Goat in Sheep's Clothing

So, you signed up for a Beachbody Challenge Group and man OH man you were excited (but nervous) to get started! You were all in! This was the time that you were really going to make a change and it was going to stick! So here’s what happened. Some of you started out strong, fell apart in the middle and finished strong. Some of you paid for the program and didn’t really start at all. Some of you were freaking rock stars. Some of you did your best given the unexpected life circumstances you got thrown at you. And you know what, there is no right answer here. Because only you know you and only you know your life.

It’s really interesting watching people go through the Challenge Groups from a coaches perspective. I’m glad that I was a Weight Watchers leader before I started Beachbody. Because I experienced firsthand the stopping and starting turmoil that comes with a weight loss program. People came and people went in the Weight Watchers meeting rooms. Some people came back and some people I never saw again. I always wondered what happened to them and did they continue their wellness journeys.

A few months back I was listening to Beachbody’s CEO speak and he talked about the mission of a coach. That as coaches we need to stick with our Challengers to get them to their goal and beyond. That Beachbody is not just about selling products or signing someone up for a challenge, it’s about helping people get healthy, even when they don’t believe in themselves.

As a Beachbody coach, my husband likens me to a shepherd. I really do love my flock and I want them all to be their own definitions of success. And I want to guide them toward their goals. As a person who has tried and failed, and tried and succeeded to lose weight over the last 21 years- sometimes we are sheep and sometimes we are goats.

Have you ever been around a goat? Growing up we had goats. Goats can be so darned cute but so darned stubborn. Goats can be a menace to themselves. They’ll eat anything even if it’s bad for them. They’ll run through an electric fence even though it hurts, heck they’ll gnaw through a barbed wire fence. Our goat Buttonwood, she’d climb on the top of our cars and do a little prance when she got to the top like “heh-heh you can’t stop me.” And we do that sometimes as Challengers. We begin to self-destruct. We experience success and then fear. And that fear sometimes has us running in the opposite direction of our goals. I KNOW this. I have stopped and started “diets” and wellness programs a gazillion times. Every year for Christmas or my birthday I buy a new exercise program or piece of equipment. I’m enamored with it for a while and then it begins to gather dust.

So here’s the real deal. As Beachbody coaches, we can only get you so far. You have to want to get there and to have a vision for where you want to go. The challenge is yours, the choice to change is yours. We can’t make that choice for you. It’s up to you to figure out what you want, to get your mind right and to let us know what you need. And if you’re not sure what you need, tell us that and we can work together to come up with some strategies to help you succeed. Chalene Johnson has a great podcast on motivation. She talks about the fact that motivation doesn’t last forever but habits and discipline do. That is IT right there! Heck my motivation comes and goes depending on my day. But the habits that I’ve created, they will help to get me through the days when I just don’t feel like it. One of my favorite sayings is “when motivation wanes, let perseverance and consistency reign.”

Beachbody has helped me to develop consistent behaviors even when I’m being a goat in sheep’s clothing. And for me, those behaviors are reinforced through Challenge Groups. If a Challenge Group is not for you (I get it, they’re not for everyone) or if you’re burned out, and you’re a sheep that’s lost its way- please reach out to your coach to develop a plan to get you to your goals.

While I can’t speak for your Beachbody coach, I can say that most coaches I’ve met have the best of intentions. But we’re just people, who are also struggling with our own behaviors. Sometimes we’re on it and sometimes we’re not. We have our demons, our insecurities, our good and bad days. It might appear that we have our shit together, but there are times that we don’t. Sometimes we’re shepherds, sometimes we’re sheep and sometimes we’re goats. This is why it’s so important to keep it real and to stay in community with each other.

We fall and we rise together.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

November to Remember

I almost titled this one a November to Forget because as far as months go, I’m glad to move on from this one. Anyone who knows me knows, I’m always working on a plan or driving toward a goal. Perhaps it’s the Type A in me, but I like to believe that I’m mellowing as I age. My husband is reading this and laughing. OK, I’m somewhat intense. I like to be moving purposefully toward something. That doesn’t mean that I’m not grateful for the present, I work very hard to keep my mind present focused.

The month of November was going to be my breakout Beachbody program month. Oh yes it was. Insert the hallelujah chorus here. I had been anticipated the Core De Force workouts since the first sneak peek. Dating back to Tae-Bo (remember that one), I’ve enjoyed kicking and punching my way into fitness and I know it works, especially the core. So I jumped into the Core De Force workouts with vigor and eagerness. I knew, I just KNEW that this program was going to be my jam! And as my heart pumped and my enthusiasm soared, my right knee said- hells no. Sigh. Joy sucker.

I’ve been struggling with a knee injury since last spring, after 2 rounds of physical therapy and rest (only working my upper body and abs) I was feeling good enough to give this new program a try. But my knee doth protest. So I found myself visiting an orthopedist, getting x-rays and an MRI to see what the deal was. After ruling out a torn meniscus, I was treated with a cortisone shot for inflammation and we’re going to regroup in a month.

Now I don’t want to sound like a Whiny McWhinerson here but…whiiiiiiiiiiine! My vision of transforming my body using Core De Force…went to the shitter. (I try not to curse in my posts but sometimes it’s just needed). To add insult to injury, I’m in a Core De Force challenge group seeing how much fun people are having and how hard they’re working and what they get to do and I don’t.  I could be all woes me but I have to say that being in a Beachbody challenge group, being a part of Beachbody in general, it’s what keeps me healthy and focused, especially during the times when I can’t work at full capacity. The other day, one of my fellow coaches posted about just giving 1% more each day. That has really stuck with me. We all have our limits, both emotional and physical. Self-doubt, eating disorders, limiting beliefs, injuries, illness, family constraints, time constraints. But there’s something really incredible, really special that happens when someone believes in you, you begin to believe in yourself. And you start to focus on what you CAN do and forget about what you can’t.

My Beachbody family, they care about and encourage me. Most of these folks I’ve never met in person, but we’ve forged this kinship that comes from struggling and succeeding together. I have to say that the Tara of years ago would have just given up. I would have just given in and fallen back into my all or nothing mentality, well if I can’t workout at full force, then I’m not going to workout at all. And if I can’t workout at all, why freaking bother with my eating? I mean seriously. Those would have been my thoughts.

This new Tara, she knows that it’s more important than ever to focus on my nutrition. To control what I can control. To make the most of my present circumstance. So tomorrow I start ChaLEAN Extreme. I believe that I should be able to do the strength training for the most part with my knee. I’ll do what I can because I can. I’ll do what I can because people believe in me. I’ll do what I can because I believe in myself. I’ll give my 1% more and then some because I can. Because I’m still here, because I woke up today with another shot at this beautiful thing we call life. And I’ll call this a November to Remember because I didn’t give up. Instead of looking at what I can’t do, I am focusing on what I can.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

Living in Color

Tomorrow I begin a new Beachbody Challenge Group, this one is for Core De Force which is an intermediate/advanced program. Six months ago, when I joined my first Beachbody Challenge Group, I muddled my way through modifying the 21 Day Fix workouts just hoping I wasn’t going to die. Now here I am, excited and getting ready to rock Core De Force.  Or am I?

