Phit-N-Phat...Making Fitness and Weightloss a Lifestyle

Lifestyle Versus Diet: Which is Right?

Lifestyle is the new DIET. What do I mean?

A lifestyle is when you...

• Lose weight incorporating things you love in a sensible way.
• Plan your workouts and work your plan.
• Love yourself enough to say NO when you can't control yourself.
• Understand you need to build a life for yourself that involves health; not tear your life apart with food and thoughts.
• Know you will ALWAYS have to eat healthy and find things that fit that plan. 

There's tons of tips and tools I can give you to help you lose weight. I can teach you all kinds of new habits that make living healthy an easy transition. But, if you BELIEVE being healthy is a DIET that leaves you miserable, hungry, and working out to the extreme you will simply fall back into your old habits of lazy comfort. In your heart and mind you have decided that it takes tricks and that you have an end date.

When you commit to learning how to LIVE you will really have that lightbulb moment. The lightbulb comes on when you are done looking for fixes. You might have to walk around in the dark a bit, scared and confused, but rather than running for the door you look for the switch.

This blog  was written by a PNP moderator and one of my Beachbody coaches. I have a great team!!! And since she posted her week I thought I would do the same. All of us train different but we make it happen in the way that we love. I like racing, lifting, and Tough Mudders so I train to do those things with stuff I enjoy.

Mon - 30 min. run; shoulder training

Tue - 30 min. elliptical cross-training; arm training

Wed -30 min. run; leg training

Thu - Asylum Back to Core; back training

Fri - 30 run with Chalene Extreme abs circuited into the routine; chest training

Sat - Long run of 7-8 miles

Sun - Off and food prep/get the week ready!

This schedule might be light to some and extreme to others but it is RIGHT for me. It's written with the way I love to workout and that's what keeps ME going back for more each day.

And I do the same with my food. I'm working with my coach right now and we agreed to make a menu I love. I"m not competing this year but I want to look my best for an event so I should EAT my best!

B - oats and egg whites
S - salsa chicken, roasted veggie and sweet potato (I ADORE sweet potatoes and can't believe there was a time in life I wouldn't eat them)
L - seasoned white fish with rosemary red potatoes
S - Shakeology with any fruit I want
D - steak, large green salad with veggies, red potatoes
S - salmon and roasted veggie or green beans

Seriously, these are all foods I truly like and I load them with herbs and spices. Now, years ago I didn't eat like to eat this way but I learned how to slowly evolve into this kind of day. I experimented a lot with ways to make them taste devine. Ask and I'll share tips!

But, the key is that right now I have a goal and I'm working toward it. This means I eat very healthy and I do it happily. I know it's right for my goal and my body! Then on occasion when I TRULY want something I have it. It's OK and it's OK knowing it my fun foods shouldn't be a main staple of my "diet." When I weighed 250lbs fun food was the staple and healthy foods I chose rarely. Took me awhile to figure out I can have both if I just let go of what I thought a diet HAD to be.

Going Back to My Old Ways

In therapy this week I was discussing (and crying) about my fear of going back to my old ways. Most people I work with on PNP  have the same fear that when you take a day off, eat an unplanned meal, or slip up that it might be THE ONE TIME you back to being fat.

I have struggled with this over the years. As I told my therapist it's one of the reasons I can become anxious when the scale fluctuates, I get sick and can't exercise, or I go on vacation and my routine is not comfortable. Most of my life I weighed 200-250lbs. Only six of my 37 years on earth have I maintained a healthy weight. 

See, I never had a lifestyle. I was either ON a diet or OFF a diet. My 'diets" were starving, planning to eat a bunch of crap I didn't like, and trying to exercise WAY out of my comfort zone until exhaustion. I would always have a "plan" but it was so rigid, strict, and unrealistic that the first roadblock was the end of that diet. 

