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

Times Can Be Tough

I think there is too much emphasis placed on the distinction between the people in the front and the people in the back. I happen to feel that the sensations are exactly the same for all of us.

Losing weight is not complicated at all. Let me repeat: IT IS NOT COMPLICATED. We all try to make it so much more technical than it is because our brain tells us it has to be EXACT to do it.

Then we let our emotions tell us that when it isn't perfect we must be a failure so go belly-up to the fridge and have at it girl! My clients who have 5lbs to 100+ lbs to lose all suffer the same way.

Honestly, I've coached the girls mentally more than anything else over the past few years and it dawned on me that how much we weigh has nothing to do with how we feel about ourselves.

The strangest part is that most girls who are the happiest are the ones working hard, losing, but still have some weight to lose. They start seeing themselves as beautiful, fit, noticing physical changes they haven't seen in a long time. Then, for some reason, WE hit a point where we convince ourselves that we are the same girl with all that weight to lose.

I mention this today because the hardest part of my job is to get girls to appreciate where they are in this journey. Especially my girls who are so FIT, EAT so HEALTHY, and look pretty darn good. They let the aspirations for just a few more pounds, a little bit less booty, or a tummy that is flat be the definition of their happiness.

It's very easy for me to JUDGE them for this because it is my cross to shoulder, too. I was NEVER the pretty girl, stopped playing sports so I wouldn't have to wear shorts, avoided social situations that made me noticeable. Now that I am athletic, participate in "adult" sports, and have no problems getting myself noticed I still too often look at myself and focus on what I HATE.

When will it be enough? I've lost 110lbs and NEVER dreamed I could wear a size 4-8 (yes I have pants in that range and fit - thanks fashion industry), had all kinds of plastic surgery to fix what I ruined over the years, and have a husband who still gets worked up if I get near him.

Even with all this I struggle with diet, thinking, and motivation. I'm like a drunk with being fat. It is too easy to let things slip in my life that will take me back to that girl.

Some days I try to out run a bad diet. In my head when I let some of the "treats" back in I have somehow failed. Several reasons bring me to this silly type of eating: competing in figure holds you to a high diet standard and it's hard to switch those gears, being the Queen of a weightloss site makes you feel like you HAVE TO LEAD a perfect life or others will fall off the wagon, and I still have the looming thought of when will the thin ride end.

Today there are foods I can't have my in house. It's been six years in this lifestyle and I still argue with myself in the grocery store if this is the week I can be responsible with a jar of peanut butter.

There are day I don't want to exercise. I do love it but man, some days I need a break. Easier said than done. I work harder at taking time off than doing the activities. A day off used to mean a month or two. That still is my knee jerk reaction when I am just too tired to do it.

So, no matter where you are in the journey it is hard. Getting started is hard. Fighting your personal demons is hard. What isn't is what you do. You walk, you move, you eat better than you did yesterday, you eat more fruits and veggies each day, and you start reading up on what a HEALTHY lifestyle is...not what is the best diet to follow.

Next week I will open my new PNP site to everyone. Many of you have been on the waiting list a long time. Before you decide to join us, though, I want you to understand that this blog is what we are about. We are about changing how we think, working harder than we give ourselves credit for, educating our members on eating to live a healthy life (that doesn't always mean a SKINNY LIFE), and doing all this to inspire others around us. If you have questions on what the new site is about feel free to post a comment or just wait until next week when we launch.

Nashville Floods

I am so lucky to live in this city. It is full of good people who pull together in the face of unbelievable disaster. My family and most of my friends were spared personal devastation, but so many of the places I frequent and a few friends lost everything from homes to cars.

Watching the events unfold at home was crazy. But driving to places you normally visit and seeing them full of mud, broke in two, and people carrying anything they can out of their homes to save is, well, very sad. It makes me ache for those people.

What infuriates me, though, is how the national media has barely even touched on how much damage we've suffered. They have called this a 500 year flood! Downtown is under water, Opryland Hotel is STILL under water, Opry Mills - same, and countless neighborhoods flooded that weren't even offered flood insurance. They weren't "supposed" to be able to flood. Lots of people actually are in this situation and didn't even live near a river or stream. We just happen to get the most recorded amount of rain in one day on Saturday and then the third most on Sunday. That's hella amounts of water!

