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

I Love Smuckers!

Not only do they make peanut butter in individual servings, but they happen to represent what Angela I want to be when we grow old...spotlighted by Wiliard Scott for crossing the century mark.

In Dawn's journal she wrote how during her cardio this morning she had a revelation of sorts. See, Dawn and I along with a few other PNP girls are going to compete in Figure and Bikini this spring. And don't think for a hot second that we are a bunch of lifetime fitness chicks either!

I'm proud to say I will be on stage with a group of mommies who have lost well over 400lbs. We've been fat (me more than most), we have kids, we weren't athletes in school, and we are just women who want to do things we've never done before. We want to be hot, sexy, sport some bling, but most importantly, we want to do what other people talk about doing.

While she was putting in time on her treadmill she thought about a cousin she lost when he was only a child. She then thought of mom's who have died of cancer leaving behind children. The song "I can only imagine" came on and she thought to herself these people would love another shot at life to achieve one more thing in life.

We are all so lucky to be able to do what we want with our life. There are hardly ANY of you reading this blog today that have any legitimate excuses to not start changing your life. I've got girls at PNP right now shooting to LOSE weight during the holidays. I have some who want this to be the first holiday they don't gain...they want a maintenance month. What do you want? What if this is your last year? Do you want it filled with regrets you didn't do more to live longer, live happier, and accomplish more? Not me.

I love this time of year. It's when I start asking my PNP clients to set their 2010 goals. I help them get their food and exercise in order with my programs. We will start a three month give up a bad habit challenge thread in our private forums. From Splenda to pastries we have things we want to stop to get our results in 2010.

The key is that as a group we have learned that life is meant to be filled with happiness and satisfied with your lifestyle choices. Some of us have huge goals of competing, running marathons, becoming a certified trainer, and being a triathlete. Others simply want to stand up proudly at the age of 100 grinning wildly that they made it to Smuckers! I'm so proud to be the trainer of so many women who are going to get what THEY want out of 2010.

Girls, be on the watch! You got your new training schedule and this month we're doing like last year and fixing to do our goal setting, reflection of 2009, and organizing to be ready for the New Year!

Friday Motivation

I am having a great day. My workout was fierce today, I weighed in for the first time since Sept 22, and my clients are humming along doing all kinds of wonderful things.

Not sure if I shared it, but Jane (a fellow moderator) and I made a pact we weren't weighing. We were done being controlled by that beast of a scale. She is like me, fit, athletic, and yet too consumed with a number and not enough with our gorgeous image in the mirror! Hee hee.

I am proud to say that during my muscle building phase that my weight is up RIGHT ON STINKING TARGET. Amazing how just paying attention to the exercise and what you are doing in the kitchen gets the results it should. AND, I did it without ever having to look at the numbers. In the eight week period I am up a little over 2.5lbs. and 7 total for the build process. For me, that is excellent and leaves me with a few more pounds to gain before I begin dieting next year for some shows.

My spirit and mind feel so liberated today. As I shared in my journal on the PNP site, for the first time in my life I feel like I actually am in control of this lifestyle. I exercise because I love it. I eat healthy because it's good for me. When I have treats it's because I want them and not because of a bad day. For a former obese girl it's a HUGE deal to be able to gain weight with a purpose, not freak out about it, and feel confident cutting back won't feel bad. I already eat those foods and ENJOY them! What a concept.

We all can have this feeling. ALL OF YOU. Please never forget that I was just like many of you reading this entry. I was 210 when I was 13 years old, 220 when I was 20 years old, and 250 when I was 28 years old. I was as good at being overweight as I am at being fit now.

Small changes, consistency, and thinking about the good things to do more than the bad things you did will get you there. The daughter of one of my new clients got with her BFF last night and they set out their goals for the next few months. This morning the mom found it proudly printed and hung on the exercise room wall and signed by both of them. Enjoy, because it sums it all up.

WE PROMISE 

That we will always write down what we eat [ no matter what!]

We will work out 5 days a week including cardio and switch off running, biking, hula hooping

Do Phit-N-Phat workouts and Ab Ripper X

We will work out after school no matter what

WE will be skinny bitches by FEBRUARY VACA

WE will always stay optimistic

Mammy Update: Down 68lbs!

Mammy has been working very hard and still going strong. At this point she is making healthy choices and inserting a meal once a week or every other week that is controlled, but has a few things in it she enjoys. That's the way we've worked; not focusing on dieting but focusing on building a lifestyle she can lead.