As I told my therapist all of this she said something that struck me. I'm working through trusting myself and my six years of success I've built. To successfully lose the weight, I've created many rules for my life to work within. Those rules worked to get me here but it's now causing anxiety to stay here. 

At a point some of the rules have to change. Just as I blogged Monday about Happily Maintaining, in maintenance there can be some wiggle room without fear of going back to who I was. As I told her of my weekend she wanted to know was I anxious. I wasn't. I said, "for some reason even though I was bloated on Sunday just knowing I was prepping my food and getting everything ready for the week got me in routine." 

She then asked did food prep make me anxious. Again, no. I actually get a thrill from getting all of our food ready. Our weeks go so smooth when we can just grab what we eat and dinner can be on the table in ten minutes.

And that's when she said I have to look at all my rules and regulations I have built. Which ones lead to anxiety and which ones do I enjoy? My weightloss should be enjoyed. The things I've put in place that make it fun should stay. The rules that don't make me happy need to be changed.

I never thought of it that way. Guess I have some self-reflection to do. My rules have provided comfort. There's no reason to think they are wrong unless they make me or my family miserable. But, I do have a few that could change. 

Just hearing this helps me see what a habitual and automatic, healthy lifestyle I have created. That's what I have always craved - stability. I didn't have a lot of it growing up and now I do. I finally see that this time I have built a stable lifestyle and not a chaotic, extreme, plan doomed to fail.

Therapy - best money I've ever spent - well next to my ladies. ;)

Happily Maintaining...

Talking with Chris this weekend I've decided to blog a little more on my daily life. My blog has always been a source of working out what goes on in my head WHILE helping other people see what it feels like to be a girl who had to lose 100+ pounds and keep it off.

After six years, maintenance is still so hard for me. My life is spent reading through weightloss journals, diets, workouts, etc., to help my clients lose weight. I also use my own life experience to help them so it's easy to get caught up in feeling like MY LIFE must be one giant diet. It never really occurred to me the influence my job has until the last few months.

Another tough aspect is a tangled body image for myself. I've privately on PNP struggled with what do I want to look like. The short of it is I have admired figure competitors and competed for four years now that I couldn't let go of a look I'm just not willing to maintain these days.

It's not that I am ready to gain a bunch of weight. Not at all. I just train and eat different now. My life is filled (happily) with half-marathons, Tough Mudders, and eating to compete rather than dieting for a specific look for a show. I can still look great but I'm just not going to have the specific look I admire.

Truth be told I miss the shows...I miss working hard for the stage because I enjoy that sport, but I don't miss dieting and sacrificing Vegas trips, date nights, Subway, and pancakes with my son just because we feel like it that night. 

On our date night this week, Chris and I talked about all of this. The last few weekends I have not tracked my food and just ate more intune with my brain. I also ate things I don't eat Monday through Friday and had wine with my man. In my BRAIN I know it's fine. It's my emotional side that feels guilty or like if my girls see me enjoying my weekends then the whole site is going to be in a downward spiral. 

I know from losing my weight that it takes TIGHT weekends to get the weight off. But I also know I did my time already and I deserve to enjoy myself on the weekends. Often, though, the girls do as they see without remembering they haven't earned their golden ticket just yet. I know I cannot keep living my life as a diet "model" but just coach them on how they should eat now and SHOW them how it works in life when you are done.

My Weekend...

On Friday, I took a day off from exercise because I had a huge active week and another 8 mile run Saturday morning (already did a 10-miler two days prior). The family stayed in and we ate our normal healthy stuff.

Saturday I fueled up for my 8 miles and was STARVING all day. I ATE on cue and kept it healthy. Knowing we were going out for a date night I didn't want to bust in like Kool-Aid Man to the restaurant and eat whatever was in front of me.

Before we went out at 7:00 pm I had some brussel sprouts and pork from my weekly meal plan. Well, I was full so we decided to go to our local bar and hang out. At 11:00 pm I had drank a good bit of wine, danced with my man, snapped our usual silly pictures for Facebook, and we were starved. We decided on Ruby Tuesday to-go since we had to beat the babysitter.