I have been waiting for this program since Beachbody gave the first sneak peek, there’s something awesome about kicking and punching your way to a healthier you. For me those kinds of movements are such a great stress reliever, a total mental distraction combined with a total body workout.

As I do before every new round, I started to get my workout calendar mapped out for the month. Because I’m still nursing a knee injury that doesn’t want to go away, I am planning on alternating Core De Force with a lower impact workout every other day. I know that this is what I need to do to take the best care of myself yet something in the back of my mind shouts “that’s not good enough.” WHAT THE HECK is that all about? Why the negative self-talk? Arggggggh! I thought I was past that crap. But no, that self-doubt creeps in every once in a while and it’s important to be aware of it and to learn how to move beyond it or it will put me in a strangle hold and I will stop moving forward.

As a (recovering) perfectionist, learning how to approach my wellness in a balanced way has been a struggle. When you’re a black and white thinker, it’s all or nothing baby. I’m either doing my very best or my very worst. I’m on top of my game or I suck. Can you relate?

Over the past few years I have worked hard to change this behavior, to stop my black and white thinking and start living in color. I whole-heartedly believe that this is necessary not only for weight loss but for maintenance and is a big part of my being able to maintain my (40+ pound) weight loss since 2012.

My coach Erica loves Tony Horton’s saying “do your best and forget the rest.” Yes, this! Why can’t it just be that simple? Why can’t we be happy with our best efforts, even on the days when they weren’t the best? We showed up. We did the work and that should be enough.

Black and white thinking leads to quitting. When you’re in all or nothing mode, what looks like failure is just real life happening:

• You work a long day and don’t have time for a workout
• You overindulge when you go out to dinner (damned bread basket)
• Your body is so tired you take a rest day
• You eat a whole pile of Halloween candy (hypothetically speaking)
• Your day goes to hell due to a sick family member

When real life things happen your black and white brain registers failure and then you shut down your efforts thinking if I can’t do this right, I just won’t do it at all.

And so, you wait, until that perfect time when all of your planets will align and the heavens will open up and sing the hallelujah chorus and all will be right in your wellness world. It will be amazing!

For reals? Ah, no. Sh%@ happens and we need to develop the mental fortitude to not define those moments as failures. It’s just life. And as long as we’re showing up, working hard and doing the best we can with what we’ve been given, we are living in color.

My fitness level has changed immensely since I started Beachbody in May. It has changed so much that what I am able to do still surprises me. That’s what I will continue to focus on and I will celebrate how far I’ve come. Someday, maybe even in the near future I’ll be able to do Core De Force in full force, until then, I’m still a bada$$. I’m a working Mom doing her best to make more good choices than bad, to be an example to others and to bring people with me along with way.

I am enough and you are too!

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

Pin Your Tail

As a Beachbody Coach and former Weight Watchers leader, one of the most frustrating patterns of behavior that I witness is when people are plugging along on their wellness journey, consistent, persistent, sometimes absolute rock stars and then…they stop. As a Coach it makes me want to scream- “please DO NOT give up, whatever you do, DO NOT stop!!!” As a person who has struggled with her weight for a majority of her life, I get it. That’s where I was in 2008, 2009, 2010, stuck in a vicious cycle of stopping and starting, of believing and doubting, of succeeding and failing. To be honest, I was dilly-dallying (anytime I can work that word into my blog I will). I was half-assing it. Part of my brain shouted  “I so desperately want to lose this weight” while the other part whispered “why try, you’ll fail.” And so the evil little gremlin won out, time and time again. Self-doubt undermined my best efforts and intentions. How? How do we go from being locked and loaded, in the zone, fired up about losing weight to throwing in the towel?

Does anyone remember back in the day how simple children’s birthday parties used to be? Some box mix cupcakes, party hats and games? Is it just me or have children’s parties gotten extremely extravagant with the bouncy houses, rented venues and fancy cakes? Rant over. Anyone remember playing pin the tail on the donkey? The game itself is such a simple concept. You wore a blindfold, someone spun you around a few times and gave you a gentle push in the right direction toward the donkey. You toddled your way forward with the paper donkey tail in hand and did your best to tape the tail in the right place. Then you took off your blindfold and saw where you pinned the tail and most likely had a good laugh at how far off you were.

Is that how your weight loss effort is feeling right now? Are you blindly making your way through your journey, just hoping you’ll get to where you need to go? And sometimes you find yourself so far off it’s laughable and not in the funny, ha-ha kind of way? If so, it’s time to face some facts and take action.  

Take off the blind fold and stop spinning around.

There is a reason why you’re not reaching your goal, why you are stopping and starting your weight loss journey again and again. That reason most likely goes deeper than the surface excuses of being busy or it’s not the right season in my life. That reason is probably deeper than the fear of failure OR the fear of success. But we don’t usually want to go there, to those dark places and truly examine what is holding us back because that self-examination might just bring up past or present hurts and it’s much easier and less painful to keep the blind fold on. I’ve come to learn that for me, the extra weight was a kind of armor I set up for myself, a way to self-protect (or so I thought). Part of the reason I carried around the extra weight in my twenties was because of a deep dark hurt. I was sexually abused when I was younger. I realize now that I used my weight to protect against sexual advances. I hoped that being heavier would mean that men would not be attracted to me. It’s hard to even write these words because I remember that time and how I felt so exposed and how I just wanted to hide from the world and I hid behind my weight. Later in life I did the same thing for different reasons. I am (sometimes painfully) introverted. I know that surprises some of you. Up until a few years ago, I used my extra weight as an excuse to not be social. To retreat into my cocoon of comfort and quiet. I used it as a barrier to not talk to people, to not take risks or to push out of my comfort zone. I’ve worked hard to change many of my behaviors and I’m proud of who I am (and always was) now. But here’s the deal, you have to look hard into that mirror to figure out why you keep getting in your own way.

Find someone who can push you in the right direction when you get off track.

The weight loss journey is not filled with unicorns, sprinkles and rainbows. It can and will be hard. There will also be some amazing moments along the way. Sometimes those amazing moments, like being able to go up the stairs without being out of breath, or running your first mile, or fitting into a pair of jeans, or doing your first push up; some of those moments will carry you forward. And sometimes they are just not enough. That’s why you need to find your tribe. Whether it’s an accountability partner or group. Do not do this alone. Find ways to plug in using social media or in person groups. Trying to lose weight alone can be discouraging and isolating. Connect with people who have similar goals, who will keep it real with you and will help you to reach your goals, even when you want to stop.

Pin Your Tail.

Remember earlier when I talked about toddling forward trying to find your way to pin the tail on the donkey? Stop with the toddling and write down your goals. Mini goals, big hairy audacious goals. You have to know where you want to go to get where you’re going. Defining goals can be scary. Because then (oh crap) you might actually have to achieve them. Do you have goals in front of you to keep you focused and moving forward? Stop being so afraid of not achieving them that you don’t even try. Or like me, you dilly dally and keep spinning in circles because you don’t truly believe in your heart of hearts that you’ll ever get there.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and friendship, 

Tara

Living Life Beyond Your Limits

We all have limits. Some we were born with- physical or mental limits. Some we were born into- poverty, neglect, abuse. And some that we place on ourselves- fear, loneliness, isolation, self-doubt, poor health.