So, today I just want to tell my readers we are fine, Mammy is fine, and some of the local PNP girls had some issues but are all surviving. And, just to help spread the word to other parts of the country, I want to share with you a beautiful story being passed around by Nashvillians proudly! I also an copying this video link of a friend of mine whose office was in Bellevue - a particularly hard hit area of town.

BTW...the picture below is part of the CMM 1/2 Marathon route PNP walked last weekend.

If you live outside of Nashville, you may not be aware, but our city was hit by a 500-year flood over the last few days. The national news coverage gave us 15 minutes, but went back to focusing on a failed car bomb and an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While both are clearly important stories, was that any reason to ignore our story? It may not be as terror-sexy as a failed car bomb or as eco-sexy as an oil spill, but that’s no reason to be ignored.

The Cumberland River crested at its highest level in over 80 years. Nashville had its highest rainfall totals since records began. People drowned. Billions of dollars in damage occurred. It is the single largest disaster to hit Middle Tennessee since the Civil War. And yet…no one knows about it.

Does it really matter? Eventually, it will…as I mentioned, there are billions of dollars in damage. It seems bizarre that no one seems to be aware that we just experienced what is quite probably the costliest non-hurricane disaster in American history. The funds to rebuild will have to come from somewhere, which is why people need to know. It’s hard to believe that we will receive much relief if there isn’t a perception that we need it.

But let’s look at the other side of the coin for a moment. A large part of the reason that we are being ignored is because of who we are. Think about that for just a second. Did you hear about looting? Did you hear about crime sprees? No…you didn’t. You heard about people pulling their neighbors off of rooftops. You saw a group of people trying to move two horses to higher ground. No…we didn’t loot. Our biggest warning was, “Don’t play in the floodwater.” When you think about it…that speaks a lot for our city. A large portion of why we were being ignored was that we weren’t doing anything to draw attention to ourselves. We were handling it on our own.

Some will be quick to find fault in the way rescue operations were handled, but the fact of the matter is that the catastrophe could not have been prevented and it is simply ignorant beyond all reason to suggest otherwise. It is a flood. It was caused by rain. You can try to find a face to stick this tragedy to, but you’ll be wrong.

Parts of Nashville that could never even conceivably be underwater were underwater. Some of them still are. Opry Mills and the Opryland Hotel are, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. People died sitting in standstill traffic on the Interstate. We saw boats going down West End. And, of course, we all saw the surreal image of the portable building from Lighthouse Christian floating into traffic and being destroyed when cars were knocked into it. I’m still having trouble comprehending all of it.

And yet…life will go on. We’ll go back to work, to school, to our lives…and we’ll carry on. In a little over a month, I’ll be on this website talking about the draft. In October, we’ll be discussing the new Predators’ season with nary a thought of these past few days. But in a way, they changed everyone in this town. We now know that that it can happen to us…but also know that we can handle it.

Because we are Nashville.

By Patten Fuqua - Section 303 – May 4, 2010

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.

Five Years Is Enough!

I made this announcement on the PNP private client site and now I am announcing to the world...or at least my little corner of it here on the internet. On July 1, 2009, I will be undergoing surgery to fix what years of being obese, lazy and unhealthy eating did to my lower body.

July marks FIVE YEARS since I hit my goal weight of losing over 100lbs and weighing 145lbs. It was a long, hard journey filled with changing everything I knew about eating, exercising, and thinking. When I got to my goal I promised myself I would work hard to get my body into the shape of my dreams. Although there have been major accomplishments along the way, one thing has always eluded me: good looking legs.

You see, I was STUPID all through my twenties. I had the time, the energy, the skin elasticity, and anything else you can think of besides discipline to get in shape. I should have. If I had lost my weight back then I might not need surgery today in my mid-thirties. I always carried my weight in my hips, butt, and legs and now I have the sloppy, loose legs of an 80-year old woman. No matter what leg routines, figure competitions, or sprinting I do, they just don't make progress.

My secret dream has been if I didn't have the legs I wanted in five years I would consider surgery to fix them. Well, I can honestly say I've tried it all. Water, lotions, diets, weights, running, you name it...I've done it. My girls have watched me and know that surgery is my last option.

