Who are you serving???

Jesus said, "I did not come to be served, but to serve". I think this is the core of what John Maxwell is so often quoted saying "Add value to others". Jesus is our example of adding value by serving others.

Serving others is a sincere act of care and consideration. When you GO OUT OF YOUR WAY for another person, they receive "I love you".

My mom always taught me that 'actions speak louder than words' - translate this as 'if you love me than show me!' Words come easy for many, but service does not. Sacrifice does not.


In this day and age, everyone seems to be looking to get ahead for themselves - the 'come-up' spirit, you could say. People tend to use and abuse anyone who will let them...to advance themselves in this world. Let's set ourselves apart. Let's start the trend that Jesus started years ago, one of humility and service.

When you reach out from your comfort zone and open up your heart, your arms, and home to others, you are reaching out with love...and they will receive that.

Show others your love with acts of service. Do something that will communicate love to them, in THEIR love language. Serving them is a wonderful way. It sets them apart and you both will feel closer because of your affectionate act of help & sacrifice for them.

Who needs to feel loved around you today? Who needs appreciation around you? Who could use a little RESPECT? Give, give, give it out...and watch what you get back in return.

Create and strengthen relationships now for later!!!! God bless you!

Have you found YOUR MISSION?

This last year has been full of self-evaluation and personal development. Making decisions and pursuing them. Creating to-do lists daily and checking off action items that get me closer to my goals. Ridding my life of obligations that do NOT move me toward my goals. Pursuing relationships to help others and their families. Prioritizing my husband, my kids, and my home, but not giving up on my dreams and losing my identity in the process.


Get your's cheap on Amazon!

One book that is currently shedding light on who I am is Personality Plus by Florence Littauer. This is a great book to grade your strengths and recognize your weaknesses. This is something we all should do. Our relationships will grow and prosper when we realize what is part of our personality and what we need to work on.

The more you know about yourself,

the more of an impact

you can leave on this world!

And that's what I want to do.

Most of my posts and a blog entries focus on health and fitness, but there is more to me than that. I am a person of honesty, transparency, integrity, hard work, responsibility, and strive to have self-discipline in every area.

In addition to those, I am passionate. I want to help people so much that my heart breaks because I often find that I want more for people than they do for themselves.

A couple of weeks ago, I signed up people for a challenge...over the next 8 months a handful of my friends will have the opportunity to qualify for a grand prize of $100,000. Yes, there is recognition for the 'coach' that helps them...but something else brought tears to my eyes.

See, I have people in my life that have to get their health back. There are major health consequences for them, if they don't. So the reward for me truly is that in 1 year from now, my friends will transform their bodies through diet and exercise...and will get their health back in the process. This will give them more time with their loved ones, more energy for the kids/grandkids, their marriages, their careers, and their ministries. I get to cheer them on to do more, be more, and live longer!!!

I wouldn't be here, if it weren't for dreaming. After walking along the side of my husband (http://www.piggywenttothegym.com/) on his 200+ lb. weight loss journey, I have such a huge heart for obese/overweight people. My heart aches when I hear people share that they feel that will be big forever or they can't even start to lose.

I told my husband a few days ago that I want to go down in history as the Mother Theresa of Fitness. Now, while I am not Mother Theresa...(she was amazing!!!) - my thought is that I want to help as many people as I can lose the weight that keeps them in bondage. I want to help people break free from the lies that they "will be like this forever". When I die, I want a sanctuary full of people who I helped lose weight. Instead of a slideshow of pictures of me...I want a slideshow of people's 'Before & After' pics. I want to have a mass of people at my funeral, who have lost a massive amount of weight.


Every meal served w/ veggie/fruit!

I don't know, I'm dreaming. But while I pursue those dreams, I am also teaching my own children how to ENJOY exercise and make healthy food choices. It is true that my oldest will blurt out in public somewhere, "Look momma, they're eating junk"...and it is true that I cannot reach for a diet soda since he is patrolling me...But I have so much peace & joy that my kids are growing up withOUT hardening of the arteries...(since many 3-4 yr. olds are developing that from all the kid's meals they get). And they are making their own healthy choices at such an early age!



Daniel, workin' those legs!!!

I'm also teaching my kids that we take care of our bodies to serve others, and for longer. Without our health, what can we do for God, what can we do for others, right? And serving others is a priority to me. Helping people is something that my boys will learn.

Taking our eyes off ourselves
to help others will bring a life of contentment and fulfillment.

And that's what I want my kids to learn.

You see, being a coach is not for any amount of money really, being a coach is all about having tools to give people to help them live longer and have more fulfilling lives with their spouses and families. It's all for you!!!!



I made these & have them up
in my kitchen!!!!

Perhaps today was all about downloading my passion, my mission, my heart. I hope that somewhere in our relationship, I have inspired you to take better care of yourself.

You only get one life. You only get one body. Take care of both of them.

EAT TO LIVE & YOU'LL LIVE LONGER!

Why are you addicted???

So yesterday's post was to help you figure out why you struggle with your weight. If you are like most, you are probably addicted to food.

In fact, I just saw an Arby's cup in the gutter the other day, it read:

Talk about a subliminal message...are you kidding me? The fast food industry has intense marketing skills to suck you into their drive thrus...and their food is killing you!!!!

Ironically yesterday, I had a conversation with my sister-in-law. She has a blog...and yesterday she blogged about MSG!!! I think it's safe to say, as she said, "We have an MSG addiction".

Check out her post from yesterday to help you see the part of the problem: http://tammystable.com/2011/07/27/msg/

SOLUTION: Here's my idea to start weaning you off food (the addiction, not completely stop eating): Read every label of the food you buy - if it has MSG, put it back on the shelf and find something else WITHOUT the MSG.

Take note on the mention of fast food on her blog!!!

SOLUTION: Prepare your food at home!

So the plan for this week:

• Read your labels and prepare foods at home w/out MSG.
• Avoid the death trap/drive thrus!!!

Let's go even further to see if this helps: Weigh yourself today, avoid foods with MSG and drive thrus...I guarantee...really, I guarantee you will be down by next week! Test my theory! Try it! I dare you!!!!

Food Addiction is a real thing....

Over the last few months people have opened up to me about what they eat. They had to. I offer my help, your payment will be honesty! I offer confidential encouragement. (Don't worry, names are changed to protect the innocent.)

In light of hearing some of the same things from different people, it is apparent that many have a food addiction. Some have one so strong that even 2 years of personal training may not cure. Only because the addiction was not called out on the carpet and dealt with. You have to look at what you eat, why you eat it, how you feel before & after you eat the foods you do, and whether or not you hide it.