I ordered a Turkey Burger on dry whole wheat toast, a dry baked potato, and was going to have a salad. When we got there the salad bar had all of Logan's favorites and not many of my own so I decided I really would rather split a dessert than choke down salad at midnight. I made Logan a salad for lunch on Sunday and we got the Blondie! I'm just saying it is my all time favorite dessert in the world and when the Queen has dessert this is what she gets!

I ate every bit of my dinner and a few nibbles of fries off Chris' plate. Yep, I BLT, too! But, I gave Chris the ice cream from our dessert since it's not my favorite and I ate only 1/2 of the blondie. Let me say, that's a big win in my book. I am a clean plate club member and I can put down VOLUMES of food, y'all. I did eat past full but I can eat until miserable and I didn't. Baby, stinking-steps. 

Sunday rolled in and I was TIRED (hungover). I made myself workout but just a lighter workout of some sculpting and 25 minute HIIT from Turbo Fire. I ate healthy but at lunch I really wanted the leftover blondie so I had it. Now, the win here is that normally I gulp food in front of the computer. I made myself sit at the table and ENJOY the dessert. If I'm going to eat 400 calories in dessert then I better ENJOY IT!

Later that day I did a great food prep (starting at 3:30 pm) that was wicked fast and then the boys wanted Ruby Tuesday. Honestly, we love going as a family once a week for family night and it almost always happens on Sunday. After cooking all day to post on Facebook, Logan playing, and Chris and I doing laundry we just want to relax at our favorite spot. We went and I had a big salad and pasta with marinara and chicken/shrimp mix. I also had a couple of Skinny Mojitos since Chris was driving. 

We came home, messed around the house, put Logan in bed and watched Ice and Cocoa. It was fun and Chris has been teasing me all weekend because he thinks I'm his Cocoa. LOL. Can you tell which couple is which?

I guess I'm redefining the way I see Corinne. My desire to just be really lean and hard is waning a lot. My mind for months now has been focused on being sporty, having fun, and healthy. Sure I keep an eye on the scale and such, but I'm also starting to see that body image perfectionism does nothing but make me crazy.

I could never obtain the goals that my head has for me. It doesn't mean throw in the towel; just means my goals are WRONG. I'd love big, firm, muscular legs but my skin can't do that. I also love Tough Mudders and that DESPITE my skin on my legs, ARE strong and conditioned enough to leap and climb. That's a goal worth smiling about it and working hard for.

So, that's my weekend. Today I'm sure the scale is up a bit but I didn't weigh. It's not a reflection of my week. It will be back down by Wed or Thur when I do weigh. I'm back to my good foods, regular programming, and such. Every day can't be a weekend and to have a little more there I gotta have a little less now.

I'm honest in the fact that if I was to lose a few pounds I would smile but it's just got to be a byproduct of a good life. My goal is maintaining, having fun, being athletic, and happy accidents on the scale are always welcomed. 

And, if my husband's words aren't enough, I saw this post from Scott Abel today. Timely and true.

Sad to think a 'perfect or ideal' body or its pursuit makes you “happy” - it doesn’t. It only makes you tired and exhausted from the pursuit, which makes you more unhappy and unsatisfied with yourself. No diet in the world or the results from it, will leave you feeling "good about yourself" if your default position in life is that you feel you are never good enough - no diet will deliver that kind of salvation to you - stop being in a place where you are only comfortable with life, by feeling bad about yourself within your living of it!

 

No Quick Fix to Weightloss....Sorry!

Lately I've worked with loads of women in person and online. Something that strikes me is regardless how much I preach a lifestyle, women are still desperate for the quick fix and just KNOW that...