Everyone can make BETTER choices. Everyone can avoid FAST FOOD restaurants. Everyone can WALK. Really people...that is all my mom has done and she's lost 68lbs. We have not done fancy pants stuff, worked out like demons, or bought tons of expensive equipment. No pills, no shakes, no pre-packaged meals. Just better choices.

She eats things she likes five to six times a day. They may not all be PERFECT macros, counted calories, and plugged into spreadsheets but she's losing weight better than people I see focused on these tactics versus what they are really doing. The difference is my mom doesn't have BAD days. She has consecutive good days; not by the book perfection. Nobody survives long term that way.

She is still eating her waffles and peanut butter with milk each morning. Most days she has walnuts, a Kashi Bar, fruits all she wants, soups for veggies, etc. Again, she likes soup so she makes VEGETABLE soup to eat with her dinners. She loves fruit so she eats as much as she wants. Waffles and peanut butter is like a cookie to her so she has that for breakfast.

Walking has just about been the only form of exercise. Now, I've been on her butt about this part. Starting Monday she's going to the big girl gym and starting a PNP strength program. No special programs for her. She's going to get one of our programs and do it at the gym. I'm going with her to make sure she does it and to hopefully video it for all of you to watch. We're still working on the Mammy program to have on the site so I hope the video will be a good way to show inspiration.

Here's an update from her and a current picture of the two of us at Moms and Muffins at Logan's school. NEITHER of us had the muffins but we did enjoy the morning.  Those muffins LOOKED good but this picture looks BETTER!  I also put her first 5K picture for comparison. She had lost some weight by the 5k.

My total weight loss is 68 pounds and 63 inches.  My weight loss has really slowed down so I need to get busy with the strength training. 

I'm feeling better than ever.  In fact, I think the reason I have fallen a couple of times is because I am so much more "lively" than before that I'm not watching where I'm going like I used to.   In the past I moved so slowly and so little there wasn't much chance of a fall.  Now it seems that I'm constantly doing something.  I just don't sit around watching TV like I used to. 

It's been awful hobbling around on a cane since I twisted my ankle.  I can't believe this was my life a year and half ago.  I have realized with this fall that I NEVER want to be limited to a cane or canes ever again.

That's it for this month.  The inches just keep coming off.  I bought a pair of jeans to wear to my reunion in October and they are already too loose.  I went and bought a smaller size last weekend.  Woot!

October 22 - Let's Honor the King

It's October 22 and ten years ago today the King and I went on our first date. I knew on our first date that he was the one. You could say I had my lightbulb moment.

Over the years he has taught me so much about the woman I want to be and the woman I am. Without him I don't think I would have ever lost my weight.

You see, I really believe you have to change how you think along with or BEFORE you ever lose weight. I'm not talking about someone who wants to lose a few pounds for an event. Sure, you can stick to something long enough to get short term results.

What I mean is those of us who struggle (and I still struggle so present tense in emphasized) with weight. We look for reasons to eat. We find stuff to keep us busy so we don't exercise. Our health is so bad (low thyroid) that losing weight is just "harder" for us, etc.

What Chris did for me is be that positive influence in life I was missing. Many women I have worked with all have the same issue; they see the bad before they see the good. Some can't even see the good.

• I see a problem; he sees a challenge.
• I list the reasons it can't happen; he immediately thinks of everything we have to make it work.
• I worry about what I do wrong; he thinks constantly about how to do things better.
• I am "super" busy with a long list of things to do but most aren't important; he focuses on a VERY few important things and let's the busy work go - he is rarely heard discussing how busy he is (yet he has to be the most productive person I know).

His living a life that is focused on being happy, doing what's important, and educating himself on what matters changed how I see the world. When I finally started thinking I could do things, magically I started making what was important to me happen.

I went from laying on the couch to walking. Just because I had a baby and weighed 250lbs didn't mean I couldn't take a walk everyday.

I had over 100lbs to lose and it seemed impossible, but that didn't mean 10lbs would make me feel better.

I "thought" I didn't like a lot of foods. Just because I didn't like sweet potatoes back then didn't mean I couldn't have a white potato over chips.

A bad day was rarely a "bad day." It was always filled with good things; I just glossed over them focusing on the crap. Now I think how to fix something versus drowning in a hopeless situation.

It is a real blessing in our lives that he has this attitude and taught me how to embrace challenge as opportunity. As you know, we are lucky to have a high-functioning autistic child - Logan. The old me with my stinking thinking couldn't mother our baby boy. I know I would've folded.