Note: I am not a doctor. And this is not to make you feel awful, powerless, or weak. If you keep up with my posts on FB & blog, you know that I swear by transparency & honesty. ONLY when we are honest with ourselves and others, can we get help. ONLY when we admit we have a problem can there be accountability & change. So are you ready to change?

Here is a quick list of questions for you to be honest with yourself - answer these YES or NO:

1. Do you eat alone?                                                                            
2. Do you lie about how much you eat?
3. Do you eat more than your friends?
4. Do you eat more than you used to?
5. Do you eat to calm your nerves?
6. Do you suffer problems (health or others) because of your eating?
7. Is food & consumption of it affecting relationships with loved one?

This was actually a list of questions for warning signs of alcoholism and I just exchanged 'eat' for the word 'drink'. So while you may have been skeptical if you had a problem, now you realize that when you put food in the place of 'alcohol'...you have a problem if you are answering YES to these questions. And it is as serious as alcoholism.

Did you answer yes to 3 or more? If so, then you should research this topic of Food Addiction further. In fact, there is a resource for you, FAA (Food Addicts Anonymous). I actually have it on my to-do list for the week, to contact them and see if we can get a meeting here in Bakersfield. Especially since 29% of Kern County is obese!

Folks, I've posted up posts on obesity statistics and stats on preventable disease. YOU ARE NOT ALONE in your food addiction. If 65% of Americans are overweight & obese, I'm sure it is safe to say that over 1/2 of the U.S. are food addicts.

I know, I know...the word ADDICT is such a harsh word right. We think of crackheads, potheads, the red-faced alcoholic...but your addiction is even more apparent than theirs if you think about it. But we can change it together. With a plan of diet and exercise, accoutability, and help - you CAN conquer this!

Either contact the FAA, or me. I want to help you get from where you are to where you want to be!


For more on this topic:
Google: Food Addicts Anonymous. Also look for books regarding Food Addiction, Recovery from Food Addiction.

I also want to add, that if you struggle with an eating disorder of bulimia or anorexia, then contact these people as well. You have a food addiction problem that doesn't leave you big on the outside, you're tiny on the outside. You feel big when you look in the mirror and you are slowly killing yourself as well. Please reach out for help & free yourself of this obsession with food/purging!!!! Please!!!

New Look & My Why!!!!! (Moms, this is especially for you...)

This is random, but I'm going to be giving my blog a new look very soon. I'm going to do what Dave did and put up some before & after pics along the top.

I think this will get the message out there that YOU CAN lose the weight, whether it is baby weight, or just weight you've gathered over the years.

• YOU CAN eat healthy and change your body.
• YOU CAN find an exercise routine you like to do & enjoy doing it daily.
• YOU CAN transform your body, your physique.
• YOU CAN get in the best shape of your life.
• YOU CAN avoid preventable disease.




My Boys (My Life)



• YOU CAN live a longer, meaningful, quality life.

I'm almost there. I'm almost in the best shape of my life, despite having an 18 mos. old & a 4 1/2 year old. Despite having all the resposibilities of life, I still make time to work out.

I am like most of you believe it or not. I do like to eat. Recently though, since I've reached right under 130 lbs. I've had complete strangers look at me and say, "you don't need to worry about what you eat" - on the contrary, I have to watch every bite that goes in. I can overeat, like most. I like cookies, like most. Like most, I gain weight if I 'don't worry about what I eat & eat whatever I want'.

I appreciate the compliment, but this is exactly why I will be creating a banner along the top of this blog is so that the world can see that I had love handles, muffin tops, full cheeks, nearly a double chin, a gut, a wide 'ol booty. I had it all!

159/160 lbs. - 6 weeks after my youngest's birth!

But instead of accepting it, I have chosen every day for the last 16 1/2 months to work my butt of to get in shape. To strip off that unhealthy extra weight!

No Muffins, No Love Handles, Booty back w/in boundaries!

The other day, I shared with a friend: "By the way, I DO NOT stand in front of the mirror with low self-esteem and say, 'JUST 5 MORE POUNDS'". I do however, stand in front of the mirrow and say, "Oh my gosh Dave, look at my arms, can you imagine how ripped I will look after I hybrid my workouts and do a ton of resistance training".

Now my mission is to be as strong and lean as possible...just for the pleasure of having success over my eating and struggles w/ my weight all of my life. And, I am so close. Why would I choose to 'maintain' (which for me leads to gaining weight)? All I have left to do is put forth some energy & intensity and prove to the world that we can get in the best shape of our lives POSTPARTUM!

I'm mad that women feel powerless over their weight, their eating, their baby weight. I hate it when I see women defeated feeling like nothing they do will work.

Work out for 16 months like I did....eat like me and I can guarantee that weight will come off. Many "try" to lose weight for a couple weeks, a couple months...but do they stick to the same plan for 1 year, 2 years...the rest of their life. So until you put at least 1 year out of consistent effort - don't disqualify yourself!

One of my life goals now, along with my husband (http://www.thislittlepiggywenttothegym.com/), is to help overweight and obese people shed the pounds and gain control over their bodies! YOU are the boss of what goes into your body. YOU are the boss of what your body does. So be the boss & stop letting your appetite & negative self-talk talk you out of being as healthy as possible!!!!

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

We're here to help!!!!

Got fruit?

I was out in our garden last night and was inspired for today's post. I was looking at my squash plants and evaluating how some have squash already growing on them, and others are little, undernourished, scrawny plants. Yet they sit side by side with the healthy ones...it made me think of 'us'.

As a believer, the Bible calls us to 'bear much fruit', but are we? Are you?

Looking at these different plants, which one are you? You may be a little scrawny one because you just found the truth & have began your journey of following Christ and you have began the growing process.

You may be a larger one with a healthy fruit, growing and swelling in size with flavor. However, are you one who has been 'following the Lord' for many years, but remain fruitless? What is the fruit that God would have you bear?

According to Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit is:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-Control

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being worst, 10 being your best, how would you rate yourself on each of these? Have you had a lot of joy and peace lately? Or have you been filled with anxiety? Have you been frustrated with everyone around you? Or are you patient (and gracious) towards others, i.e. family members, coworkers, employer, employees, spouse, kids, other drivers on the road?

How are your relationships? Do you have any broken ones? Dysfunctional, resentment torn ones? Or are you being kind, and loving (and forgiving) toward others who have wronged you?