- they shouldn't eat carrots

- no carb diets are the ONLY way to lose weight

- you need to be uncontrollably hungry to lose weight

And countless, COUNTLESS other crazy things. It breaks my heart to look into the eyes of a woman who wants to lose weight more than anything and see hopelessness. They are in such a rush yet deep down they know it is ust not going to work LONGTERM.

What I can't understand is how some of you will work SO HARD in the short-term on starving, crazy diet notions, eating things you hate, etc., but when I suggest planning a menu (or following one of mine), prepping your food on Sunday, and scheduling moderate weekly activity that it is just CRAZY TALK!!!!

Honestly, if most women would give me ONE month of honest listening, honest feedback, and honest reflection I feel confident I could change A LOT about you. I know it's easy for you to read this and think "not for me" but I've simply worked with too many women and it's worked. The ones that didn't make it didn't do the basics. They looked for the "fix" rather than implementing my lifestyle help. 

I'm excited for the month of March because I have 100's of women now in different groups working with me on PNP, in a local support group, and on Facebook. Not all will succeed but a lot will. Those who listen to me that this is not about a diet but a change in how you and your family live your life will be forever changed.

I leave you with a quote and a picture of my local church and school group I co-lead with my dear friend Jennie who is in the middle of her journey. We're starting our THIRD month together and today we had a SMALL group. We have 20 or so REGULARS who volunteer to show up and work hard.

Most of these ladies are also training for their first 1/2 marathon. They are YOU. You don't need me there to do what they are doing each day. It's a matter of believing you can do it and that this life can happen for you. When that times come you can join me on PNP. 

I am amazed everytime I workout with you at what I can do. Thank you for pushing me! Because I CAN do this. I just have to believe I can do it. Guess what...I do believe.

 

Starting a Trend

Beachbody's motto is End the Trend (of Obesity) and I like that. It's one reason I choose them for videos and such because I wanted to be associated with things whose focus is to help people experience better lives. It's why I lost over 100lbs - my life was terrible. I was unhealthy, sad most of the time, and so tired with life due to my weight. 

Don't get me wrong that losing weight makes you happy. Learning to take care of yourself, prioritizing you life, and learning that food doesn't "fix" things is what made me happy. Being a healthy weight is a nice side effect.

Today I want to talk about something we all can do. I don't want to just end a trend; I like to think we are all starting trends. My friend Jennie and I are co-leading an amazing group of women at our church and school called the Happy Healthy Holy Ladies.

January 1, 2012 this group started two initiatives: to walk or run the Country Music Half Marathon in April and enter a Biggest Loser competition. Jennie and I were thinking we would have a few ladies join us because we love sharing how to change FAMILIES lives. 

We are over 90 strong on our closed Facebook group with a huge number of these ladies doing either the Biggest Loser or the Country Music Half Marathon. This picture is just a few of us who braved rain to do a 5K this past weekend. I'm on the far left sporting a HAWT trash bag.

I also run my webiste www.phit-n-phat.com. It's a private social community with training, education, support, forums, and programs designed to help women become healthy, hot, and Phabulous. I love it because for almost five years now I've watched women lose weight, but more importantly, share this lifestyle with people they love. This is a PNP client and new Beachbody Coach Emily and her husband. This post Les Mills Body Attack at 6am. She's lost over 30lbs and inspires so many of her friends. I just love this girl.

That's what it is all about for me. I want to see people truly change and see that life is worth having. People should feel the thrill of...

• Crossing finish lines they never thought possible with a smile on their mouth and eyes full of tears.
• Looking in their grocery cart and so proud of the food they snap a picture for me and post on my Facebook page.
• Putting on a pair of pants they bought months ago and realizing they can't wear them...they lost too much weight.
• Watching their kids choose fruits and vegetables because it's how Mom eats.
• Catching their husband eye a new butt while unloading the dishwasher.
• Having THEIR friends ask if THEY can help them.

This is starting trends. When you see how your change is effecting the lives around you it brings you a pride that the scale can't give you. THAT'S what I want for all of you and why I dedicate so much of my life to PNP and Beachbody. 