With great pride I am going to proceed to have thighs, hips, tummy, and buttocks lifted. It will be intense and require time off from the gym. That worries me more than the pain I'll go through. I love my workouts. I plan to blog my journey here along with my mom's continued progress in her search for a healthy lifestyle. This next month will be spent closing up half marathons, my PNP girls coming to town for our fitness camp, and other events. You'll probably hear a lot from me in this blog once surgery hits because I won't be able to do anything else but type on the computer for a few weeks!

My hope has always been that I can teach people to change their lives to a healthier one. I try to give my advice and lessons I've learned along the way. Now I am hoping to show people yet another aspect of what obesity does to your body. I pray some of my younger readers will figure out NOW is the time to get their life in order. Don't wait like I did. And, for my girls who have lost the weight and consider surgery...I want to give you an honest look at what happens. 

I'm a little scared, but mostly excited. Surgery is a big deal but what scares me most is this is really the last thing I can do to fix a body I abused for years. Sure it's just cosmetic, but if I did this much damage to my skin no telling what my diet did to my insides. Hopefully, I got on board with a better lifestyle in plenty of time to fix it all...inside and out. And if I didn't, well, only time will tell but I am done doing further damage.

Lifestyle Change for Mammy Part II: First Menu

As you know, last week I told you my mom is embarking the clean eating lifestyle. We chatted about strategies and ways to start a healthy lifestyle. The bottom line for someone who has been significantly overweight (like myself) and primarily sedentary is to start basic, small, and with things you know you can do. Don't go to for perfect. Making ANY changes for the better is going to yield so many great things for you.

This week I talked with my mom about looking at the list of foods in the Clean Eating book and making a basic, easy to follow menu that repeats each day choosing the foods she already likes. Keep up walking her little dog, Bubba, for daily activity and don't worry too much with calories...just eat five times a day and stick to clean foods.

That was Mammy's task and pretty much how I slowly start most girls at PNP. I get you to change your food slowly but I do give you workouts. My mom has special health concerns that we need to address before getting into more exercise. Walking is so good for you, anyway, so we are starting with what she enjoys the most. Isn't that the best way to build a lifestyle?

Here's the menu she came up with all by herself. I'm so proud! It looks great and doable.

 

Breakfast	banana, Kashi Cereal (like shredded wheat), skim milk, serving of walnuts, coffee
Snack 1	Watermelon or carrots, chicken breast
Lunch	Egg White Omelet, cream of rice, tomatoes, peppers and onions
Snack 2	Yogurt, pineapple chunks
Dinner	Salad with1 tbsp of Ranch (filled with veggies), baked potato stuffed with cottage cheese, chicken
Optional Snacks:	Apple with peanut butter
	Pineapple with chicken
Optional Dinner:	Whole Wheat pasta with marinara and chicken breast

I am proud of her for prepping her food yesterday. One of her pitfalls is not eating all day because she's too tired to fix anything then eating 2000 calories of garbage that's easy. Everything is ready to go, measured, and the only thing that requires cooking is some lunch that she can make in the microwave. She works from home as a telephonic nurse so she has no choice but to eat at the house.

This is a menu filled with clean foods she already likes so it will be easy to stick to. Maybe next week we can venture into some turkey burger patties because she loves a good hamburger. A turkey burger and small baked potato with ketchup sounds pretty good to me, Mammy!

If you notice this menu is not fancy NOR is it expensive. Don't tell me eating clean is costly! Anyone can do this menu cheaper than going out to eat and/or eating out of machines.

Let's all keep praying and wishing Mammy well on her health journey!

PNP Is About Diet, Exercise, and Knowing You Aren't Alone

What do I love about www.Phit-N-Phat.com?  I feel like it has to be the relationships that have formed on our site. My members respect each other, they support each other with the struggles and celebrate the victories along the way.

We talk about everything that goes into living a healthy lifestyle. That definition is different for everyone. Some people want...

• To be their ideal weight and physique.
• To avoid devastating health diseases that took their parents.
• To set an example of healthy eating and exercise for their young children.
• To get around better.
• To have their husband drool when they walk into a room.
• To wear a size 8 pants that they never thought they would wear again.

It really is a great place filled with respect. I research other forums looking for links, information, and anything that might help my girls do better. It is SHOCKING to me how people are often treated on the message boards for asking simple questions.