And where is your self-control at? Are you having self-control in your eating, drinking (sugary and/or alcohol drinks), your finances/spending, your argumentative conversations, your anger, your_______________(fill in the blank).

Here is the great thing about these fruits of the Spirit...they are NOT intended for you to muster up all on your own. They are the results of your soul being watered by the Word of God (Bible), fertilized by doses of church, consistent care and maintenance by the presence of the Lord in your life ushered in by prayer and worship!

Do you have these things in your life: the Word, prayer, worship, and church? They are the glue that keep your lives held together!!!

In Matthew 12:33, Jesus says, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit".

"No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it". - Hebrew 12:11

My garden will only survive when I ACTIVELY participate in its growth. I have to be disciplined to water it, fertilize it and pluck out the weeds. I have to be disciplined to take care of it. Just like our lives, we must be disciplined to say no to the things that spoil our fruit: the wreckless behaviors, the interfering relationships, the careless church absences, the obsessive overcommitments, the continual divisive conversations, and the complete negligence of God.

We want fruitful lives. We want to lead people down the path to eternal life with our actions of love, gentleness, kindness, and peace. The only way that others will enjoy our fruit is if we enjoy time with the LORD! We have to discipline ourselves to show up and let God speak to our hearts and submit to His guidance. We have to let Him nourish our souls to bear the fruit.

I want to be like this healthy rich-colored vine on my pumpkin plant. This thing is the healthiest one in the patch. I want to be the one that stands out next to the rest and shine for the Lord. I want people to see Christ in my life.

Are you willing to let God into your heart daily? Are you willing to turn on the music that sings of God and edifies your soul? Are you willing to rid your life of the unhealthy relationships that tear you out of God's will and presence? Are you willing to make it to church to hear the Word preached in a way that inspires you to change? Are you willing to make Jesus Lord of your life above all else so that you can bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, etc?

Choose this day to let Christ in your garden, your heart? Take out that dusty Bible and ask God to speak to you. Ask God to become real to you in your everyday life. Talk to Him about everything. Depend on Him for everything...but most importantly....love Him completely!

Sometimes we just need to unload!

This week threw me a curve ball for sure. My 4 1/2 year old 'asthmatic' really got flared up - super fast. There is a combination of things that brought this about. A reminder that even when he is doing super well, we must stay strict and meticulous about his medicine & the way he takes it EVERY SINGLE TIME!

Now, he's 4, right? And you can imagine what a challenge it is to everyday, twice a day, get him to 'breathe in' his controller inhaler. And not breathe out so hard that it forces the medicine out the back of the chamber right. So on top of a couple of weeks of this kind of scenario...I took him inside a home w/ 2 cats last Thursday.

Daniel has never shown signs of an allergy to cats (that would be me), and that day - none of us were having any symptoms so I thought he was fine. The very next day, I went by some family's home with dogs. Daniel is allergic to dogs, however, since his new arsenal of meds that were prescribed, he hadn't had any reactions to these dogs since the fall (pre-Advair/Singulair days). Within 20 minutes of being there - the cough came! Very minor.

Now this time it got a little tricky. He was only coughing a little bit during the day (and we were doing Albuterol as needed)...and then on Sunday night, his cough showed up at night. We went from smack in the yellow...nearing red. He got a little hot, woke up whiny & then coughed some. Nothing that the albuterol inhaler couldn't handle! I didn't think it was quite the red zone that night...

Fast forward to yesterday - I determine on Monday night that his cough is in the red zone & we would start the Prednisolone the next morning (since that stuff causes insomnia, right)...I thought I was being proactive. He had too much constant coughing & per his 'action plan' (which every asthmatic needs) - I followed protocol. We had been doing Albuterol 4X a day since Sunday...nothing was really working by the end of yesterday. In fact, we had to use the Alb. inhaler every 2 hours. I was praying, "come on Pred. do your thing!"

We laid down at 9ish last night...and he was coughing his head off. We had done a breathing treatment before bed at 8:30...and it didn't do a thing. at 10 p.m. I tried the little red inhaler of Alb. And nothing. I tried the 'steamy bathroom'. All that did was make him hot and cry out of misery, excerbating the cough more. Errrr.

So come 11 p.m., laying 'propped up' and coughing NON-STOP, I bring him in the bathroom. Desperate. It had only been an hour since the Albuterol...and that hadn't even helped anyways. He's rosey-cheeked, miserably whining out of exhaustion & frustration and just sucking in air - only to cough. There's gagging, nearly throwing up...And I say: We have to call 911!

There was nothing I could give him, nothing was working, and there were no signs of his cough ceasing! I said, "What do we do, wait 'til he turns blue...by then it's too late!" I had already been praying & this seemed to be the solution resonating in my heart!

In the back of my mind and from hearing about kids w/ asthma & the power of an 'oxygen mask'...I just knew that is what he needed. But who has the OXYGEN? The good 'ol heroic firemen do!

So it's 11 p.m. & there's sirens coming. Daniel is in my arms and nervous that he's going to get a shot. (Poor thing, I think he's traumatized.) He's experiencing excitement that there is a firetruck in the driveway, but nervous of what is really going on.

Within minutes of the oxygen mask...he's no longer coughing at all!!!! The ambulance shows up ready to take us in. Since his bronchospasm/coughing spell had finally ceased (after 2 hrs. - poor thing). I decide that if it started up again...I would take him in to ER.

Nearly midnight now, I fall asleep, sitting up in bed, cradling and holding Daniel in an upright position. He is fast asleep, overly fatigued by the night's events.

At some point, he ended up laying propped up on the pillows (getting brand new ones today) & the cough threatened me again. I grabbed him & held him again.

Sigh - what a night, right? It's all a blur. We'll do our second dose of the Prednisolone this morning (nervous about the behavorial effects, yet what else can we do?). I'll put a call into the doc to inform them.

Right now, we could use some prayer. Prayer for the cough to be controlled today a.s.a.p. And some prayer for Dave, myself & Daniel, as we are all exhausted. Thank you so much, I appreciate it so much!

At some point...It's ALL mental!

Quick note on this topic...and will really provide more of my thoughts on this at a later date.

But how often do we hear 'It's all mental'?

Today I did a 'Cardio Recovery' workout. Now had it said 'Intense Cardio', my mindset would have been mentally prepared for the workout that it truly is. This 'recovery' was tough, but my mind was not ready for it at all. I was ready to be slow & lazy...this had my hip flexors burning, my shoulders burning...sweat was still drippin'!

So think about this today: How often do we assume the 'truth' of something just by the name? How often do we fulfill the negative words that we are told daily? How often do we believe those that tell us 'we can't'?