Without Chris, I would never have stopped to appreciate all the things that make our little family of three so special. They both teach me about working hard, loving life, and being yourself.

You see, Chris is more than my husband, my lover, my best-friend. He is IT for me. I know we were meant to be together because my life was meant to be lived to the fullest. He brought that to my life.

Just like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, it was always inside me but I needed to see it. Chris helped me see all that I could be and loves all that I am today. I'm not perfect, he's not perfect, but we have more fun trying to be our best than focusing on our struggles.

Inspiration is Everywhere

This week I've several things pop up that are so inspiring and remind me EXACTLY why I spend a lot of time with Phit-N-Phat. I'm going to share them with you, but first I want to say we have several PNP'ers making history yet again. A bunch of us are all traveling to Columbus, OH to walk or run the marathon or half-marathon.

We have two first time marathoners and SEVERAL first and seasoned half-marathoners. This is also a chance for us to show the world that at PNP we are women of all walks of life. From young women to grandmothers, those who have 50+ pounds to lose to those with no weight to lose, we have women coming together in friendship to cross the finish line together. I can't tell you how much it means to me that this little corner of the Internet has developed into such meaningful friendships.

And, for those who follow MAMMY, she'll be there with me and will give it all she's got. I'll get pictures and hopefully video. She's NERVOUS but as I keep telling her, last place is the girl on the couch. No matter what happens she will have walked further than she ever has in her life. AND, she couldn't have any dreamed she be attempting to do this walk a year ago.

OK...Inspiration One: A daughter of PNP

Dear Ms. Corinne,
I am sending you a picture of me running. 
Thank you for teaching my mom how to be healthy.
I want to be healthy like her.
I like that she is teaching me how to run.  I also like to lift weights.  She has given me a schedule that I do, when I remember, that I really like.
Thank you!

Isn't she the cutest little PNP girl! As her mother told me, inspiration is a trickle down. Girls, those of you who give it all you got everyday are inspiring others to do the same. It doesn't matter where in the journey you are. You just have to be on the road!

 

Inspiration Two: PNP Tracy Who Just Missed the Money

In our last challenge, Tracy had a great progress but just missed being in the money. She did so great I just wanted to share her story and brag on her!

How long have you been with PNP and what prompted you to join?

Nine weeks. I received the emails for about a year & thought they were so motivating.  But I was also a little intimidated because I thought I couldn't be as "hard core" as the PNP ladies.  I decided to get Corinne's book & then really wanted to join.  

So, I started you with the Beginner 5N45 Program! What success did you have with it?

My shape completely changed in 8 weeks!!  I lost 6.2 pounds but more importantly, 9 inches!!  I had to get used to the slower weight loss, but now I'll take inches over pounds any day! 

What made the program work so well for you? I mean your seven weeks in and you can see SO MANY CHANGES!

Having a plan made all the difference.  I could follow a WW eating plan with my eyes closed but having a fitness plan was amazing.  Before, I would work out for 30 minutes on the elliptical and barely break a sweat while reading my book.  Now, there is no reading going on (well, except during the warm up).  

I saw many girls go nuts over your pics in your journal. Have you had others commenting on your changing attitude and shape?

  That is so sweet to have people notice!  My husband and mom have made positive comments, which is great. 

What is one tip you’ve learned from the girls at PNP that you never really thought was critical to success?

Planning out your week.  It makes it so much easier when I know what I am going to have and to have it ready to use in the house.  Sometimes I can white knuckle through making dinner when I am starving without eating everything in sight, but it is not fun.

Since joining PNP, what is your proudest change to your lifestyle you have made?

Stopping the dessert madness.  I knew that my thin friends didn't go around having dessert after lunch and dessert after dinner...not to mention lattes with pastries in the morning, but for some reason I thought that if I couldn't have them, it wouldn't be fair to me.  Hello!  I needed to train myself to think of treats as just that...something you have sparingly and not every few hours during the day.  Now I truly enjoy my treats.  

I know you are barely two months old with us, but what is your favorite part of the community?

I love that there are new challenges every 2 months or so (and teams to join).  For me, its something to look forward to (i.e., I'm not going to be doing x, y & z forever)

Is there anything you would say to someone sitting on the fence regarding buying a program or joining PNP?

These ladies are great and it doesn't matter where your jumping off point is, they will assist you & make you feel at home.

Is This the LAST TIME I Will Have to Lose Weight?

