Gotta Make Time!

Your first week or so of trying to lose weight, you find the foods that you so easily give into. You realize when you should've stopped eating because you experienced major bloating at the end of the meal. You eat that 2nd serving of ice cream, and then ask yourself, "Why did I eat that?"

What about the time you waste doing things you could otherwise be focusing on things that help you reach your goals...like working out.

Just this week, I had a friend share with me how bored she was and then the thought occurred to her: I could've worked out. For many, you haven't put out the time to work out, and so now those of you on a new mission - you are finding that you have to find the time & make the time for your exercise.

For some it's first thing in the morning...others it's the last thing. For some moms, it's when the last kid is dropped off to school, or the baby is napping. Whatever you have been doing during this opportune time....turn it into YOUR TIME TO WORK OUT!

You've gotta make time & you're worth it!'

- Chalene Johnson

So when is your time to work out? Look at your schedule and find the 30 min. to 1 hr. that you can devote to your health & fitness goals. Set an appointment with yourself & DON'T cancel it for any reason (unless of course you're sick).

You can do it! Schedule your workouts & stick to it!!!!

Happy Monday!!!!

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.

Love seeing pics of myself &

seeing that my hard work is paying off!!!

We did the Fit Test just 3 times, (didn't quite follow the directions.) Had the thought "I just want to get in & get out"...but, I'm guessing I would've pushed myself harder during my workouts & each Fit Test, if I had done them more often. This is why it's important to follow directions, right?

This week marked the end of the Insanity program for Dave & I. Below are my ending results compared to the previous 2 tests.
FIT TEST RESULTS & IMPROVEMENT:

Exercise/Move                         June 25th               July 18th_____Aug. 22nd
Switch Kicks                              80                           88                         94
Power Jacks                               50                           65                         39
Power Knees                             106                         103                       102
Power Jumps                             34                           40                         42
Globe Jumps                              12                           18                         12
Suicide Jumps                           17                           21                         19
Push-Up Jacks                          13 (knees)             20 (feet)               19 (feet)
Low Plank Obliques                 56                           82                         70


(Each move is all done w/in 1 minute. Similar to a drill. Some numbers are better, some the same.)

This program really strengthened my upper body. This is a great regimen if your goals are to:

• Totally condition your entire body
• Increase cardio ability
• Tone your body (especially upper)
• Get your core in shape

                                                                                                                                                                               
One thing that stands out as a difference with my body is my arms. I didn't do any lifting of weights, yet my biceps appear bigger, my shoulders are more defined.

I dropped 8 lbs....but kept off 5. :) My goal was to COMPLETE the program remember? Love the results I got w/ this for sure!!!!!

This week we start our TurboFire week. I really missed it.

It's so important to find a workout that you love,

that way you don't have to work extra hard

to talk yourself into working out!

You just want to!!!

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!!!!

Was I too tough on you this week?

Looking over my last few posts, I was worried that I was too hard on you. In fact, I was asking myself, "what's my problem?" Why am I pounding my readers over the head w/ 'push yourself', 'try harder', 'stop procastinating'?

And yesterday, during a conversation w/ a friend, I realized what it is.

In the last 2 weeks, I have had soooooo many conversations with people about health issues that are all related to: lack of diet & exercise.

Do any of you see or understand that diet & exercise are actually PREVENTITIVE measures you can take to avoid many diseases and conditions. Instead, many go with the 'reactive route' of medicines, procedures, prescriptions, and still deal with the diseases/disorders/conditions/discomfort/early death.

Don't even get me started about how I feel that doctors should be more proactive with patients and get them plugged into a regimen to be healthier, until waiting 'til it's too late to just prescribe a pill, injection, potion, or lotion.

In the last 2 weeks, I've heard of people who have been diagnosed with:

• Borderline diabetes (a person that I've shared health & diet w/ over 2 years)
• Chronic Kidney Disease (a person I've pleaded with to give up sodas (4-6/day) for 7 years)
• Diabetes (a person who needs the shots & medicine, who is reluctant to eat better)
• Kidney Disease (a soda-addict that now goes 3X/wk. for their 'blood to be cleaned'/dialysis)
• COPD (this condition will progress thru stages, to the point of chronic pneumonia/on oxygen - this person is still smoking)
• High Blood Pressure (this person says, "I only have HBP"....for now...and they're not making changes w/ their diet/exercise)
• Liver Disease (this person has been a chronic pill popper, pain med consumer)

All these things are pretty preventable through making healthy choices. Can you see why I get so fired up & passionate?

A couple months ago, a friend of mine asked me how I stay motivated to just keep going w/ my workouts and eating lean. Look at that list above - I DO NOT WANT THOSE THINGS!!!! I want quality of life when I'm in my 50s & 60s. I don't want to spend my days when I'm 'retired' in the docs offices, in line at the pharmacy, plugged into machines to breathe/live, etc.

What can you do today? Stop the crazy soda consumption. Give up smoking. Start walking, jogging, a workout program. Drink more water. Decrease your red meat consumption. Cut back on caffeine. Cut back/give up the alcoholic drinks nightly. Stop stuffing your gut w/ cookies/cakes/ice cream - SUGARS. Give up the pizza dipped in ranch w/ a super wedge! Eat the green stuff, the lean stuff, the healthy stuff - and get moving ASAP!

This is why I share a message of self-control. When we control our appetites & desires for unhealthy foods/drinks, we are setting ourselves up for a better life, one of less disease. Hear my heart - make better choices so that you can have a better life! Please.....

P.S. Get your kids off this junk too - people are getting sicker earlier....and we as parents need to be more responsible w/ what we feed our kids! Help them live longer while they have you.