It's ALL mental! Start today by telling yourself that you ARE successful, you are a hardworker, you will achieve great things, you will lose the weight you want, you can dream, you can ______________.

Fill in your own blank, believe in yourself,

and set the positive momentum in your mind, in motion!!!!

Measurable Results!

I am a person who loves seeing results, whatever it is! I love seeing $$$ in the bank, a clean room, empty laundry baskets, people loving on me (healthy relationships), and 'down 1 lb.' on the scale.

The FIT TEST that you do every couple weeks with the Insanity program, shows you that you're improving & I love it. Today is the beginning of WEEK 5. It is suppose to be the beginning of recovery week, but I wanted to start it off w/ a little 'report card' of our improvement. To stay transparent & accountable, I will list my numbers from the first week of starting Insanity...and will list today's results.

FIT TEST RESULTS & IMPROVEMENT:

Exercise/Move                         End of Week 1-June 25th                   Start of Week 5 - July 18th
Switch Kicks                                      80                                                88     (+8)
Power Jacks                                       50                                                65     (+15)
Power Knees                                     106                                               103   (-3) ????
Power Jumps                                      34                                                40     (+14)
Globe Jumps                                      12                                                 18     (+6)
Suicide Jumps                                    17                                                 21     (+4)
Push-Up Jacks                                   13 (most on knees)                        20     (+7)     (on feet too!)
Low Plank Obliques                            56                                                82     (+26)


Now What?

Now, in just another 2-3 weeks, I will reevaluate myself again. This is a great gauge that serves a purpose. One, I see that I am physically changing/improving w/ strength and endurance. And two, proves that this program works.

Another way that I know that I am doing something right - I am down 5 lbs. It's always a challenge for me to drop weight once I hit 134/135. I think it's a mental thing. Since my original goal was to 'get below 137 lbs.', I seem to get stuck at 134...maybe 133...then I go up a pound or 2. This was my original goal - I  wanted to weigh in at this weight because that's what I weighed before I got pregnant w/ boy #2.

Now, I'm wrapping my mind around getting down to 127 lbs., since that is the lowest weight I've ever been in my adult life. I think I was 21 or 22 years old, (12 yrs. ago) when I weighed that...and I did it the WRONG way of using Hydroxycut!

Now, I'm 34 & I'm doing it all-natural. Through diet & exercise! Healthy foods, no artificial/stimulant help! I do have people asking me 'when are you going to stop losing weight?'...Their question needs to be "when are going to stop taking on ridiculous challenges?"

(Next challenge may be the Volkslauf. I keep toying with the idea. And I've got to make a decision very soon.)

So, I think the answer to that last question is "NEVER". Because as soon as we stop taking on challenges - we stop growing! And who want to stop growing???? NOT ME!

In the weight-loss rut? Here's some help!

I've heard it said over and over and over again: Diet is 80%, exercise is 20% of losing weight. I talk a lot about losing weight thru diet and food choices. I can be a broken record sometimes on it, so I thought I would talk about exercise and highlight somethings to really zero in on to fully maximize your weight loss efforts.

1. EXERCISE. Seems like the obvious, right? But how many try to lose weight withOUT exercising? Just start moving. Figure out what you really like to do & do it. If you enjoy your workouts, you'll do them. (How often have you seen people at the gym, w/ frowns, on a machine, not even into it? No intensity? Yea, don't do that.) Find a class, a program, or something you can't wait to do the next day. I found what I like and that's how I lost my weight and keep the weight off!
2. SET GOALS. Most know the story of my husband (http://www.thislittlepiggywenttothegym.com/). His goal was to lose weight, not be a 400+ lb. man, and not die young. My goals have always been little increments of weight. For example, when I was 159 lbs. (after my 2nd born son), I said, "I'm going to get down to 155"...then it was 149, then I said, "I can get down to 145". And when I reach that I said, "If I work out a little harder, kick up the intensity, I can get under 140". Now I'm about 131, starting my 5th week of Insanity on Monday.
3. CHANGE IT UP. I know I said, find what you like...but you still have to change it up. If you like the treadmill. Go from walking to jog...then jogging to running...then sprints w/ jogging. Then try to tackle 5 mi. then 10 mi. Like the stairclimber...turn up the intensity, increase the level, increase the speed.
4. USE WEIGHTS. This may take a little homework or you asking someone to help, but you gotta have resistance training. (If you're a woman, resistance training helps prevent osteoperosis.) Weight-lifting/resistance training revs up the metabolism, builds muscle, and gives you that toned, defined look. It's a win-win!

These are just some things to get you started. After you've lost those initial pounds, go thru the list and re-apply them. Somehow, some way, we easily steer off course. Reminding ourselves of some of the basics, helps us get back on track.

STAY TUNED - WORKING ON OFFERING MY READERS A FIT CLUB HERE LOCALLY IN BAKERSFIELD. SHOOTING FOR A BEGINNERS & ADVANCED. Message me on FB so that I can begin a group so that you stay posted on the date, time, and location!!!!!

Shocking Statistics of Obesity (Childhood Obesity)

I love truth! Don't you? It's when we face the truth of ourselves that we can change. It's when we admit the truths about our family, that our family tree can change.

Folks, we have a serious problem. A serious one. The gravity of obesity needs to impact your hearts today Whether you are obese/overweight, your kids are, your loved ones are - we need to take action a.s.a.p.

With the statistics of 65% of American Adults Overweight/Obese & 33% of American Children Overweight/Obese - HOW CAN WE IGNORE OBESITY ANY LONGER?

I heard a councilwoman say it last month that "America is eating herself to death"...and that's a fact.

Here's some truth - some statistics I collected for you.

Locally here, in Kern Co. CA, in 2008, adults of age 20+:

• 29% were obese,
• 7% have diabetes
• 24% are inactive

Across the nation:

• 81% of the counties in Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia have high rates of Obesity & Diabetes.
• 75% of counties in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and S. Carolina have high rates of Obesity & Diabetes.

In 2009:

• California: 24.8% of population - obese
• Tennessee: 32.4% of pop. - obese
• Colorado: 18.6% - obese...wins the award for 'skinniest state'
• Mississippi: 34.4% - obese....wins award for 'fattest state'

So what's this talk about Diabetes (Type 2)? Google it...learn about it. Long story short, YOU DON'T WANT IT!!!! Type 2 Diabetes is the preventable one.

Here's some numbers on this miserable condition that is PREVENTABLE!