Maybe I’m an optimist but I believe that there’s a way that each and every one of us can choose to live our best life beyond our limitations. Let’s face it, there’s always somebody who has it better and somebody who has is worse than our current circumstances. 

Having a chronic neurological illness has been a test of my mental fortitude because very few people ever see me when I’m hurting, only my closest family and friends. I decided to share this picture because you can actually see what happens in my body when I have a trigeminal neuralgia attack. You can see that the vein above my temple is swollen. When my vein swells it pushes on the trigeminal nerve in my brain and triggers a variety of pain responses from a swollen face, to numbness, to feeling like bees are stinging me over and over again. From pain in my teeth and ear, to blurred vision, to feeling like someone is drilling a nail into my head, to the most severe- the lightning bolts of punishing pain that shoot through my head until I can barely breathe.

People that don’t know my story ask me how I stay motivated to maintain my weight loss (43 pounds if you’re new to my blog) and to take the best care of my health.  As a food lover, addict and emotional eater, it’s not easy. But let me tell you this, I cling to the moments when I feel well. When I feel energized, positive, emotionally present, focused, joyous and grateful to be alive like I do in this pic from Hawaii. Those moments sustain me through the times when I don’t feel so hot.

I choose to live my life with an urgency to be well because I know that there will be days when my wellness is limited by my illness. If I know that my illness will already limit me, why on earth would I choose to put even more limits on myself? Yet almost every day in some way, we do.   

• ·         We don’t believe in our physical aptitude and strength, or our stamina, or our ability to persevere- so we don’t try a new fitness regimen because hey- we’ve failed in the past. Or we get injured or a life event gets in the way and we use it as an excuse to stop and to never restart.

• ·         We don’t think we’re talented or smart enough. So we don’t apply for the promotion, talk to our bosses about our skills and willingness. We don’t go back to school because someone, maybe even years ago, told us that we weren’t that bright.

• ·         We don’t believe that we have self-control and discipline, so we succumb to addictions big and small- overspending, overeating, drugs, alcohol, sex. We bury ourselves so deep that we have no idea how we’re going to get out.

• ·         We don’t understand our worth. Maybe we were raised in an abusive or neglectful household and no-one ever said “I love you” or showed you love in a hurtful way that made you feel like you never wanted to risk your heart again. So we look to other things and people to make us feel valued.

I was watching a speaker who said that fear is not a real emotion. Now as a person who wears a ring that says Faith Over Fear I was like- say what? My fears sure seem real when I’m smack dab in the middle of them. He went on to say that fear is a chosen reaction to our current circumstance. How powerful is that? That we have the power to control our reaction to every single circumstance.

And this is why I work so hard to live my best life beyond my limits, because I know that I can. Because I have the power to. Because the control is in my hands. When I went through counseling a few years ago for a serious life trauma I was going through the counselor reminded me to focus on what I could control. And so that’s what I do, one small step forward at a time, one small change at a time. I forge ahead- some days I’m marching and some days I’m just dragging myself along kicking and screaming, my own worst enemy. I choose hope and I choose faith and I choose possibility.

What do you choose? Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Cold Feet

Have you ever jumped into something and once you committed thought “oh crap, what have I gotten myself into?"At that point you know that you have two options: 1) quit 2) plow through your fear.

That’s where I was last month with Beachbody. Now some of you may be thinking- ah Tara, it’s a little early on to get cold feet (just two months in)- but no, not really. Becoming a Beachbody coach was an even bigger risk than becoming a Weight Watchers leader- why? The big fat “R” word- rejection. In the Weight Watchers meetings, while people would come and go, for the most part I had a captive and engaged audience. Not the case with Beachbody, I have to work for it.  

Perfectionists and people pleasers don’t do well in the land of potential failure and rejection. I have always wanted people to like me, to show me some level of approval. As I mature and as I remember that I’m a child of God and he’s really the only one that I need to be pleasing, the need to be liked has decreased, but it’s still there. It creeps up on me every once in a while.  

I just got off of an incredible three hour Beachbody webinar. One of the things that they talked about is that not everyone is going to support your journey and you have to be OK with that. On the flip side, there will be champions who surface who you didn’t even expect. This was a very important reminder to me. Haters gonna hate, right?!? As long as you love what you’re doing, why should their opinion even matter?

The biggest battle I’m fighting right now is getting over the NO. This one is seriously a character builder. I know that a year from now I’m going to be blown away by how much I’ve grown by being willing to put myself out there. You don’t get if you don’t ask. But the asking, it can be so scary. Maybe that all comes back to me translating a NO into people not liking me. I know that to succeed in running this business I need to get past this. So as I found myself at a crossroads last month, quit and cower or plow through my fear, I chose to plow through. How could I not when I wear the same ring each day that reads-faith over fear?

I am confident that I am exactly where God wants me to me. That he has set me up for this moment. That everything I’ve learnt and every person I’ve come into contact with is spilling over into this opportunity. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so excited about something!

I don’t have to be the shrinking violet. The person who works behind the scenes who’s afraid to speak up. Always the back-up singer, never the lead. That was my choice, nobody put me in those roles but me.  And now it’s my choice to shine. To lead. To follow my calling. To work my ass off. To blow my goals out of the water. Because I can. I control my choices. I control my actions and reactions. I choose to be well. I choose to help others to be well. I chose to plow through, one plodding step at a time. Because dammit, I have never EVER felt better and I want people to have a chance to achieve their goals and to pursue what they once thought impossible.

I’m throwing some socks on these cold feet until they’re nice and toasty. I’m not going to wait to do something until everything is lined up in perfect order. I’m just going to do and I’m going to work. Have you ever looked at a time in your life when you went through tremendous spiritual or personal transformation? And you can pinpoint exactly what you were doing and what transpired to get you to that moment? I know that is what 2016 is going to be for me. What do you want to do and what or who is stopping you?

Go back to school. Look for a new job. Change careers altogether. Pursue a new friendship. Walk away from an unhealthy relationship. Start a wellness plan. Try a new hobby. 

Fear is not a real emotion. It’s something that we create based on our current perception of our reality. Some people may look at a snake and be terrified. Some people love snakes. It’s the same snake. It’s our thoughts that change. It’s our thoughts that need to change for us to move forward. 

For the past two months, I’ve been operating in a steady state of discomfort. I have a little flutter in my belly and I know that flutter leads to growth and change.

Decide. Commit. Succeed. Be all in, don’t be a dabbler. Tomorrow is not promised.

It starts with the decision to change. It continues when you put yourself out there. When you share your commitment and ask others to hold you accountable. Surprise yourself with your success. Knock your own freaking socks off! 