At PNP we have some of the most interesting discussions and another one happened the other day in one of my clients journals. It was so good I asked her if I could post what we discussed. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to leave your own comments about the topic.

I have a question for you ladies who have lost the weight and kept it off. 

How do you know the last time you tried to lose the weight truly was the last time? Did you just finally "get it" one day?  Or was it more of a gradual awakening? 

I feel really good about how things are going right now, but I keep getting this nagging suspicion that this time will be like every other time I've tried to lose.  I guess it is Fat Girl Thinking (FGT).  I think journaling every day is helping.  But man, is FGT ever hard to ditch!

Corinne's Response:

I've blogged about this often but I still don't know if this is the LAST time. :) Does that help?

All I can tell you is that I just got better and better every day. I still try to get better and better every day. Guess that's why I like to call it a lifestyle because you really have to make one that leads you to being a healthy person - inside and out.

You also have to remember that when you have been overweight a long time those feelings and such just don't go away. Don't fight it. It's not that they win; they are just there. The more you learn to have a safe environment, find things you like doing and eating, the easier you find it is to SEE those thoughts before you act on them.

I don't know if that makes sense, but for me I feel like this lifestyle will "stick" because for the first time I didn't try to lose weight doing all the things I hated and give up the things I love. Along the way, I found new things to love and realized a lot of what got me fat in the first place just wasn't that important anymore.

 

Angela's Response:

For me it's about choices. Every day-all day-I make a choice that will impact my health, my weight and how I feel about myself. I have days where I love where I am and the lifestyle I'm living. Other days I would love to just say "screw it all" and eat cookies:)

I don't though. I work too hard for my moods or for a party or for what someone thinks make those decisions for me. It DOES get easier to make the positive choices-getting up for an early workout, packing your food, prepping your meals. Like all habits, they take time...and some nasty habits have a way of sliding back in. No one is looking for perfection-just do the best you can each day. Move on from a mistake and make the next choice the best you can!

 

In Summary...

Lifestyle means YOU finding what works for you and your own goals at this moment. Right now you might just need a couple of months of feeling forward progress. That's a good goal. When I started all of this I just wanted to quit being unhealthy and be able to get in the floor and play with my baby. Today my goals are wrapped up in sculpting muscle and walking half marathons with my Mommy.

As you go through weightloss you have to be willing to listen to yourself, accept your faults with love and be willing to push yourself when you know you are stronger than what you are doing.

Women are smart. We know when we do things our body is thankful for and when we do something our body doesn't like. Do more things to make yourself thankful every day and you will see more lifestyle changes come to you.

Mammy Is Almost There!

It's hard to believe in just three weeks Mammy will be walking her FIRST HALF MARATHON.

Many of you have been following her story and her journey. I've blogged about how simple we keep her training, meal planning, and menus. There is a program in the works dedicated to her success because I've learned a lot through her own journey.

It struck me watching her go through the same battle I did at how the little things are what matters.

Both of us started with walking. WALKING! Not a fabulous PNP training program, a personal trainer, a new set of videos, fancy gym classes, or some high priced dietician. One day we just started walking and we walked every day because it was something.

I started walking for 15 min. on the treadmill. It was all I could do at 250lbs. It was a big azzed challenge, I might add. I had to get over the looks, the fear of the "skinny girls" watching me, and the sheer difficulty of moving. My body was used to the couch and getting up just to fetch something.

Mammy got new knees after being on a walker and practically housebound. She could hardly go anywhere and had a handicapped sticker before she was 50 years young. Then she had DOUBLE knee replacements at 52 years young. She had to keep moving or the knees wouldn't last. She began walking daily.

The key is we both got active before we ever decided to change one thing going in our mouth. After just getting in those daily walks we felt better and made BETTER food choices.

Mind you, neither of us cut out anything we loved to eat. Somehow we allowed ourselves to just eat a little better and find some foods we like that were healthy. Who knew if you gave fruit a chance you might like it? I can with all sincerity say moving to Baked Lays was HUGE for me. One of my favorite weightloss meals around 200-215lbs was a Boca Burger with cheese, Baked Lays, and big bowl of watermelon. None measured. I ate until I felt good...good and full. But that meal was the replacement for the #2 at McDonald's: two cheeseburgers and a medium fry with a diet drink. Sometimes an ice cream cone or McFlurry (cough, cough).

Fast forward to today. You got me sitting pretty at 110lbs gone for good. The only weight I gain I CHOOSE to gain to work on my body. What a stinking concept that is for a girl like me.