Really, who does that help? It just sets people up to feel small for simply not knowing something.

When I began my "diet" and "exercise" program nearly four years ago, I didn't know jack about what to do. All I knew is that I had lived a life of poor eating, no exercise, and had to learn all by myself if I wanted to lose my 110lbs. Often I would seek out forums and ask questions. Sometimes I got loving help and other times I got made fun of for asking a "stupid" question. I mean, really, it was like people didn't want me to know how to eat better or become a runner. Had I not just been stubborn enough to keep pushing along I would never have had such a good time with Jess in several half marathons like the above picture shows! :)

I guess today I'm just reflective on how I decided to run my website. Women need support and they need a safe place. Losing weight isn't just about cutting out some food and moving more. If it was wouldn't we all be thin?

I think the following quote from our forums sums up my philosophy on what PNP offers women. This was in response to a thread we have going that discusses what I call "FGT" or Fat Girl Thinking. We've been talking about how FGT enters the bedroom and how to kick her out.

...Going on a "diet" and starting up some exercise with a whack-a-do online trainer takes guts. You trust that I'm not going to sign you up and then dump you on the curb. I like the fact that we all get to explore all sorts of topics as it relates to the journey...not just what we do in the gym and how we eat. I have learned through all of you that those two things are the EASY part: handing out advice. What I feel you get your money's worth is in the process of becoming a different woman, learning where you have been, where you are, and where you want to go.

This whole experience is filled with emotions and things most of us never have anyone to share it with. I'm so glad we have a group of people who do want to talk about anything they find they need to talk about.

My motivation with PNP is helping women find the lifestyle I have after years of misery, hating the way I look, and then feeling like I was going to pass on this lifestyle to my child and husband. I want all my girls to have those moments where they look in the mirror and smile rather than find a fault. 

Women need a place to speak and discuss thoughts they know where no one else is going to understand AND feel like they will be supported. I guess today I feel very proud of what I have created and happy that my energy is spent making women feel good. Thanks to all my girls for allowing me to help you carve out a new life. 

Holiday Deals I've Found!

I thought I would quickly share with you a couple of deals you might want to consider while doing some online shopping. These are just some things I like and ordered myself this morning.

 

Cutie Patootie Running Skirts and Clothes!

I have a pair of the running pants with skirt and LOVE them. These are some pricey dud's but they have a big sale today. If you like their stuff I would order up. Today I ordered a bike shirt (pink, of course), a wallet, and the capri/skirt workout pants.

 

PNP!

If you are on the fence about joining my own site, this is the week to do it. I will be increasing our prices starting Dec. 7, 2008. The joining fee will go up and the monthly fee will too. Often you girls write to me saying you've been waiting and sitting on the fence for months. Well, I'm just giving you a little heads up and shove off the fence. Now is the time to do it! You've got all kinds of reasons:

1. It will cost more in a week.

2. This is the toughest time of the year to keep your weight under control. Do it this year with help!

3. You can get a jump start on your New Year's Resolution. Don't tell me 90% of us reading this blog won't have a NYR that isn't tied to getting in shape or losing weight.

 

 

Jen H's Phat Camp FAQ's
She's got her camps on sale until Dec. 1 for the 2009 season. I go to a few each year. If you want a personal experience of how to workout hard and get an emotional kick in the rear end with like minded women ... this is a camp for you. It's such a good experience that last year we started having our PNP girls meet up at different ones.

This year we are attending a few Jen H Camps AND we are hosting our own PNP Member Camp. So, if you are one of my girls try to plan to come to my camp first (see website for info and date). If you can't attend OR if you are just a huge fan of PNP I will be at:

• Atlanta GA
• Las Vegas NV
• Dayton OH

Jen H's Phat Camp is normally $325 but she's discounted it to $250 if you book before Dec. 1.

PLEASE! If you do book one because I recommended it, let them know in the comments so I can find out how many of you attend one I am at. I love meeting you, getting group pictures made, and we can arrange for you to possibly share a hotel room with one of our girls, have a group to go out to dinner with, and basically some pals to hang with.

OK ladies. I have done my job. You have cool clothes to workout in, camps for motivation, and you got me as a trainer. You don't need anything else to get into great shape!