• 3.7% of 20-44 yr. olds have it.
• 13.7% of 25-64 yr. olds have it.
• 26.9% of 65+ have it.

Conclusion: How you eat and don't exercise from ages 20-65, will determine your fate at 65.
Solution: Eat healthy and exercise while you have your youth & vigor!

In 2010, the new cases of diagnosed diabetes, by age follows:

• 20-44: 465,000 NEW cases
• 45-64: 1,052,000 NEW cases --- what?????
• 65+: 390,000 NEW cases

What I conclude is that the 45-64 year old group is high risk! Are you in this catagory? I think it would be safe to say that people are getting this horrible disease at a younger age than in the past. So really, narrow it down from youth to 45 (when you have the energy and time) to take care of yourself with diet & exercise - it will SAVE YOUR LIFE & HEALTH!

_________________________LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR KIDS NOW______________________

How many of you who are overweight say, "look at my mom...it's in my genes to be big"? I think the only thing kids inherit from their parents that leads to being overweight/obes is the parents' BAD EATING HABITS & LAZINESS. Think about it.

Daniel's pediatrician just told me yesterday that 1 in 4 children are obese. I've heard the statistic of 33% of American children are overweight and obese. Why? Because it's the 65% of American parents feeding their kids the same thing they eat!

Childhood obesity put the youth, our children at risk for:

1. Cardiovascular disease
2. Bone & joint problems
3. Sleep Apnea
4. Social & Psych. Problems, like low self-esteem

Obese youth are more likely to become obese adults, tragically being diagnosed with:

1. Heart disease 
2. Type 2 Diabetes
3. Stroke
4. Several types of Cancers
5. Osteoarthritis

This is my plea for you as a parent, if you are overweight and/or your kids are overweight - PLEASE DO SOMETHING NOW!!!

As a parent, we are responsible for our kids. What they eat, how much activity they get - it's our job to lead by example and teach them to be healthy. It's our job to teach them great exercise habits, teach them that our bodies need water (not sodas, Kool-Aid, sweet teas, lemonades - daily). It's our job to prepare healthy meals for them, and NOT be lazy and do the drive-thru meals all the time.

I know kids who get McD's breakfast: soggy, greasy hashbrown w/ the sausage McMuffin for breakfast. Then have some fatty McD's happy McHighCalorie meal for lunch, followed by a 'take-out' greasy pizza...all followed by some sugary drink. THIS IS PART OF THE PROBLEM. Needless to say, these are the same kids that are left in front of the t.v. all day, then go from t.v. to some handheld game, then to the computer for more games.

What happened to the good ol' days when kids were outside on their bikes, playing ball, climbing trees? Don't let the advancement of technology and the luxury of your kids being entertained lull your family/kids into OBESITY!

"Houston, we have a problem!" - But the solution is simple: healthy foods & activity 1 hr./day can prevent this state of emergency. Seriously, that's it to save their lives. Please help me create a coalition against obesity today! Email me at jennifermorin@beachbodycoach.com if you want to play a role in saving our youth from early disease & death.

Midstream Adjustments!

Have you ever set out on a journey, you're headed in the right direction, but for some reason you are convinced you're on the wrong path? What do you do?

You look at your map, you find where you are, you find where you're going, and then you find the quickest route to your destination....then you see that you were on the 'scenic route' & not the quick route.

And we all seem to want the 'quick route' right? (I'll blog more on this soon...kinda in this season of fascination with people's desires for overnight results of change.) But we do. You hear it all the time, we live in a 'microwave society'. Does the meat out of a crock-pot taste better than the meat out of a microwave? Microwaved meat is tough, hard on the edges, and dry. Meat out of a crock-pot is moist, falls apart, is tender & delicious.

So why do we get frustrated when we've only devoted 2 weeks or 2 months to a workout regimen & we're not getting the 'super-quick' results. I have a friend who put on some weight in a 5-6 month time period. Now only 4 weeks into their program, they are frustrated with the results. Mind you, they have lost 10 lbs. in the last  2 1/2 months. Their weight is going up & down some.

Here's the thing, when you are not satisfied with results - don't give up, DON'T GET DISCOURAGED! There are good habits we start out with...and then get complacent with. So if those few pounds creep back up or are not dropping like you feeL they should, take these simple steps:

• GO BACK to measuring your food out to the 'serving size' on the nutrition facts label.
• GO BACK to keeping a food log and writing down everything you eat.
• GO BACK to the extra step of counting up your calories.
• Stay within your calorie range. (I'll work on a blog to help you figure this out).
• Push yourself during your workouts. If you're at the gym, increase the incline on the treadmill, raise the level of intensity on bike, increase your time spent doing cardio, go from A walk to a jog, a jog to a run. Take a spin class. Commit to P90X for 90 days (contact ME if you want this!) Do extra reps, go up in weight. Increase intensity - WEEKLY! When you feel like you can't even do 1 more - DO 1 MORE!

I mean it. If we want to lose enormous amounts of weight OR decrease our body fat percentage, we have to get INTENSE!

Intense results takes intense efforts!

Don't give up, persevere, push yourself! Be honest with yourself on what you are REALLY eating and drinking and start eliminating the extra calories ASAP! Refuse to get discouraged - get proactive!

That's right...instead of wallowing in discouragement, say out loud, "It is what it is - now is the time to get proactive, get intense, and turn on the burners".

Weight loss is a journey, you will have to make midstream adjustments. Diets and exercise programs are not a 'ONE SIZE FITS ALL' - you've got to put in the effort to figure out what works for you and gets you the best results. Make the adjustments. Increase intensity, decrease calories where you can! Stay honest with yourself - and stay positive! Keep making adjustments until you crack the code & then DON'T STOP!!!

You'll it to your destination soon enough, take it day by day, and do what you should! YOU WILL REACH YOUR GOALS when you stay committed long-term!!!! You will get there, you will see!

"I CAN'T"

(Disclaimer: I'm going to hammer you today...are you up for it? It's going to make you strong if you hang in there with me!)

I DON'T UNDERSTAND:

Do you ever say this? Do you tell yourself this? Others? Now if it's what you have to say to 'protect' your time for your family that's one thing. But if it's your response to setting goals or reaching goals, I'm here to tell you that YOU CAN!

A couple weeks ago, a friend confided in me that they 'just can't lose weight'. A friend of my husband said that they 'just can't eat healthy'. I just don't understand that way of thinking, but I believe it's that belief that is holding so many people back from achieving their goals & dreams.

What is it that you can't do? What is stopping you?

Figure out what you want to do...then figure out what is stopping you. It may be YOU stopping YOU!

