Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Caution: Bumpy Road Ahead



When you go on a vacation, it is inevitable that if you are driving, you are going to run into problems. In fact, no one gets into their vehicle thinking, "I am going to have perfect travels, and I'm certainly not going to hit a single pothole on the way there."


And yet, when it comes to weight loss, a very common line of thinking is: This is going to be easy. Because I'm determined. And I'm going to make it happen. And there is absolutely no way I am going to do anything stupid because I'm committed this time. I know I failed the other times, but I just wasn't as focused as I am now. Everything will be perfect, and I won't accept things any other way.


It is this line of thinking that destroys our success more quickly than anything else. A goal of perfection is quickly and easily broken. And once that sense of discouragement sets in, it's almost impossible to gain momentum again.


When setting goals, it's great to set high goals, BIG goals, and plan to work hard to achieve those goals. However, it would be foolish to not plan for the bumpy road that is ahead of us. When planning and beginning a weight loss journey, it's important to plan for the failures; because the failures are going to happen. I'm not talking about overall failure - I'm talking about when you cave and have 2 slices of cake instead of one. Or you feel lazy and decide that you just aren't feeling the workout today, so you lounge on the sofa instead. Or you stay up very late, and competely destroy your sleep schedule you've been working so hard to establish.


If you plan for those failures, and any other minor bumps in the road that you may encounter, you can simply go on a detour rather than getting entirely lost and derailing the entire journey. Take a moment to sit down and make out a mental list of all the things that have interfered with previous attempts, or that you know may interfere with this attempt. And come up with a set of logical solutions (eg. If I eat an extra slice of cake, I will do an extra set of cardio to offset those additional calories).


Don't let the potholes and roadblocks on your journey cause you to get lost and have to turn back. Plan for them, and set up detours so you are prepared to continue on course.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Exposed

Some people who haven't necessarily been there wonder if it really happens...Do people REALLY judge others because of their weight? I mean, really? I'm here to tell you, it happens.

Sometimes it's blatant: a comment is made by someone you thought would NEVER make a comment like that, or a name being called under someone's breath out of anger. Sometimes it's not so obvious: a glance into your shopping cart at the grocery store, or a surprised comment about how healthy and thin your children are, or a second glance when you walk to the pool in your swimsuit.

Judgment happens, and it happens daily. And it's ugly. However, something else happens daily - and it's beautiful; because for every person who is judgmental, there are three who are not. They always seem to see past the weight and see the person who lives inside.

Being overweight is hard. It's hard to look in the mirror and be discouraged. It's hard to be judged before I'm known. It's hard going places and not knowing if I will be comfortable in a booth or seat. It's hard clothes or shoes shopping and realizing that things aren't going to look exactly the way I want them to on my body.

But in a way, being overweight has been a blessing. I have found friends and a husband who love me for who I am, not how I look. I have learned the basics of humanitarianism, compassion, and empathy through my positive and negative experiences. And I have found support and inspiration in places I never would have otherwise.

It is my goal to lose weight. It is my goal to set myself free from the chains of judgment. It is my goal to no longer be in a position that people have reason to judge me and to no longer have the difficulties that come along with being this size. It is my goal to inspire others to take this journey with me. It is my goal to make people who haven't been in these shoes realize how difficult it is to walk in them. It is my goal to find the beauty within myself that others see, and encourage everyone who has ever felt the way I have felt to find the beauty within themselves as well.

This journey is about so much more than a goal weight. It's a journey of self discovery. It's a journey to inspire others. It's a journey to show others how difficult being overweight is. And most importantly, it's a journey to show that it absolutely can be done.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Cost of Shakeology

A fellow Coach Posted this and I thought I'd share...

The TRUE value of Shakeology (in dollars)By Larry Armstead II

I hear so often that Shakeology is too expensive to try and that, for much cheaper, one could make their own just-as-effective Shakeology blend. So, I put that to the test. I went to a few of my favorite vitamin sites and looked up retail prices on what one would have to spend. I even did a little extra digging and went around to find coupon codes to get discounts and deals on what I found.

I came as close to duplicating Shakeology as I could. There are still a few ingredients missing that are in Shakeology that are not found in anything I list below.

To make your own home-made Shakeology, you'd need...