Just Hold On

Last week it was time to say goodbye to my good old laptop. I was filtering through and saving the most important stuff, my pictures, and came across this one. I remember how I really hated taking the pic, but I needed to create a work profile pic so I didn’t really have a choice. It’s amazing how that one pic can jolt me back to how I felt at that time in my life.

I was barely holding on. Only those truly close to me probably knew it and most I’m guessing didn’t. I was completely and utterly lost and defeated. My chronic neurological illness had beaten me down to where I started to lose hope. And I’m a rather hopeful person so it takes a bunch of crap to break me down. Besides being in almost daily physical pain, topped with the lightning bolt pain that comes with my neuralgia, my life wasn’t panning out the way I wanted it to. My job? While I was thankful for it, I was far from doing what I enjoyed but honestly I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do with myself when I grew up. I was struggling big time to lose even a pound of weight. I was disgusted that I had gained almost everything back I had lost on Weight Watchers. And while I kept trying to get the scale to move, it just wouldn’t budge.

Of course I had many blessings in my life. My husband and kids, family and friends, an awesome church family. Our finances were pretty solid. Overall good health (minus the neuralgia part). Yet I was feeling pretty restless and unsatisfied. My kids were in their pinnacle of busyness, multiple sports and activities per kid made our week nights and weekends a blur. I had gotten so caught up in the idea of being Ashlee and Josh’s Mom that I didn’t realize I had lost who I was and what I wanted. I wasn’t even really sure what I wanted, I just knew that there were some great things in store for me, I could just feel it.

I remember sitting in my acupuncturist’s office for my first appointment. I just broke out in a sob because I was so darned exhausted. I said to her “I just can’t do this anymore. I am at the edge of my rope.” At the time I didn’t realize that I was talking about more than my chronic pain. Life wasn’t working for me, but I couldn’t figure out what wasn’t working or really what I wanted.

If you’ve followed my blog at all, or know me well. You know how far I’ve come since that time. I am absolutely incredulous at how the pieces of my life have fallen into place since then to make this new me. This is the part that’s hard to explain, how it feels. It feels peaceful yet energizing. I am at complete peace with the person I am yet driven to keep getting better. I’m not a sports person (by far) but this must be what I feels like when an athlete is in the zone. When all of their training leads to their moment.

What I realize now is that it’s a culmination of everyday moments that lead to these big moments. I could not see it then, but everything (even the super crappy stuff) was breaking me down to build me up into someone stronger. The career path I’ve taken, the friendships I’ve made. Growing my faith through church groups and missions. Learning to focus on my health, being willing to explore holistic treatment options. Writing this blog, writing for Grace & Such. Taking control of my eating and behaviors. Becoming a Weight Watchers leader and now becoming a Beachbody Coach, helping others while learning how to run my own business. 

I’m so ecstatic about this life I’m living that some people might want to smack the enthusiasm right out of me. Maybe you’re one of them- LOL. But if you know me, you know, I’ve worked my ass off to get here. 

I’m writing this because I want this for you. If you’re feeling lost, stuck or at the end of your rope- just hold on. Hold on for dear life dear friend. What you may not realize is that in this tug of war called life, people are pulling for you. Dig in your heels, and pull hard in the direction of your dreams.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Arrivederci Weight Watchers

In the summer of 1996, a year after getting married at my heaviest weight, I walked into my first Weight Watchers meeting. I was 24, exhausted and depressed, a lost soul. I had no idea if the program was going to work for me or if I’d be willing to put in the work. Six months later I was 40 pounds lighter and I not only fell in love with how I felt as a new healthy me, I fell in love with Weight Watchers.

I’ve been a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers since 1997, now that’s some program staying power. As many of you know, I’ve been somewhat of a Weight Watchers evangelist. Those who know me know that there are two things I get really excited about- Jesus and Weight Watchers. Of course over the span of 20 years I wasn’t always able to maintain my weight. That thing called life happened on occasion. In 2011 I went back on the program, got back to my goal weight and have been maintaining ever since.

Since then, I’ve blogged about how Weight Watchers has changed my life and indeed it has, not just physically but emotionally. One of the biggest changes that came with my (more recent) weight loss is my willingness to take risks. Deciding to become a Weight Watchers leader was a HUGE leap for me. I’m an introvert so standing in front of that room could have equaled pure torture- yet instead it led to pure bliss. I found out that I kind of (shhh- don’t tell anyone) like public speaking. More importantly, I LOVE helping people to reach their goals. I love seeing the light come on in their eyes and in their souls when they realize what they can accomplish. When they begin to see what’s possible for them.

When Weight Watchers let me go as a Leader because I couldn’t lead in the winter due to my neurological illness I was devastated. Devastated! I had finally found the thing that makes my heart sing. I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself. I cried about it. I blogged about it. I got good and angry about it. I prayed about it and was met with silence.

If you know me, you know that I’m a little impatient. Because I’m a mover and a shaker (on most days), I expect things to happen. Waiting a year or more for something to happen, well…that’s simply unthinkable. So I started writing down goals on my vision board. I truly believe that you can think something into existence. By speaking your goals out loud, by writing them down, by keeping them in front of you.

Suddenly, I went from feeling stuck to feeling incredulous at what began to unfold in my life. I began to co-lead a weight loss support group at my church. While the group remained small, I met some truly amazing women who continue to have an impact in my life. One of the women who came to my group is my current Beachbody Coach Erica. She came and shared her successes and struggles and also talked about Beachbody. She led a Cize (dance workout) for the group and brought in some Shakeology samples.

While I was curious about Beachbody, I wasn’t overly eager to learn more about it because being a Weight Watcher had been ingrained in me for 20 years and it was working for me. Erica and I kept in touch over Facebook and I watched her continued success on the program. I loved her enthusiasm and energy and what I really started to get intrigued about were the workouts. While Weight Watchers has a solid nutrition plan and they encourage you to be active, they do not offer a fitness component as part of the plan. Since I was already at goal, I really wanted to start to transform my body, changing fat into muscle.

Fast forward several months from when Erica came to my weight loss support group…and all it took was one ask…Erica asked me if I wanted to join a Beachbody challenge group. While I was hesitant (I blogged about my entire 21 Day Fix experience here), I decided to give it a go to get rid of some winter weight gain and to start to tone my body. I was intoxicated by the results. So much so that my addiction to feeling fit and healthy is now overpowering my addiction to food (and I LOVE food). That’s a statement right there folks.

I believe in the program so much that after my first challenge group I decided to become a Coach. Can I tell you what a blessing it is to be able to help people again? It lights my soul up from the inside out. Can I tell you what a God thing this is? That I found a program that I love as much (if not more) than Weight Watchers, that allows me to help myself, to help others, to run my own business, to make a profit and to do it at my own pace and on my own schedule? A-maz-ing! Beachbody is an incredible company that provides ongoing support, motivation, personal and professional development. In the short month that I’ve been a Coach I’ve received more training, development and recognition than I ever did at Weight Watchers (as an employee). And the people---they are passionate, driven and inclusive. It’s like having an instant wellness family.

I’m a firm believer that everything (I mean everything, even the super crummy stuff) happens for a reason and that many times it doesn’t happen at your desired time, but it happens at the right time.

