just like everyone else and there are days that I just want to crawl in bed and put the covers over my head.  This year I lost my mother, my son battle and illness that left him hospitalized (in and out) for over three months and I myself battled with illness.  During this time I became very depressed, it may not have been obvious to onlookers but I felt it and my close friends and family did too.  During a routine visit to my doctor he wrote me a prescription...the prescription was to continue to exercise and increase it if possible.  Thank God my doctor knows me well!  During exercise was the only time I was worry free...I would put on my headphones, turn my contemporary gospel up as loud as I could and I would praise the Lord while I worked out.  I was off work nearly 2 months and I spent as much time as I could in the gym...rather it was dancing, lifting, running, walking or on the elliptical...IT HELPED!  I began to breath easier, worry less and eventually overcame the deep depression that was haunting me.  I am sharing all of this to make others aware of two things: depression is normal and you can overcome it though exercise.  It may not be the only prescription you receive but the benefits will assist you in getting better. I am a living witness!  Keep your head held high, shoulders back and ABS tight!  Be Blessed!

Don't Give Up!

It's funny, when I blog I don't come up with predetermined topics, I simply write about whats on my mind. Last night as I was helping my daughter prepare her duffel bag for her first volleyball game, the excitement on her face was priceless.  She made sure she had her volleyball shoes, knee pads, shorts, sports bra, long socks and shirt...oh and deodorant :-).  I asked her if she was excited and she said, "Yes, this is going to be so much fun".  When I went to wake her up this morning I said, "Wake up KK, it's game day", she rolled over and said, "I don't want to serve".  Confused I inquired regarding what she was talking about and she said, "In the game, I don't want to serve because I don't think I am good at it and if I do it wrong it will cause us to lose".  I told her, its not about being perfect, its about giving it your all and as time goes on...you WILL get better. Needless to say in our day to day lives we come across situations that we avoid because we feel we are not good at it.  Maybe you don't run because you feel you can't run very far; maybe you don't dance because you don't feel you are good at it, maybe you don't go to the gym because you don't like the way you look.  My advise to you is, "DO NOT GIVE UP"!  You will get faster, go longer, pick up the moves and change the way you look/feel if you keep at it!  Start slow, stay consistent and when you fall...get back up!  Keep your head held high, shoulders back and ABS tight!  Be Blessed!

Cherish Every Minute

With the anniversary of September 11th here I am reminded of how precious life really is.  There are so many things we take for granted however we see everyday life is not guaranteed.  If you are going to live your life, why not make it the best life it can be?  Why not fuel your body with things that make you feel good, look good and live longer?  I tell my husband and kids that I love them everyday...not because I think they do not already know or that they have forgotten but in the event anything happens to any of us there will be no doubt in ANYONE'S mind that the love we have for one another runs deep.  If you have someone you love...give them a hug, tell them you love them, encourage them to take a walk or to eat a more nutritious meal.  A friend posted on her page tonight, "I run because I can, I run because one day I might not be able to".  So In honor of September 11th, I challenge you to walk/run, not because you have to but because you can!  Until next time...keep you head held high, shoulders back and ABS tight!  Be Blessed!

Making Time to Get/Stay Fit

I am no EXPERT on time management and certainly not an authority on organization however I have planned, scheduled and handle my workouts as I do meetings, conference calls and deadlines on my job.  I set a time and I do not cancel.  How this works is simple in translation but requires a little something called, "discipline".  If we did not go to work every time we were, tired, a little achy, catching a cold or even too busy...would we be employed?  As a member of Corporate America for the past 16 year I can answer that for you, "NO".  So why do we let the same excused dictate rather we take 1 out of the 24 hours we have been blessed with to workout.  My philosophy is this...If I wouldn't miss Church or work for it...its not more important than my workout.  There are times I have to be really creative about when I can fit in that time...that may require me to do a 6 am class, a 30 minute session during my lunch or even stopping at the gym or a class immediately after work so I do not have to leave the house once I am home.  With that said...its not always easy but the rewards are plentiful! Be Blessed & Stay Fit!