Some people think I'm crazy for the amount of time I spend online in my forums, answering quetions, and just being there for people when they aren't ready to believe in their potential. I think I'm selfish.

Honestly, I'm blessed each day to spend my time helping others find a life I love. There's nothing more enjoyable to me than health and fitness and I get to do that every day. My hobby is my passion and my passion is my job. 

So, I want to thank all my clients, my Beachbody Coaches, my Happy Healthy Holy Ladies, and my friends and family who decided my lifesytle was a trend-setter. All of you are the next Queen.

I'm closing with what inspired this blog. A client posted this in our PNP forum. She's in her 50's and just in the last year really decided she needed to lead a healthy lifestyle. She's lost weight, fitting in sizes she never thought possible, lifting weights after starting from ground zero, and just a joy to work with. It made me proud to know that paying it forward is alive and well. She's changing people with a simple change in pot luck dinners.

"I now bring something healthy to the church pot lucks. People go for the good food if it's there for them. In fact, we're starting a trend. We had more vegetarian and healthy foods tonight than not." 

 

...But I Do It Anyway

One of my brilliant girls on PNP posted this in our forums today and I HAD TO SHARE!

I had a good chuckle with a co-worker of mine that I've known for years, and we've done Weight Watchers on and off together, walked at lunch together, etc.

She is engaged to a personal trainer and is currently trying to lose some weight before her wedding at the end of the year. Anyhow, we always get together to talk about our fitness and diets and she knew I was starting the Beachbody Home Body Pump program. Anyhow, I told her yesterday that I stepped on the scale and nothing had changed, and I was like "what the heck?"

Then I laughed because, you know, I only started the program THIS WEEK!  We both laughed because, like me, she lacks patience when it comes to seeing progress when we start something and we both know how ridiculous it is to look for results just a few days after STARTING a program!  I told her that I KNOW BETTER than to step on the scale just a few days after starting but I do it anyway.

That got me thinking about all the things that I "know better than" to do, but I do them anyway.  So I thought I'd write them out here.  Maybe I should work on stopping these behaviors, since they do NOTHING to help me!

I know better than to...

• step on the scale after just a few days of starting a program and expect to see results, but I do it anyway.
• step on the scale after a bad food day/weekend, but I do it anyway
• do a workout when my body is screaming that it needs to rest, but I do it anyway
• go on a binge after making one bad food choice, thinking that I just screwed up my plan so I'll just give in and start over tomorrow allowing myself to eat junk the rest of the night, but I do it anyway
• push myself to continue doing something that doesn't allow an injury to heal or makes it worse, but I do it anyway
• look at myself naked and only focus on the flaws, and bad talk myself, but I do it anyway
• go swimsuit or jeans shopping and think that I will end up in as good of a mood as I left in, but I do it anyway
• to look for easy ways to lose weight, but I do it anyway
• think that I can eat foods I don't really like and make it a "lifestyle", but I do it anyway
• do a half-as*ed workout when I know I should be giving it everything I've got, but I do it anyway

I gotta wonder why I continue to do these things, when I KNOW BETTER.  Is it sabotaging myself?  Is it to purposefully make myself feel bad so that I have an excuse to continue bad behaviors or choices?  I'm not really sure.  But, I think I'm going to make a more conscious effort to stop doing these things that I know better than to do.

 

I just thought this was like all of us. Who hasn't done all or most of these things? I still do them!

If you ask me we get into the habit of these behaviors and we do them anyway because we don't do the opposite...EVEN WHEN WE DON'T WANT TO. Many times we have to do the opposite and remind ourselves why we are allowing ourselves some love. At first it sounds "stupid" and then eventually it becomes easier, life is easier, and we wonder why we didn't act like this the whole time.

My Journey Was Not Easy

I see women all day want the "lifestyle" to kick in RIGHT NOW so that losing weight and exercising is easy for them. They spend countless hours wishing it to be easy when that is not going to happen.