Weight Watchers will always be my first love. Just like when you think back to your first love, you get that nostalgic feeling and maybe breathe a heart-filled sigh, that’s what Weight Watchers will always be to me.

This is why I’m saying arrivederci (until we see each other again) to Weight Watchers. It’s a part of who I am. The behavior changes and the friendships I made during my time as a Weight Watcher will always be with me. I’m just packing them in my suitcase and bringing them along on this new adventure. 

Make the choice. Commit to the choice. Continue with courage. 

Hugs and friendship,

Tara

New Day New Way

Last night we watched Eddie the Eagle. I was enthralled with the main character Eddie- his never quit mentality and his consistently sunshiny outlook. Come to find out that Nate (my hubby) felt this way, direct quote- “I was looking for a sharp object to dag my eyes out.” Well, I guess we had two different takes on the movie.  None-the-less it inspired some wellness related thoughts for this post.

Starting a wellness journey, whether to lose weight, transform your body, or both can seem like a task of Olympic-sized proportions. Especially if say, you’ve been there and done that before, perhaps again and again only to never reach your goal. At some point in that vicious cycle of self defeat, you may decide “why bother” and you settle for a life that’s “good enough” because it takes too much out of you to consider trying again.

I get that. I’ve been there. Several times. But I’m so glad that for some reason this time around I decided to see it through and I think that one of the biggest reasons why I was successful was a change in my mindset.  

Mindset is more important than skill set.

Eddie, who decided he was going to be an Olympic ski jumper, had no training or skills to be a ski jumper. Yet he got in his mind that he was GOING to be a ski jumper and that nothing was going to get in his way. He may not have had the skills but he had the right frame of mind. Skills can be taught, a positive mindset comes from within. When you decide to have a positive frame of mind, you start to take control of your choices. You become the victor not the victim. Every day you wake up you can make the choice to be well. Will there be obstacles? Yes. Will there be crappy a$$ days? Hell yes. Getting healthy is hard work and it comes from consistently and persistently making one small choice that leads to one small action that leads to one small choice that leads to one small action that eventually, EVENTUALLY can lead to your Olympic-sized change.

Glory comes from seeing that the everyday moments are actually the big moments in the making.

At one point in the story Eddie’s coach tells him that he’s settling. That in choosing to do the 70m jump in the moment rather than training longer and working harder toward the 90m jump, he’s selling himself short. This one I agree and disagree with. Of course you’re going to shoot for that big moment- whatever that moment is for you. Getting to your goal weight. Running a half marathon. Being a certain size again (or for the first time). Doing a triathlon. Whatever it is, you know that it’s within your reach AND it’s going to take a lot of sweat and tears (and perhaps good cry here and there) to reach it. It’s important to keep our eyes on that big moment so we stay focused, but we don’t want to miss out on the everyday moments that are getting us there.

Preparing a healthy meal. Exercising when we don’t feel like it. Trying a new food. Starting fresh when we screw up. Increasing the weights or reps during a workout. Noticing that our clothes fit looser than they did before. Baking food instead of frying it. Cooking something at home instead of eating out. Passing on the bread bowl while eating out. Drinking water instead of soda. Having a single scoop ice cream cone instead of a double. Swapping out white bread for whole grain bread. THESE are the moments, that require determination, that require resourcefulness. These MOMENTS lead to the big moments. Don’t forget to celebrate these small wins.  

Your past does not determine your present.

Eddie was surrounded by naysayers, but that did not stop him. Eddie knew that doing his best was his only option and that’s how he approached each day. He decided to prove people wrong. He decided to prove himself wrong. *movie spoiler alert* That state of mind is what got him to the Olympics.

Just because you’ve always been overweight doesn’t mean you always have to be. Just because you always stress eat doesn’t mean you have to be a stress eater. Just because you always try and fail on a “diet” doesn’t mean you have to fail this time. Eddie said these words out loud “I am a ski jumper” before he even was one and then he did what it took to make it happen.

What would happen if you started saying things like “I am fit” or “I make good choices” or “I am an athlete” or “I am strong” or “I am healthy”?

A new day can equal a new way, if you so choose.  Face your fears head on and give it a go. Sometimes you just have to take that first jump.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Movement as Medicine

This week Beachbody’s CEO Carl Daikeler shared a link about the medicinal benefits of exercise and I’m so glad he did. When you have a moment, give it a look by clicking here.

Last night there was a woman on American Ninja Warrior that uses movement to mitigate her Parkinson’s symptoms. The piece gave me mixed feelings, I was sad that this young, vibrant Mom has Parkinson’s and I was glad that the show featured her story and that she’s found some alternate relief. While of course prescription medicines are necessary to control many diseases, exercise is an often overlooked way to lessen/control certain symptoms.

I know for a fact that exercise has played a key role in lessening/controlling my chronic pain caused by trigeminal neuralgia. And now, the proof is in the numbers.  When I did the 21 Day Fix, moving my body for 21 days straight, I took no prescription medicine. Of course an illness as complicated as mine has many triggers and considerations but here’s the real deal- the more I move my body the better I feel. The more I move my body the less pain I have. I’ve been using exercise as medicine since 2011- along with prayer, meditation and eating right. Could this be the magic pill that many are searching for? Maybe. The magic is in the hard work, consistent good choices, behavior changes and cultivating a positive attitude of gratitude.

If you’re about to stop reading stick with me here…I was the girl who used to eat cake while watching the Biggest Loser. Stuffing the delicious bites in my mouth while cheering the contestants on “you go girl, go you!” I was the girl whose idea of activity was having to get up for another snack from my horizontal position on the couch. I was the girl who got winded on her own stairs at home and who always took the elevator at work. The one who always looked for the closet parking spot at the store. I was the girl who was terrified to go to the YMCA because someone might stare at me. The one who went through the drive through. I was the girl who had that Eeyore attitude about exercise “why bother?”

So what changed? After the worst year of my life due to my illness I was given a second chance. I went from being bedridden with pain to being able to move my body. What a gift! So I decided that I needed to start moving. I started with walking. It’s nice and simple and it’s free. Just lace up your sneaks and go. At the time I was 40 pounds heavier and so darned tired all of the time. But I set small visual goals for myself. First I’ll walk to that stop sign and turn around. Next I’ll walk to that street sign and turn around. And before I knew it I was walking 4 miles at a nice clip.

For me this process has been about slow and steady progressions. Start with 5 minutes on the elliptical and build from there. Start with 1 pound weights and increase your reps, then increase the weight amount. It’s also been about erasing my all or nothing attitude. I used to feel like if I couldn’t get an hour of activity in, why even start. But let’s look at it this way, 10 minutes of activity is better than no activity right? The article recommended 150 minutes of activity a week- that’s about 21 minutes a day.

Aren’t you worth 21 minutes a day? Isn’t your long term health worth 21 minutes a day? How about prolonging your time on this awesome earth with your family and friends? If you don’t invest in you, who is going to?

Start today, start small and build from there. You'll get stronger every day that you put in the work. 