REFUSE TO LET..........

• circumstances
• bad habits
• weaknesses
• addiction
• relationships
• procastination

                                           ............STOP YOU!


I'm here to tell you that YOU CAN:

• lose weight
• get your health back
• exercise
• get out of debt
• save your marriage
• have self-discipline
• discipline your kids
• be successful
• change
• love again

The list goes on and on! What do you need to hear that you can do?

Do me a favor...list out all of your cant's: 'I can't ___________'. Figure out what it is that you don't think you can do. Then write out the opposite: "I CAN ____________". Then take a black marker and cross out each 'I can't' while saying, "YES I CAN_____________".

It's all about believing in yourself, believing YOU CAN!  I believe you can. It's humanly possible to have self-discipline, forgive, pay off credit cards, give up unhealthy foods, or get moving/exercising!!!!

You can do it!!!!! Whatever it is, you can! Now say it - YES I CAN!

My Personal Workout Update

This Monday marks Day 1 of my 4th week of Insanity. I am finally shaving off one pound at a time and held at 131.0 today.

I have a ton of people asking me, when are you going to stop losing weight? And here's my thoughts on that question. It's easy to reach a goal weight...and be done, and then just 'maintain'. However, the last time I was 'maintaining', by doing my routine workout, my routine 'eating'...3 lbs. creeped up on the scale. My goal at the first of the year was to continue to weigh in from 130-134.

Last month, I hit 136 while 'maintaining'. I guess you can't call it 'maintaining'...but gaining, right? I know some of you think I am being rediculous, but if you seen how hard I was working out, my 4 days a week, you would understand my frustration with a 2 lb. gain.

The truth was that my eating was getting out of control. I was cheat eating. I was eating a few bites of the kids' noodles/spaghetti, I was having 2 Fiber 1 bars/day, I was having the last bites of basically anything that was on the kids' plate - AGAIN. This is a consistent area that I struggle with.

But instead of focusing on 'not eating' their food, I focused on eating 'my food' while they ate. My tummy was full and it was easier to just toss what they didn't eat in the trash. And then, I focused on the exercise component. Although they say it is 20% - exercise and 80% - food in losing weight, I knew in addition to stopping the cheat-eating, I had to step it up with my exercise program as well.

As a result of get stricter with my food (the 80%): measuring out my servings, cutting the kids' food out, cutting the bars out, adding more water, fruit, lean meats - I've dropped weight.

Getting more consistent with my workouts also helped do the trick. I went from working out consistently 4 days, maybe 5, to working out daily - 6 days a week. I'm still only working out around 45 minutes. (It's the most intense 45 minutes of my day, by the way.)

I did what I needed to do. I was honest with myself and admitted where I was slacking off in my eating, I confessed that my workouts were not priority. I basically identified what I needed to change.

Then, I came up with a new goal. My goal wasn't necessarily to "LOSE WEIGHT". I set a measurable goal of "Complete a workout program, start to finish". With the exception of missing 2 days due to a serious sinus infection/bronchitis last week, I have not missed any workouts.

The results: Down 5 lbs. in 3 weeks! I have this week to finish out, then a 'Recovery Week'...and then the Insanity get's even more insane for the last 4 weeks. I'm hecka nervous, the titles of each workout on the calendar have the word MAX in them. Yikes is right!

Going back to the word maintaining...I don't think for me that the goal of 'maintain' is good. "Maintain" means: to keep in a specified state, position (as per dictionary.com). But when it comes to weight loss, I feel like 'maintain' becomes stagnant. You are no longer challenging yourself, so you get lazy. When you miss a workout, it's easier to not be focus on eating good. So my advice: Never just maintain.

If you get to a weight that you are happy with, then set a goal of running in a 5K/10K, complete a workout program, take a karate class. Set a goal of something that has exercise at the center, something that will keep you focused on training your body. So my advice:

Don't maintain, don't gain - just keep training your body!

Don't know how to step it up & train?

Commit to this:

What is your most common sickness? You're Prescription is in!

Last weekend, I was so sick. I was coughing 2-3 hrs./night (and I'm not asthmatic). By last Sunday, when I'd cough, my chest was burning. I was exhausted, no energy, yet the days before - despite my sickness, I just kept working out (not wise of me at all). I worked through the headaches and congestion, thinking I would 'just get better on my own'.

Finally, after 5 nights of interrupted sleep from the cough, I finally waved the white "I surrender" flag, and went into Kaiser on Monday morning first thing. (Who cares if it was a holiday, I could not last another day or night with this cough and pain.)

Get examined, everything checked, everything listened to. Diagnosis: Sinus Infection and Brochitis. Ugh! No wonder I was so miserable. However, I figured this would be the diagnosis, because this is always my diagnosis. In the 4 times I've been sick in the last 6 years, it's always been sinus infection...obviously I waited too long to see the doc. But I am so prone to sinus infections. When I leave my allergies unchecked, or a cold takes awhile to leave, a sinus infection is around the corner.

Obviously, I need to take better care of myself in this area since I am so vulnerable here. Get comfortable with the Netti Pot, right? I know.

But let's apply this entire scenario to the sin in our lives. There is a sin that so easily entangles us. You know the one. The one that is so easily to fall into, the one you are so vulnerable to.

Personally, I know the ones that are so easy for me to get entangled in. They are very black & white ones. Unlike missing the symptoms of my sinus infection, I don't miss the thoughts and actions that lead up to those sins. Luckily my little 'spiritual radar' starts beeping when I am headed the wrong direction.

I've ignored that beep a few times, and I can hear the siren going off to back up out of the danger zone. Luckily, I listen to that one most of the time. But there have been times that I've let words pass my lips and BAM! I blow it! I hate that feeling that follows, don't you? Why do we do that to ourselves?

The key is at the first sign of your 'symptoms' (when the radar is beeping with warning), we need to be proactive right then! This is what I know works for me when headed toward sin:

1. Pray for forgiveness for the thoughts/words/consideration of doing what I shouldn't do.
2. Ask God to give me strength to not even entertain the thoughts and get out of the situation.
3. And then, I try super hard to: avoid the things, people, conversations that derails my thoughts.

We've got to be proactive and recognize our vulnerabilities so that we can guard our hearts and be of sober mind. Especially when the 'potentially derailing situation' presents itself. When we're not proactive, when we don't recognize our vulnerabilities, we fall prey to our weaknesses. And then it's too late.

Like me losing sleep for 5 nights, some have lost their homes, families, jobs because they ignored the symptoms of their sin.

You're Prescription is ready!