In fact, I spoke with someone last week about the concept of "does it ever get easy?" Me and my most successful girls do develop an auto-pilot mode with food prep, making a healthy choice, and doing workouts; but only in terms that they aren't still learning. The motivation, the temptations, the lure of food pushers never goes away and THAT STUFF makes it a daily battle.

Scott Abel wrote...

"What is the true reality of process? It is to stop thinking in linear terms. You need to be mentally and emotionally prepared to do the hard work required – and yet still be mature enough to accept there maybe frustration and disappointment along the way as well. There is nothing “real” to be gained from claiming victory over walking a well-paved road that has no obstacles." 

Why do you read my blog? Why do you join www.phit-n-phat.com? Why do you want me to be your Beachbody Coach? What makes YOU feel like I can help you?

I can tell you this...it ain't because I come on here telling you how easy I had it. I was 250lbs and started with walking when I was so embarrased to even be in the gym. 

You like me because I had to get knocked on my ass a lot but figured out a way to get back up. You follow me in therapy, read my struggles with self-acceptance, watch me portion out food and keep peanut butter out of the house because six years later I still want to eat like the "old me."

Face it! What makes me real to you is I AM YOU! 

Most races the first few YEARS of my weightloss journey I was in last place. DEAD LAST PLACE with women in their 50's, 60's and 70's kicking my butt. I competed in figure with loose skin so bad I had to tape it down inside the suit, try to cover scar lines from body lift surgery, and do it knowing there were only a few people in the audience who knew my story. Everyone else probably thought I forgot to diet.

Without all these things I wouldn't be who I am today. Most importantly, if things came easy I wouldn't try to keep reaching higher and reaching out further to you. 

I thought about my journey and how far I have come a lot this weekend. It's taught me to look for the tough spots and face them versus hide from them. I learned it's OK to cut things out of your life that are toxic to your body. You'll survive and probably be better for it. It showed me how to prepare and plan because you never know what life will throw at you. Without years of knowing how food can kill and heal, I doubt I would have the appreciation to know how much a healthy diet can help/heal my little Logan. 

And, then this weekend I had a monumental moment for me. When I started with my simple walks and trying to get healthy, my dear friend Laurie who was a lifetime runner got me to do some races. My first 5K took me 52 minutes while she was well under 30. We walked a half marathon together when she could easily run one.

We did so many races and training sessions "together" meaning we met up, chatted, and start our runs. I always was way behind but we called each other at the end to say "we're done and a psycho didn't get us!" At races, she would wait around at the finish for at least an hour so I always had someone there smiling and cheering for me. Many times when the crowds were gone and the finish line being torn down.

I've blogged it in the past, but without her I know I wouldn't be here. My self-esteem didn't have it at the time to go out on my own. I had to have someone believing in me when I didn't. My husband covered the home base of self-esteem, but Laurie got me believing I was an athlete when I looked and performed like anything but. I KNOW now athletes come in all shapes, sizes, and ages but back then I just felt fat, slow, and like everyone was looking at me thinking "why are you here?"

This weekend, for the first time ever, we met for a long run of 7 miles. We ran TOGETHER and mean the whole way. I even was able to talk. A couple of hills I had to say I'll finish at the top but I was so proud and amazed at far I've come. My heart rate on one hill WAS THE SAME as it was when we would walk for my first half-marathon. No kidding! It was high but I was running with my oldest and dearest friend!!! She's still faster but now I feel like I can give something back to her with company, accountability for the runs, and just laughs. 

It never escapes me each time I run that route with Laurie, my husband, or by myself all the times I was out there the last six years at different stages. I am still not the fastest and barely just average , but there's such a sense of pride in knowing I had to claw my way every step.