A year from today when you look back on your journey you’ll be amazed at how far you’ve come.

What are you still sitting around for? Get up and get moving! You’ll feel so great when you're done, the hardest part is just getting started.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Living with Intention

What if you woke up this morning and decided to take control of your choices? What would happen if you set the intention of your day to be well? What would your day look like? What would you need to do to make it a reality?

For years I was stuck in a self-imposed rut. I had many MANY excuses and blamed many MANY people and circumstances, but looking back it was all on me. There were years (and I mean years) that I could not get the scale to budge. I was even going to a weekly Weight Watchers meeting at the time with a friend. The scale would go down, and then back up, then down a bit and then back up. And I just could not figure it out!!!  For a while there I blamed a bunch of things…hormones…certain medications (not that these can’t be valid at times)…slow metabolism…my busy schedule…my family history of obesity……I got mad at a lot of things, including myself for being such a gosh-darned failure.

Yet it was really none of those things. It was my victim mentality, my piss poor attitude and my woes me state of mind that was getting in the way. When I look back, I really wasn’t working on my wellness, I was half-a$$ing it. You know what I mean if you’ve been there. I’d get good and angry that the scale wasn’t moving but truth be told, I was only eating well some of the time and I definitely wasn’t exercising as much as I should have. Yet I’d shake an angry fist at the scale and be in such an emotional funk when I did have a gain that I’d just quit- and that my friends was a vicious cycle.

I was convinced at that time in my 30’s that I was having some hormonal or metabolic issues because my tummy was bloated and I just couldn’t get the scale to move. This conviction was also false. Not that there aren’t people with real medical issues but my issue was the food I was putting in my body. Now that I’m making good food choices, my digestion is on point and no more belly bloat.

Another excuse I had was my busy schedule. Pardon the rant here, but busyness is one of the biggest excuses I hear from people who want to be well and don’t make the time to do so. Granted I was a young Mom of two young kids in multiple activities. I worked full time, had a commute, and volunteered. But once again, if I was really truly seriously about being well, I could have carved out some time for me. Busyness was another excuse in my arsenal that I used to stay angry at myself and to remain unproductive. I know people that work full time, have families, responsibilities, go to school at night and they still make time to be well. This busyness thing, it’s an epidemic; I could write pages about it, pages!  When my husband and I went through Financial Peace University, they taught us that being financially responsible is about the choices you make (they call it telling your money where to go). Being well is also about the choices we make. It’s a conscious choice that we have to make daily, over and over again. This means having to say NO to some things and people and YES to other things and people to make ourselves a priority.

Side rant here…if you’re a parent and you’re reading this…think about being a role model for your kids, no matter how young or old they are. Self-care is not selfish. It shows our kids that we value who we are and that they should do the same. When we make excuses that get in the way of our wellness, it’s almost like we’re saying “I’m not important/valuable enough to invest in myself”. Rant over (for now).

“Optimizing yourself tends to enhance those around you. People are contagious.” Dr. Daniel Amen

Lastly, I used my family history as an excuse. I have obesity on both sides of my family. I was an overweight child and that meant I was bound to be an overweight adult, right? Wrong! What this does mean is that I need to work harder than folks who are not prone to being overweight. This was a really lame-o excuse. It was me giving the power to my family and family history instead of taking control. I control my choices. Sure, we all have certain friends and family who make it harder for us to pursue wellness. They might cook in unhealthy ways, be food pushers, skinny-shamers, you name it. We may live in environments that make it harder to be healthy. But ultimately it is we who control our actions and choices, every single day.

Today I encourage you to think about the thoughts that you think and evaluate your belief system. Write them down. Take a good, hard, honest look. What is getting in the way of you taking that first step to be well? What actions do you need to take to start moving forward?

Start every day with the intention to be well. Make choices that support that intention.  

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

21 Day Fix- Week 3- Hurdles

I started out week 3 with a laser focus and a mantra of finish strong. I knew going into week 3 that I had an over-programmed personal schedule so I’d have to take extra care to plan ahead for success. What I didn’t plan on however was a knee injury.

Half way through week 3 I tweaked my knee at (of all places) my yoga class; the kind of tweak that wakes you up in the middle of the night with pain. Geez-oh-man was I discouraged. How on earth was I going to finish strong if I couldn’t keep my body moving? Yet I needed to focus on my life beyond the 21 days which meant listening to my body. The day after my injury I rested my knee and alternated ice and Motrin. The next day I decided that my upper body wasn’t broken so I did Upper Body fix and Abs. The next day I went on a slow walk, (very, very slow) to see how my knee felt.  It was tender. I knew I had to take it easy even if that meant I didn’t have the kind of finish to the 21 days that I’d hoped for.

Instead of focusing on the negative, I focused on what I could control, my eating. I knew it was important to keep my eating on track. On this particular week that was extra challenging because at work it was fiscal month/quarter end which means longer, more stressful days. On Friday 5/27 the last day of closing out the month, I experienced a non-scale victory. Usually month end drives me to Dunkin Donuts for a little stress eating, but this time I had my Shakeology. It felt amazing to stay in control of my choices. So amazing!

My knee continued to gimp along so I did what I could in the workouts modifying anything that might hurt my knee. That’s one (of the many) things I love about this program. You can modify it to your fitness level. I must admit I had stereotyped all Beachbody participants into lunks (like on the Planet Fitness lunk alarm commercial). What I learned being a part of this challenge group is that people who are working the Beachbody programs are just people who want to be the best versions of themselves. Sure, there are people who are in incredible shape, who have true beach bodies, and they worked hard to get there. There are people who are working towards weight loss goals, fitness goals, and personal bests. The challenge group helped me to stay focused, motivated and to learn new things. I loved being surrounded and supported by people who are focused on being well just like me.

 

All in all, I lost 3 pounds on the 21 day fix (you may lose anywhere from 4-7 pounds) and I gained:

• Energy
• Focus
• Better sleep/waking up before my alarm clock
• Less hunger/carb cravings
• Control of my eating
• Muscle definition
• The shorts I bought for vacation in March are now too big

What I also gained is confidence in myself and Beachbody, which is why I’m proud to announce that I am now a Beachbody coach!!!

Life is going to put hurdles in front of you that take on many shapes and forms; some less serious and some very serious.

“If you’re tired of starting over, stop quitting.” – Autumn Calabrese

Do what you need to do to keep going, whether you step over the hurdle or just barely crawl under it. Do what you need to do to be the best you.

While my 21 days has ended, my transformation has just begun.

Won’t you join me on this journey?

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

21 Day Fix- Week 2- Breathing Room

I must admit that I’m loving this program more than I anticipated. The workouts are perfect for today’s busy lifestyle- 30 minutes, work hard, get in get out, done! This week I logged in 340 minutes of activity and while some of my muscles are screaming (they’re downright hatin’ on me), I feel fantastic! I have to take a moment to share a non-scale victory. Last year I went to a personal trainer for 5 months. Part of the fitness test was a men's push up. I couldn’t do one. So I set a goal to build up my arm strength to do just ONE push up with the premise of starting somewhere- just start with one small goal and build on it. I put the word ONE on my vision board. By the end of week 2 of this program, I did 8 push ups during Upper Body fix (then I dropped back to my knees). Eight!!! Now some of you reading this might be thinking “pffft, big deal” but to me, it’s a BIG deal. My upper body is my weakest link. I still can’t believe I actually did it and look forward to slowly (after I can feel my arms again) increasing my reps.