In all areas in life, we have to remain proactive, constantly going to the Chief Doctor for the 'Scripture Prescription'! God has the strength to give you, the wisdom to apply, and the help you need in times of trouble. Go to HIM a.s.a.p. Don't wait until the inward sin has moved outward! Avoid the sabotaging effects of sin by going to the One who will help you with your vulnerabilities & weaknesses!

Dreams...Goals!

I hope that you have dreams and goals. If you keep up with my blog or FB posts, you know that I have them. My goals have mini-goals...and they to meet those 'mini-goals', I have to complete a, b, and c. Yes, it's true, I am a list person.

It's great to make lists actually. A daily to-do list tells you what you need to get done w/ your time. No excuses for wandering aimlessly through your day. A grocery list tells you what you need to buy, no excuses for being impulsive. A goals-list makes you focus on your life with purpose.

In my boys' bathroom, I have this decal on the wall:

Have you taken the time to figure out what your dreams are? Are you afraid to dream because you fear not reaching them? You have the power to achieve those dreams. You do.

Let's look at that that message.

• GO - Present tense, active verb. This requires MOVEMENT...effort.
• CONFIDENTLY - Boldly believing with FULL ASSURANCE.
• In The DIRECTION - Down the path of the DEFINED DESTINATION.
• Of Your DREAMS - What is it you want to do in life...a.k.a. GOALS.

So, today, will you decide that you WILL put out effort, with full assurance, toward your defined destinations for your life? Will you?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(P.S. I love the stars in the decal...this is a reminder that when dreaming up your dreams...Reach for the stars...let your goals and dreams be limitless so that you're drive & determination will be unlimited as well!)

Dave's Dinner Requests

Many of you will be doing your grocery shopping this weekend. Check out these meal ideas we put on our menu this week!!!! Prepare for success & buy healthy foods this weekend!!!!

You ever go on a diet, you learn the right combo of foods that work in helping you lose weight? You can easily get in a rut of eating the same thing over, and over, and over, and over, huh? For me personally, food doesn't excite me. I'm an 'Eat to Live' person, so for me...I can eat the same thing over and over and not get bored. In my mind it's: egg whites + spinach + tuna + chicken + broccoli + apple/peach/banana = weight loss. And when that's my main goal, that's what I eat.

However, for many, you're all eating fast food, or fried stuff, a ton - a ton of carbs. The benefit of your situation is that whenever you do something different, you're going to get results. Your disadvantage IS your advantage. 

Here is a list of a few dinners that Dave requested yesterday, as I was working on my grocery list. (Note: Dave was saying...'can we please eat something else other than chicken or do something fun w/ chicken?' I responded, 'Like what, a thick fatty steak?' Him: 'No...But I'm tired of chicken'...I said, 'okay....then we need to eat fish, lean pork loins, super lean ground beef...turkey maybe.' (SEE PICS BELOW!)

And so the following is a list of meals (lunch or dinner) we came up with:

1. Turkey Burgers - check the fat content on these, one patty of the turkey burgers at Costco is 200 cals. each. Have w/out mayo & cheese, but put all the fresh veggies on it you can. We will eat these on the Thomas mini-bagels or the sandwich thins.
2. Zucchini Sauce over chicken w/ a dark green salad - Chop up zucchini fine and sub it for the meat that you would normally put in your spaghetti sauce. Measure out the serving of sauce to track calories.
3. Fish Tacos on the super thin, low-cal corn torts. I get the 'Hake' at Costco for this, it's a lean fish, white, cooks up nice to put in a taco, top w/ cabbage or lettuce, tomatoe, onion, hot sauce. Serve w/ 1/2 cup of pot beans/black beans.
4. BBQ Pork Loins w/ veggie kabobs - (This is a weekend meal since Dave will be bbqing it up.) Get the leanest pork loins (cut off any fat that's on the edges), brush some teriyaki sauce & season. Then put some pineapple, mushroom, grape tomatoes, purple onion, bell pepper on some skewer sticks, brush those w/ some teriyaki sauce & grill. Yummy!
5. Black Bean Chicken Salad - Plate of dark green salad, tomatoe, onion, bell pepper, a little finely chopped up jalapeno, cold corn, 1/2 cup of black beans, chicken breast chopped up...top w/ some salsa, (Fresh & Easy has a great Mango Salsa we love on this salad).
6. Good 'ol BBQ chicken w/ 1/2 cup of brown rice & veggies - You can serve this all seperate on a place, add some soy/teriyaki sauce for a stir-fry style bowl, or grill the veggies. Veggies can be anything that is a veggie: broccoli, carrots, corn on the cob, green salad (very low-cal dressings), medley of veggies, mushrooms & tomatoes cooked up together w/ some onion comes out yummy together...squash sauteed (no butter, I use Pam Spray, then add a little water so the veggies don't scorch).
7. Chinese Chicken Salad - greens, purple onion, slivers of carrots, mandarin oranges (rinse before using), slivered almonds, and chow mein crunchy noodle stick/twigs. I get a Paul Newman dressing, low cal, Sesame Ginger only 35 cals. for 2 tbsp. (You can cook your chicken up in the dressing too, to add flavor).
8. Zucchini Pizza - (The P-word, I know....) But these are made on those Flat-Out wraps. I got the 'Light' ones at Target, I think they are at the Super Wal-Mart too. (90 cals/wrap). Dice up zucchini/squash, sauteed, put in your fave spaghetti sauce...spread over the flat-out wrap (spray the back of the wrap so it won't stick to the baking sheet)...measure out the low-fat/low-cal cheese, add some purple onion, dice up some turkey lunchmeat/ham, add bell pepper, tomatoe, mushrooms, whatever veggies you like on a pizza. Bake it for 10 min. & voila: Healthy Pizza - should come in around/under 300 cals. if you keep everything light & measured out.
9. Quiche for Dinner - use mostly, if not all egg whites, add all the veggies you like: tomatoe, mushroom, bell pepper, broccoli, onion, spinach - you can add some diced up lean ham if you want...& bake. Serve it w/ salsa.
10. Egg White Burritos - add the some of the veggies listed above, except scramble it all up together. We eat the low-carb, high fiber wraps by Tortilla Factory at Costco for burritos. (Only 80 cal. per tort...compare to a typical, white tort...those clock in 120/150...all the way up to 200 cals. each).
11. Tomato & cottage cheese wrap - w/ cholula, add lettuce in the 80 cal. tort - add a big dark green salad or your fave fresh veggies on the side.
12. Good 'ol turkey sandwich - made on the Thomas Mini-Bagels (I get mine in bulk at Costco, but they're in most grocery stores). Turkey, lettuce, tomatoe, pepper rings, pickle, purple onion, NO mayo or the light mayo MEASURED OUT! Serve w/ crunchy baby carrots, salad/veggies, or some fresh melon (but don't eat 1/2 of the melon unless it'sa small cantalope or something.)
13. Taco Salad - without the taco shells! Dark greens w/ lean ground turkey/beef, then all the fresh veggies, maybe a little low-fat cheese.
14. Veggie soup - w/ sandwich or veggie soup w/ chicken chopped up in it...scoop of pinto/pot beans. Veggie soup: cabbage, onion, celery, carrots, squash cooked up w/ minimal salt. Eat alone for lunches too, add to main dishes. Great little side dish to get the scale moving downward!