Taking Care of Business

The blogs haven't been going out lately due to some technical issues. I have written some rather clever things so I invite you to check the site for an update of what you have missed since October 17.

This week starts me getting back on track with exercise. I was very ill all last week along with my family. I lost six pounds through it all but it wasn't the six I would hope to lose. Water, muscle, and a tad bit of fat. I fully intend to spend this week getting into my lifestyle of eating regularly, drinking lots of water, working out and putting those six back where they belong. If I lose six I want it to be the RIGHT SIX!

On a personal note. Happy Anniversary to the best husband in the world. I know we don't get to celebrate since it falls during the busiest time of the year for us, but I want to make sure you know these things...

- You are my best friend.

- You are my inspiration to achieve things never thought possible.

- You make me beautiful when I can't see it.

- You see yourself as my equal when it would be too easy to lead because I stay home.

- You give me respect when I'm acting like a baby and you give me "crap" when I definitely deserve it.

- You know when you are wrong and not afraid to admit it and you allow me to admit when I am wrong without ever mentioning it again.

- You still make me laugh everyday, you are the one I want spend my time with, and you are my biggest cheerleader when I'm pursuing those crazy sports.

- Most importantly, you give all of yourself to me and Logan without hesitation. (BTW...I know what a tall the order the two of us are.)

I love you Chris. I can never tell you or show you enough.

Reflections on 34 Years of Corinne

I'm officially 34. Sometimes I think on a birthday I'm going to wake up and feel older or different. I never do, but I always feel "reflective." This year in particular I wanted to make a list of what I'm feeling because it's been a great but tough time in my life.

1. I am proud of myself for sticking to the weightloss journey. This year I was truly tested for the first time on my commitment to myself. When I started down the road to figure competition Logan was diagnosed with autism. It didn't break me. The last thing autism will do to this family is break us. We are healthier, stronger, and facing all of our struggles with tenacity. I like that about us Crabtrees.

2. I am proud to say I struggle with my life. It's not roses, it's not easy, and it's filled with things most people don't choose to do. That's why I love it. Every hurdle I overcome shows me that I am stronger than most AND stronger than I often give myself credit for...which means a lot to me. Each opportunity to succeed (what others call a brickwall) is another chance to prove to the world just what I am made out of.

3. I am proud of my family. Wow...we get a lot done. Logan got into private school when we thought there was no hope. Chris is a success in all he does. I'm the "Queen". We love, keep our priorities straight, take time for ourselves, and we have lots of loving family around us to support us. We are so lucky to have the life we do.

4. I am proud to have so many friends. My goodness ya'll. You all know who you are without me listing you. You make every day a blessing. Do you know how great it feels to have people check-in with you, care about you, and support you unconditionally? I do and luckily for me I have a lot of them doing it. Without my 3-D and my "internet" friends (ya'll know what I'm talking about...LOL) I wouldn't be who I am today. Thanks for all that you do.

5. I am proud of PNP! Oh my. PNP. I can't say enough about our little community. We've built a nice home and you girls inspire me daily with the way you handle your lives.

I can honestly say 33 was a good year. I traveled, faced down challenges, took on new ones, improved myself, and enjoyed the whole ride. That's a good feeling.

Now, I shall celebrate and ring in 34 just like I did 33...a nice long walk/run on the greenway with my Ipod and my legs. Oh, and I'm proud my legs will look 100% better on my annual walk with self. Woot!

Welcome to the New PNP Fatloss Blog

Hey, how ya doing? Sit down and check things out!

Yes, I'm moving the blog hopefully for the last time, so I appreciate all of you who have followed me around the internet for so long. I made the decision to move the pad for a couple of reasons...

1. Search engines can't find me with the other one although the website is kicking.

2. I want to start uploading video and eventually Podcasts so ya'll can hear and see me more and this site should allow for that.

So, as we have always done, we're going to kick the fat girl thinking to the curb and talk about how to best turn all of this weightloss and exercise "stuff" into our lifestyle.

If you are new to Phit-N-Phat, go to the website and familarize yourself with us. We're about the best thing on the internet but still a nice, little hidden gem of information, support, fun, hot mommies, and kicking workouts. We lift hard, eat right, and then talk about our lives, struggles, emotions, and anything else we want.

OK..here's to the next evolution of the blog!