Now, on to the Shakeology. As I mentioned in my last post, I was so against the shakes that I asked my coach if I could still take part in the program but forgo the shakes. Well, I guess I ate (or should I say drank) my words. Never did I ever think I’d look forward to a protein shake- blech and double blech! However I get downright giddy about my chocolate banana peanut butter shake. Not only is it loaded with super nutrients, it’s loaded with yum! Plus the shakes have seriously worked to curb my sugar craving. I love the flexibility of using them as a meal or a snack. I’ve been using them to help with 2 of my challenge areas- nighttime snacking and pre-lunch hunger attacks. I’ll either have one as my evening snack or my mid-morning snack. Another fav is vanilla pineapple banana mango- so good!

I finished week 2 feeling stronger, more focused, more energized and empowered by my positive choices. Even better I didn’t let the scale dictate my behavior. I had a phenomenal weight loss my first week and at the end of week 2, the scale didn’t budge. But I’ve been at this wellness thing for so long I know it’s not about days, it’s about weeks, months, years. It’s about the long term plan. I also know that I’ve been doing more strength training than ever. My body is changing; I’m starting to see definition, specifically in my shoulders, abs (the tiniest hint of a six pack- LOL) and quads. My clothes are fitting better. So this week I decided to give the scale (and myself) some breathing room. Patience is an important part of any long term wellness journey and it’s something I work on as I’m super impatient. It’s a character builder, that’s for sure.

I can say with confidence that I rocked the program this week, I was consistent and persistent and I know it will pay off. Living well is about progress not perfection. I know that I’m making progress and that progress goes beyond the scale.

I can’t wait to start week 3! Click here to learn how it went.

Let’s do this!

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

21 Day Fix- Week 1- Oh Snap!

Oh snap! What have I gotten myself into?

For a perfectionist, starting something (anything) new is terrifying. In my mind, failure is not an option (although I’ve failed on plenty of adventures in my lifetime).

After I said yes to the program, I anxiously awaited my supplies. Keyword- anxious. This program seemed to be super hard core, what if I couldn’t do it? What if I spent the money and didn’t see any results? I was so anxious that I had a panic moment, I thought the group challenge had started and I didn’t have my supplies yet. Alas, the group had started their prep week, buying healthy groceries, reading through materials and so forth. Phew!

When my supplies arrived, I went from saying "oh snap" to an overwhelming feeling of dread. I was totally, unquestionably, overwhelmed.  Yet we all have to start somewhere...so that is what I did.

I started by reviewing the eating plan. Much to my delight, it is very similar to the Weight Watchers food guidelines. It directs you to veggies, fruits, proteins, (healthy) carbs, (healthy) fats, seeds and dressings. It provides information about oil and nut butters, beverage substitutions, (healthy) treats and goes over free foods and supplements.   

Where this program is really on point is the portion control. It provides color coded containers along with a formula for how many containers of each color you should eat based on your starting weight. This is clutch. It’s something my (former) Weight Watchers members struggled with, how much of each food group to eat.

My husband and I planned out our dinners for the week based on the program. I stocked up on plan friendly foods and what I really like is the direction toward the whole food (what some call green or clean eating). I needed this redirection. I had gotten off track, eating “high fiber” bars or snacks, most of which I couldn’t read all of the ingredients, as well as processed meals such as Lean Cuisines. I’m not knocking these when in a pinch, but it felt great knowing I was putting good fuel in my body.

Next I mapped out my exercise plan against all of my personal activities for the week. I knew there were nights when I wouldn’t be home. On those nights I had to prioritize my exercise earlier in the day. But no exerscuses! There is no reason why I can’t find 30 minutes in my day to take care of me.

After doing the first workout, Cardio Fix, and surrendering to the surrender move- I thought to myself, holy mother of #$$@@%! My husband asked me how it went and I answered “well, I didn’t die”- ha! I modified and I was very glad they had a gal in the front of the video showing the modifications. After having 2 stress fractures in the same foot in 2014/2015, I am being very careful with my exercise. I modified the entire first week and when I couldn’t do a video because my body was too sore, I listened to it and walked outside instead.

I’m proud to say I’ve completed my first week of the 21 Day Fix and I could not be happier with how I feel.

Click here to read about my 2^nd week. I was super skeptical about the Shakeology and boy was I surprised.

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

What the ?!?

My (23 year old) daughter came home from work last week, glimpsed at the kitchen table and said “what the ?!? You’re *said in an accusatory tone* doing Beachbody?”  I went on to ask her what the big deal was, what she knew about Beachbody, and so forth. She replied “it goes against everything you stand for with Weight Watchers. Moderation. Not killing yourself with workouts. A program that is maintainable.”  And I thought to myself… very interesting, she’s actually been listening to me all of these years…

Over the past few years, several people have asked me to try a Beachbody program or to be a Beachbody coach. While I was curious, my initial response was the same as my daughter’s. Even the title of the program went against my grain “21 Day Fix”. You can’t fix a lifetime of behaviors or get to the root cause of the reasons a person is overweight in 21 days. I hate (and I don’t use that word often) quick fixes, fad diets, cleanses- empty and unrealistic marketing promises. My daughter was right; I have been a Weight Watchers lifetime member since 1997, losing and maintaining 40+ pounds twice. I’m currently maintaining my goal weight that I reached in 2012. I’m healthy, (mostly) happy with my physique and more importantly I’ve changed many, many behaviors. Small, slow, maintainable changes for life. So why even give Beachbody a second thought?

Last fall I met a Beachbody coach who really impressed me. She wasn’t the stereotypical Beachbody coach I had conjured up- an over the top fitness and health freak. She was a real hard working mama, balancing what we all do- work, home, family, other commitments and health- in no particular order. I admired her positive outlook and work ethic and month by month I watched her transform her mind and body.  It’s been amazing to watch her progress.

As my fellow Weight Watchers and friends know, I’ve been rather lost since I parted ways from being a Weight Watchers leader- after all, the program has been a HUGE part of how I’ve lived my life for 20 years. It’s worked for me; I love the practicality and adaptability of the program- it’s made for real life. I miss helping others reach their wellness goals, but what’s a girl to do?

I’ve been working hard to maintain. When you’ve struggled with being overweight since childhood, it’s an everyday battle requiring, patience, planning, persistence & consistence. I’ve stayed focused on living well, knowing it’s about more than the scale. Since I’m already at my goal, I’ve been working over the past year to transform my body. This has meant trying new things. In 2015 I took part in personal training sessions and learnt so much about how to human body works. So far in 2016, I’ve tried TRX and yoga. My mantra since 2010 has been to choose faith over fear. Staying true to my mantra, I agreed to give the 21 Day Fix a try *gasp*.