When it comes to workouts I've had to do every modification in the book like lift only my arms when others had weights or do pushups against a wall because it hurt to get on my knees. I've walked/jogged, started races early to make sure I can finish, and refused to eat out for months when I knew I would blow it and scared it would be the ONE time I couldn't get back on track.

Losing weight, keeping it off, and finding the desire to workout is tough. Still is. Many days I want to eat crap and take a nap. Most of the time I don't; sometimes I do. I've learned that it's OK to not be your best at any point in the journey. When you aren't your best you truly learn how to get better the next time if you stop long enough to appreciate the chance.

And, that's one reason I also do the Beachbody coaching now, along with my near and dear PNP community. BB believes you inspire others MORE when you have a story to tell and can work WITH people - side by side. I've been fortunate enough to take my struggles, keep working on them with dear friends, family, and clients, and then have PNP and Beachbody to reach the next Corinne. Regardless of where you are take the time to know you have it in you just like I did to change your life and others. Embrace those mistakes and obstacles and make them a part of your story. And if you decide you want influence the next person I'll be here to help.

Protect Your Weekend

 

I love Under Armour and I love the message this commercial sends for the weekend. WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE!

Just like in Linda Spangle's book "100 Days to Weightloss", we must protect our lifestyle!

“ No one will ever care as much about your diet plan as you.  So it’s your job to prevent people or events from pulling you off track.  Instead of depending on others to help you be successful with your diet, make a commitment that YOU will protect your program at all costs.

 Watch for ways to recognize and avoid situations that might cause you to weaken.  Rather than assume you’ll be able to resist your mom’s apple pie or the potluck casseroles at work, don’t put yourself in the situation where you’ll have to test your willpower.”

There will always be times and situations in life where people and events are going to put food in your face and steal your time to exercise. It's YOUR job to fend this off; they don't need to change but you certainly do.

Linda suggests that a good tool to use in social situations is to postpone eating or make people think you aren’t ready for food yet. She suggests sidestepping the food pusher by using these phrases:

“Not just yet... I’m going to wait a little while.”

“I've already eaten.”

Or “I have to go to another event, so I plan to wait and eat there.”

“My doctor said . . . ”

My personal favorite..."My trainer has me on a specific healthy meal plan." If they don't like it - have them call me. :) I looooovvveee to talk to possible sabateurs. No one gets by the Queen.

Keep saying it, keep believing it, practice it, and do it all with a SMILE ON THY FACE. If you look thrilled with your choices and lifestyle they will believe you...and maybe you will believe in yourself more to PROTECT YOUR HOUSE!

Oh and one more tip! No one said you have to sleep in on the weekend. If you have "busy" weekends get your butt out of bed like the rest of us and move early. If you are reading my blog you are probably out of high school and college. The life you want is the body you are willing to work for.

Y'all have a fit, healthy, movement filled weekend!

Exercise and Eat Right...When You DON'T FEEL LIKE IT

I have a good friend and PNP chica who is going through the "100 Days to Weightloss". Luckily, she is sharing daily what she is learning in one of our weightloss teams. This allows others on her team learn and gives me good ideas on what to talk about here on the blog!

Today, Linda Spangle, discusses doing stuff when you don't feel like it. I'll share with you Tracey's post and then tell you how I "roll" through keeping my 100+ pounds off.

" ....Committed means do it anyway.  You don't usually wait until you feel like going to work. You just go. The same thing is true for visiting your mother or chaning dirty diapers. Because you consider these things to be important, you do them regardless of how you feel at the moment.

In the same way, you don't have to feel like working on your weight-loss plan to stick with your program.  To improve your commitment, learn to focus on you actions, not just your feelings.  On days you're not in the mood for exercising or eating right, tell yourself to do it anyway..."

The next statements  are some of  my most favourites of her entire book.  I absolutley love this:

" Each day, take a few steps that will move you forward, even if you don't feel like it.  Remember that when you're truly committed, you do it anyway."