AND, you have Mammy. She's in the middle of the journey but I have feeling it's not a "diet" anymore. She learned the lesson of a lifetime that I learned - to lose weight you don't have to hate your "diet" or your "exercise". If you do, you are doing it wrong.

You, me, Mammy, we all have to find the lifestyle that works for us. Trust me girls, there are a million ways to lose some fat. My personal belief is you will experience a better life when you mix what you love and what you need to be healthy. Maybe today you aren't ready for protein shakes, oatmeal, and broccoli. Neither was I at 250lbs. It was more like Dairy Queen, Cocoa Puffs, and fried okra.

What Mammy and I found, though, is that it takes making mistakes, doing what you can, and altering the little things to make progress. Through those little efforts you feel success. When you feel success you start to make more effort.

Who knows, one day you'll wake up and say just like so many before you, "I never had a light bulb moment. I just started doing some little things and it became habit."

I would love if some of you would post one little thing you can do this week to make some forward progress. Only comment what you know you can do; nothing you have to try super hard to do.

Update Straight from Mammy...

Well, I'm back down to the weight I was week before last. I lost the 4 pounds I was up last week from that long training walk. 

I did great this weekend resisting all the temptations while out of town. They had KFC Friday night and I had one piece of the grilled chicken and about two tablespoons of slaw. No potatoes or anything else. 

At the party, I had didn't have cake but a little bit of BBQ, no bun, some slaw and a little bit of potato salad. I like BBQ more than cake any day!

That night I ate a bowl of my Red Pepper soup I brought with three Wasa Crackers.  For dessert I ate an apple. I drank a ton of water while I was down there, too.

On Sunday I walked 2:30 hrs.  All I had to refuel was my Gatorade and I did OK. 

For breakfast I brought my Kahsi Waffles and SF syrup with a little PB.  I would have walked Saturday, but we had to leave her house at 8am so there was no time.  I was too tired after we got home plus the mosquitoes down there are like dragon flies.  Huge.  Anyway, I had a great time seeing everyone.  I got to see Mike and Mark and Mark's kids.  I think I did really well with all the temptations. 

 

Mammy DID EXTRA WELL. She had a good time, came home feeling good, had a few things she loved, ate healthy the other times, and exercised. KAPOW!

Tales From the Scale

Tuesday I will be weighing in for the first time in a couple of weeks. I'm taking measurements, pics, weighing and using this as feedback on what I'm doing in the kitchen and in the gym.

My goal is to change my outlook on body image success. For a long time I've struggled with wanting to weigh certain numbers even if it meant I didn't look as good. I am also SO COMMITTED to truly building some nice legs. I may not like the scale during this process but it's important to keep my end goal in mind.

Chris took these pictures last night (don't ask why we were posed out on a bench), and it's the first time I've seen a shot of my legs where I couldn't believe they were on my body. I also included my favorite shot of my new HAIR!

Building a good set of legs might make the scale go wonky. I have to DEAL WITH IT. That's why I am weighing once a month AND learning that anything worth having is worth suffering to get!

In my maintenance phase it's been the hardest obstacle. It's harder than food, showing up to the gym, and anything else. While losing weight it's all about the numbers...right? In maintenance it's all about the mirror and learning to be happy with how you look and not some shrinking number.

When you add in tweaking your physique you have to learn to put the big picture in the front of your mind. You don't have the luxury of worshiping the scale alter. If you do, you GET NOWHERE and have the same ole body with the same ole complaints.

Tomorrow I will post a video of my accountability system and organizing so that I stay on top of my goals. I talked about it last week and spent the last few days getting my butt in gear.

Now for an old blog. It was written in 2007. Seems like things never change. LOL

http://phit-n-phat.com/blogs/phit-n-phat/archive/2007/10/17/oh-the-scale-is-terrible.aspx

39 Weeks and Counting

Have you ever set a big goal that was so far away that RIGHT NOW it's hard to stay focused? I have done that. Next June I am going to compete in Figure again.

I love this sport. Lifting weights makes me so happy. Seeing my body change based on my own hard work is challenging. Eating, well, I don't love that part but I do love eating healthy and challenging myself to find pleasure in foods that will keep me on the earth for a long time to come. You can't get rid of me easily. You girls will be 80 years old still getting emails from me talking about our senior hotness!