I was skeptical on many levels, about the intensity of the nutrition and workouts and especially about the protein shakes (I’m still scarred by my Slim Fast stint in the 80’s). Yet the timing was right. Coming off of a winter of being stuck inside due to my neuralgia, I was up a few pounds and not feeling as good as I wanted to. Instead of looking at the 21 Day Fix as a radical, impractical program, I decided to view it as a jump start to get back into my wellness routine. I signed up to be a part of a challenge group that started on May 9^th.

Of course I made the choice to blog about my journey and to keep it real.  Always keeping it real. I’m excited to share this journey with you, be it an epic failure or an epic success, we can learn from them both.

Click here to read about my 1^st week.  J

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Late Bloomer

This week I declared to my husband that I want to be in the best shape of my life for our upcoming trip to Hawaii in September. As you can imagine, he didn’t argue. We’ve been married for 21 years and one of the many things I love about my husband is not only that he goes along with, but supports my many whims.

Yet I feel I need to put a disclaimer out there because I’m not about to aim for the body I had when I was 18 (pre-children and gravity). I mean to be in the best physical shape of the mature body I currently have.

Now that my disclaimer is out of the way you might ask, why now? And I will ask, why not?

When I started to list the reasons why I can be and want to be in the best shape of my life, they made sense:

• I have the time. With one young and adult and one almost adult child, I have more time now to focus on me. They’re out and about spreading their wings, I should be too.
• I have the ability. I am healthy! I won’t get into my trigeminal neuralgia that's a whole other story…but overall, I am blessed with the gift of good health. Why not do more to take care of and ensure my longevity?
• I have the drive. Forgive me here a moment as I tell you that I like to exercise. I can feel your angry eyes on me and sense your huffy sighs. I love knowing that when I move my body I’m doing great things for my body, mind and soul.
• I have the knowledge. We live in an information driven society.  From Facebook, YouTube and  the World Wide Web to people I know who are in the wellness industry, my options are endless.

It’s amazing the people I meet who want to take better care of themselves, who have all of the above, who get stuck. And no, I’m not one to judge since I spent many of my adult years overweight. I think that it’s human nature to focus on the reasons why we can’t do something rather than the reasons why we can.

This week I encourage you to focus on what you can do to get well. Make a list, you’ll be surprised at what you’re capable of.

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of the noise in my own mind. Of the negative thoughts and self- doubts that clang about so loudly that they drown out my own possibility. It’s nonsense!

Every day we wake up and draw another breath is a day loaded with possibility!

I’m 44 years old and it’s my time to bloom. How about you?

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara

Rut Busters

Over the past few weeks several people have asked me what they can do to break through their weight loss plateaus- so guys and gals- this one’s for you.

The only thing more frustrating than a gain during the weight loss process is the scale being stuck at the same number week after week. I’ve experienced plateaus for weeks, even months and it is maddening! As a former Weight Watchers leader I saw members quit when the scale stopped moving in the right direction. It was the WORST to see people make such progress only to give up, and I totally get it.

Here are a few ways to bust through your rut when the going gets tough.

1- Read the labels. This may seem obvious…however…take a moment to look at more than the fat and calories in the foods you are eating. Food manufacturers are sneaky; they add sugar to low fat and non- fat products to make them taste better. Look for foods that are lower in sugar and higher in fiber. Look at the ingredients, if you can’t read or pronounce them, consider an alternative. The less processed the better. My daughter brought home some veggie chips the other day. They had just as much fat and calories as regular chips and had no added nutritional value, don’t be tricked by business.

2- Patrol your portions. Speaking of labels, are you paying attention to the recommended portion size? When was the last time you weighed or measured your food or beverage? I know, I know- weighing and measuring can be a drag- you don’t have to do it all the time but it’s good to check in every once in a while to see how you measure up (pun intended).  Sometimes those one cup portions slip to one and ½ cups. Those innocent little slips can add up throughout the day and you don’t even know you’re self-sabotaging. If you’re not weighing and measuring your portions, take a week to do so and be honest about how you’re doing.

3- Take a look at your liquid intake. For years I was a Coke drinker, a total waste of calories (but tasted so bubbly and refreshing-aaaah). I weaned myself off of the Coke to water; it took me almost a year. I’m glad I skipped over the diet soda routine. There’s a lot of research showing that the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks can trigger the same sugar craving in the brain that real sugar triggers. Do yourself a favor and ditch the diet drinks. If I can rehab my coke (a-cola) habit, you can too. How’s your water intake? Water’s not only good for our bodies; it’s a great filler too. I drink a bottle of water before social events so I don’t show up ravenous (I eat a healthy snack too). In the evenings if I’m still hungry I’ll drink a bottle of water first. Often I find I’m not hungry, I’m just bored, thirsty, stressed <fill in your blank here>.

4- Shake up your fitness routine. When is the last time you changed up your routine? A while back my husband and I realized we were doing the same 3 mile per hour walk in the evenings. Our bodies became accustomed to that activity.  We made a few changes to shake things up. When we walked the YMCA track, we did the stairs after a few laps. When we walked in the neighborhood, we did curb step ups. Walk for a little while and then turn and face the curb, step up and down for a minute and then continue walking. Sure, your neighbor might think you’re a lunatic, but it’s getting your heart rate up. Some people are reluctant to introduce strength training into their routines because it doesn’t burn as many calories as cardio. However, muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, so pick up a pair of weights and give it a go. Maybe start out by doing some basic strength training during TV commercials? Think about a new activity you can try this week and make sure it’s something you enjoy; you’ll be more inclined to stick with it.  

5- If you bite it, write it. If you drink it, ink it. I must give credit to a former Weight Watchers leader Ann Marie for that clever saying. How many times have you gotten to the end of the day and truly cannot remember what you ate or drank? It happens to me often. My mind is whirling with so many thoughts and “to do’s” I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast. Writing down what we eat and drink, either in paper form or an electronic tracker serves a few purposes. It forces us to take a hard look at what we’re consuming and provides insights into why we did or why we did not lose weight that week. It helps reinforce the good food choices we make while hopefully helping us to think twice about the less than wise choices. Please don’t use time as an excuse to tracking what you’re consuming; it only takes a few minutes a day. I really like to pre-track my entire day in the morning or the night before. When I pre-track I’m more inclined to stay on track and be intentional about my choices.

6- What’s your why? The weight loss journey is long and hard. Like baby fit hard. Like I’m so tired and frustrated I want to throw myself on the floor and have myself a little baby fit hard. Right? It’s important to re-evaluate when we are stuck. What is your why? Why did you start your weight loss journey to begin with? Has your goal changed? Is it even important to you anymore? Why? Does it need to be modified based on your current life circumstance? What will it look and feel like to reach your goal?

Wherever you are in your weight loss journey, I am begging you- DO NOT QUIT!!! You might be stuck but you are one step ahead of the person who quit.

You’ve got this! You are all that and a bag of veggies! This is your story to finish and the ending is going to be amazing!

Commit to the choice. Ask for help. Continue with courage.  

Hugs and Friendship,

Tara