I have to be honest, there are lots of times I don't want live my lifestyle. Here I am six years (almost seven!!!) and I still want Mc Donald's, french fries, a buffet, nachos, to skip workouts, and say screw it let's just go out to eat tonight.

Being healthy and fit has it's rewards but they are EARNED. If you ever think being thin is easy you are wrong or you have freaky genetics. On Sundays I would love to lay on the couch, read, watch TV, take a nap, and just chill out. If I did that I wouldn't have healthy food for me or my family all week. I do food prep because I know it's what I HAVE TO DO if I don't want to go back to being ashamed of myself.

I also workout most days of the weeks. Most days I am a tired mom who wants to just catch up my online business and skip workouts. But, I also know that I would miss out on races, experiences with awesome clients all over the country, and I would go back to the tired, out of shape mom who can't play with her kid.

So, don't set yourself up for mental failure when you have days it's not just a ton-o-fun. You are going to have plenty of times where you slap on the big girl panties, workout when you are exhausted, and eat stuff you don't feel like eating.

Just like tonight, I felt like a cheeseburger but ate my planned meal of steak, green beans, and sweet potato. It wasn't bad but it sho' wasn't a cheeseburger. But, I'm not hungry and not feeling gross because I couldn't stick to my plans this week.

The sooner you accept that it's not easy I can assure you it somehow gets easier.

Making Mistakes Helps You Lose Weight

“You have to make mistakes to find out who you aren't. You take the action, and the insight follows: You don't think your way into becoming yourself.” --- Anne Lamott

It's the first week of our January challenge. Guess what? Most of you are GUNG-HO right now. Warning to you: there is a mistake in your near future.

• A kid will get sick.
• A friend will break-up with her boyfriend and require you to drink with her.
• Your football team is playing.
• A husband will want pizza and not grilled chicken Friday night.
• By next week the work gang is off their "diet" and going out to the local Mexican restaurant.
• You'll need to go to the gym and the boss will make you work late.
• The alarm will go off at 5am but the baby was up all night and you will lay there.

Sad to say, but most of you will have at LEAST one of these things happen, beat yourself up for life happening and wait until the next challenge to get started AGAIN. Until that time you will just spin your wheels with your old habits that make you want to lose weight in the first place.

I'm telling you now that all of these things are going to happen for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. These are not the universe trying "F" with your head. It's called a part of life. 

Do you think when I lost over 100lbs it was roses? No way! I had death, birthdays, a child diagnosed with autism, sickness, we sold and moved a house at Christmas, I travelled a lot, etc. 

The difference is that I finally realized my life wasn't going to snap into a perfect zone so I needed to learn how to make my life fit into the circumstances. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired of me.

To this day, in maintenance, the same things happen. I constantly don't get my way with how I want the days and weeks to play out. I make mistakes. I eat crazy on vacation, I skip workouts when I just can't get it done, etc. The difference is that I don't let what happens in life change my LIFESTYLE. 

When I need to miss a workout, it's OK. I just know that day I need to re-tool my week. I might not even get every workout in but I'm still going to be healthy and exericse. Unless you are training for a huge race...what does a missed workout or two mean over the course of the next 30 years? Nothing. 

On vacation I eat. On date night I have my wine (and plenty of it). I enjoy these times because after six years of doing it I'm maintaining my weightloss. It's not vacation and date night killing you; it's vending machines, lunches with the gang, and then just nibbling your way through cookies, cakes, crackers, chips and leftovers from the kids' plate that's stopping you.

So, as we proceed through week one of our PNP January Challenges - no perfectionism. When you have life happen I don't want bitching in the threads that your life is so unfair. I want you discussing what happened and feel free to be frustrated. Just don't let it stop there.

I'm looking for women who will show up in the thread, honestly saying why they had to miss workouts or didn't eat on plan BUT HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE (like we talked yesterday) about where they go from here.

Learn from your mistakes. They are there to teach; not punish.

Again, smile more, hug more, and plan the life you want to live.