I have to admit I'm in the total fake it til you make it mode, though. Thank God for prepping food because if I didn't have a fridge full of healthy eats COOKED and ready to go I might be taking the slackers way out - meaning eating crap and feeling sorry for myself. I'm just cheap enough to eat all my healthy stuff because I don't want to waste a dime that can go into fake nails, hair extensions, MAC, and hoochie clothes. OK...so I do like to spend money - just on fun stuff. Besides, Logan has a birthday, drum lessons starting, and a bunch of other things coming up. No time to waste clean eats!

It's hard to explain my sour mood, though. It's like I'm tired but not exhausted, busy but not getting anything done, and goal focused yet so far out I can't taste it. So, yesterday while on the elliptical I had a moment of clarity. I shot a video of my thoughts.

Today I just need to remember how I best operate. I might make myself a huge calendar to hang in the bedroom that I can cross off each day. I would love a big ole motivation corner somewhere in the house where I can keep my goals up, calendar in focus, and even pictures. I ain't just talking figure competition either. I'm talking house stuff I want done, things for Logan I need to finish, etc.

Basically, it feels like life is swirling around me and I need to turn off the wind machine. I know most of it is self-imposed. My husband is going to roll his eyes when he reads this blog. I am the WORST at putting extra pressure on myself. So, today, I am going to figure out how to find the wind machine switch and at least set it to low. Stay tuned. If I come up with some decent ways to get the chaos under control I shall share with you.

OK...I feel better just blogging about it.

Judgements

"It always amazes me to think that every house on every street is full of so many stories; so many triumphs and tragedies, and all we see are yards and driveways.”

My heart is aching today for a few people in this world today and they don't know who they are or that someone is thinking of them.

I ache for people who look at others and make assumptions about their health. I ache for people who think they "know" what someone else goes through to be what the outward appearance presents. And, when these same people lose out on a valuable lesson because of their own judgmental thoughts.

Never, EVER look at someone and think you "know" what they go through to be in the shape they are today.

Last week, I got extensions and changed my hair. I have recently went through lots of plastic surgery to fix loose skin and look like someone who may have always had it "together" with eating and exercising.

At the same time, I had SEVERAL people tell me that I have no idea what it feels like to be FAT. Literally, I have business cards with a before/after picture because some people get so caught up with how I look now that they can't believe I lost 110lbs and was ALWAYS overweight. Seriously, 20 years of being overweight and 5 years of being fit.

It doesn't bother me personally. I like looking like I have always taken care of myself! What DOES BOTHER ME is that all my knowledge and advice is poop until they figured out I had lost weight.

My personal experience IS IMPORTANT, but I don't always have time to go into all that makes Corinne. Are you going to be the girl who listens with a deaf ear to someone like me because of WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW? You never now when an opportunity presents itself, people. Always be listening and thinking how you can better yourself.

Have you thought this or felt this way?

I see a woman obviously 60 or so lbs overweight walking slowly on a trail with another girl. She better pick up the pace if she's going to lose some weight.

Yes, that could be me and Mammy yesterday. We walk slow because we are training for a half-marathon and will be there for three or more hours. You wouldn't know that by watching us, though.

I see a girl who needs to "tone up a little" just putting in time on the stationary bike.

That could be a friend of mine who recently had a knee injury and is doing the only thing she can until the doctor clears her. Did you realize keeping a healthy habit is what she's doing?

I notice that girl eating fries, burgers, and a dessert. Must be nice to eat like that all the time.

Maybe you didn't see all the healthy food she ate all week to EARN a burger and dessert.

That girl is crazy if she thinks three slices of thin crust pizza will help her lose weight.

Oh...you didn't know last week she was eating a whole medium by herself and this week she's trying to make better choices.

You will never help yourself if you are judging what others do. What you can do is look at what YOU are doing and make it the BEST it can be.

Like I tell Logan, my son, you have control over YOU. When you are busy watching what others do - you are focusing on something you have NO CONTROL over.

I find people who always notice what others do can't tell you much about their own behaviors. Often it's a defense tactic because they don't want to look at what they are doing until it's out of control. I've done it myself many times and catch myself getting caught up in it even now. What I also know about me is that often I need to pay more attention to my own decisions, clean up my act, and then suddenly I don't notice what others are doing so much.

The last part of this is simple. Today, be the best you can be. Hope that others see your actions and make a judgement that whatever you are doing is making you radiate happiness. Regardless of your shape or your size - you are so positive and focused on being a better person they want to be just like you.

Today I am going to be that person: smile on my face, outstanding attitude, and kindness in my actions. You never know when someone will silently judge you to be an inspiration.