These are just the ones we came up with yesterday. But really, w/ any lean meat - you can create your own salad or stir-fry, add to any low-fat, veggie based soup.

I hope these help get some healthy variety into your kitchens. The benefit is you make all this at home so that you control what goes into it! Measure out your portions when it comes to sauces/condiments/dressings. Prepare food w/out adding fat as much as possible,

We also decided on Saturday mornings, we will prepare a platter of fresh veggies: broccoli, carrots, fresh squash, fresh mushrooms, etc. I like to use low-fat cottage cheese as a dip. I add onion powder, paprika, and some pepper to give it some flavor. If we take the time to prepare fresh foods, we will eat them!

Prepare your foods and eat at home as often as possible - you WILL lose weight when you make these changes!


Hake w/ 1/2 cup brown rice & fresh broccoli



Black Bean Chicken Salad w/ Mango Salsa

Quick Meal: Turkey Wrap w/ side of Cottage Cheese

Do you feel trapped? In a cage? You have the key!

I have a loved one that has been diagnosed with yet another condition/ailment/disease. I told my husband this is how I feel:

   

                                                     

She is trapped in a cage.

I can't reach the lock, the lock is on the inside...

I hand her the key and she takes it.

She looks at me, looks at the key, looks at the lock.

And here I am 'trapped' on the outside,

begging her to use the key, to unlock the lock.

I tell her "just put the key in the keyhole." 

"Turn it & you will be free".

But she just sits down, with the key in her hand,

refusing to use the key.

This is exactly the situation. She has so many conditions that are a result of her lack of exercise and eating healthy. Here's a quick list of what she's been diagnosed with in the last 10 years:

1. High blood pressure
2. Blood clots
3. COPD
4. Borderline diabetes
5. and now: Chronic Kidney Disease
6. IBS
7. Acid Reflex

Why all these things?

1. She's a smoker of 40 years...now says she is 'cutting back'.
2. She's been 50-100 lbs. overweight for about 10 years.
3. She's been drinking regular soda for about 40 years.
4. She's indulged in 3 item combos at her fave Mexican restuarant regularly.
5. She's indulged at buffets regularly.
6. She's sat down in the front of the t.v. w/ 1, 2, 3 bowls of ice cream over the years.
7. She's frequented the discount cake table and eaten a choco cake weekly for a few years.
8. She skips breakfast.
9. She does not prepare healthy meals for herself.
10. She's never had an exercise plan.
11. She procastinated the last 20 years to eat healthy and exercise.
12. She procastinated the last 15 years to give up smoking.
13. She has NOT followed doctors advice to make changes.
14. She's kept that stubborn attitude of "NO ONE's going to tell me how to live".

What is so sad is we have no idea how much longer she has to live. See the irony in that attitude.

Really. All these conditions seem to be 'managed' with meds...(She's nearing 15 diff. pills/day now). But a stroke or heart attack could take her out instantly. And guess what - these were all preventable years ago.

This cage she is in....she put herself there...and only she can take herself out. Are you in a cage? Have you realized what that you can turn the key and let yourself out? I'm pleading with you today: If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your kids, your loved ones.

Let your love for them override the compulsive, unhealthy addictions/behavior. Make yourself healthy by putting in the good and leaving out the bad! Do it today.

Don't procastinate another day.

Do it NOW while it's not too late.

Unfortunately, a day turns into a week, a week into a month, a month into a year...a year into a decade or 2.

Turn the key today - unlock yourself from your unhealthy captivity & LIVE!

Do what it takes, right?

What is it that you want to do? What do you really, really want to do? Then DO WHAT IT TAKES!

I am the 'idea- person'...I get a great idea to do something, then I figure out what it takes to get there...and sometimes, it's a little more than I can take on, and sometimes there's only 1 or 3 steps to making the idea a reality.

Sometimes people don't know where to start with an idea that they have. Or maybe they set a goal, and say, "Now what". Or when asked, 'What are your goals?' - their response is, 'Goals...what's that?'

Wherever you're at, start somewhere. Figure out what your goal is. Is it get out of debt, lose weight, mend a relationship, get on a budget, move up in the company, take on a new opportunity? What is it?

Are you just plain bored in life? Then take on a new opportunity. I have one for ya! :)

Are you 10 lbs. - 100+ lbs. overweight?  Then get a workout program & some help. (I can actually help you with that one too.)

Are you in debt? Swimming in credit card bills? (Read 'Total Money Makeover' by Dave Ramsey. The book is cheaper at http://www.daveramsey.com/. And apply what it says.)

Are you completely unorganized with your time/home? (Sign up at http://www.30daypush.com/ to get going w/ your to-do list.)

Are you depressed? High Anxiety? (Make an appt. with a doc to get some direction, meet me at church on any given Sunday.)

Are you lonely? (Post on FB that you want to start having coffee on Saturday mornings with someone different every week...reach out to those who are in your 'network' - no one thinks people are lonely these days, since we are so 'connected'. However, the internet, while it connects us thru messages & posts...it's disconnected us emotionally & face-to-face. Call a friend today & say, "I want to see you this week - when can we meet?"  JUST REACH OUT!)

Do you want a great marriage & wonderful kids? Read some books (or THE BOOK) on the topic, meet me at church on Sundays, join a 'parenting support group', go to a marriage conference, take your spouse out of the day-to-day hustle of life on a weekend getaway & focus on romance.)

Told you I was the idea person, huh? Whatever it is that you want in life, there is a way to get there. There are resources out there at your fingertips. Heck, just 'google it' - right? Or email me, jennifermorin@beachbodycoach.com.

Whatever it is you want for your life, only you have the power to get it.

Nacho Libre was so profound when he said, "You are the gatekeeper of your own destiny".