Multivitamin: MegaFood DailyFoods One Daily
Serving Size: One pill.
Meal Replacement? No.
Free Gifts? No.
Retail: $94.95
With Coupon/Coupon Code/Preferred Customer Discount: $48.66
Sales Tax (with Discount): $52.06

Fruits & Vegetables Blend: NSI 42 Fruits & Vegetables
Serving Size: Two pills
Meal Replacement? No.
Free Gifts? No.
Retail: $30.95
With Coupon/Coupon Code/Preferred Customer Discount: $14.99
Sales Tax (with Discount): $16.04

Probiotics: NSI Probiotic Vegetarian Capsules
Serving Size: Two pills
Meal Replacement? No.
Free Gifts? No.
Retail: $69.99
With Coupon/Coupon Code/Preferred Customer Discount: $27.77
Sales Tax (with Discount): $29.72

Protein: Optimum Nutrition 100% Gold Standard Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
Serving Size: Two pills
Meal Replacement? No.
Free Gifts? No.
Retail: $74.99
With Coupon/Coupon Code/Preferred Customer Discount: $41.12
Sales Tax (with Discount): $44.00

Retail Order Total: $270.88
Discounted Total: $141.82
Discounted Total with Shipping: $146.81
Daily Pill Amount: 5
Autoship Available? Yes
Autoship with Free Shipping? No

Point: save yourself the pill counting, the multiple orders, missed ingredients, and get all of those things plus more as well as the meal replacement benefit all in one simple daily glass of Shakeology for...

Product: Shakeology
Serving Size: One scoop
Meal Replacement? Yes
Free Gifts? Yes--Shaker Cup & 2 Workout DVDs
Retail: $119.95
With Club Membership: $107.96
With Coach Discount: $89.97
Autoship Available? Yes
Autoship with Free Shipping? Yes

Sales Tax & Shipping...
Retail: $136.15
Retail with Free Shipping: $128.95
Club Membership: $123.25
Club Membership witth Free Shipping: $116.05
Coach Discount: $103.96
Coach Discount with Free Shipping: $96.76
Plus, a chance to win up to $5,000 just for trying the product! (ends March 31st)

If you are interested in Shakeology check out:www.beachbodycoach.com/zestyguru or www.shakeology.com/zestyguru

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Sedentary


Sedentary: a habitual lack of phyisical activity


Sedentary is one of those words. You know; the ones that are used to describe yourself, that when they're first uttered, you think, "Me? No. I'm not THAT. It's not THAT bad..." Words like obese. And unhealthy. And yet, if I'm being honest with myself, and it's about time I that I be, sedentary is precisely what I am.
Exactly how sedentary? Well, though I'm not necessarily sitting on my sofa all day, I'm definitely not getting any kind of formal exercise, and most days I'm not getting a very large amount of informal exercise either. I clean my house on a regular basis. And while that definitely qualifies as activity, certainly has a way of burning a few calories and putting a little sweat on my brow, that's not exactly going to get me to my goal on it's own.
That's about to change. In addition to beginning my P90X training, I am going to start working toward spending less time sedentary and more time active. I'm going to play more and sit out less. I'm going to dance. I'm going to live this life, not just watch it. And I'm going to start looking forward to the things that my hard work and new lifestyle are going to bring with it.
I'm looking forward to marking things off my list that I don't like to hear or think about myself. I'm looking forward to the day that I can say I haven't been sedentary for a day, then a week, then a month...until I can say I'm not sedentary anymore, haven't been sedentary for a very long time, and am never going to be sedentary again. I'm looking forward to the day I can say I am no longer, and will never be obese or unhealthy again. I'm looking forward to the tiny day -to-day triumphs and successes that will eventually add up to make up my overall success.
I'm looking forward to the blessings that my new life are going to bring me. Starting with today.

Friday, March 26, 2010

'Coaching' Deanna

I'm a Team Beachbody Coach. I became one after completing the first phase of P90X. I saw measurable results and couldn't help but let my passion and giddiness about it overflow. I have even publicly bragged a time or two in the hopes that I could get others excited about starting their own journey into a healthier lifestyle. It seems to be working.
The 'job' of being a coach for Team Beachbody is about inspiring others to get into shape. It's about getting healthy and reaching out to others to join you. And that's what I've done with Deanna. I invited her to join me in this quest and she has agreed to go 'all in'.
Now let me tell you a little about Deanna. She is no cookie-cutter woman. Every single time I talk to her I'm either amazed or surprised. Ultimately, I always walk away having learned something because she is simply that awesome. She's a rare gem that way. On the other hand, she is 'every woman'. Just like many of us, she has struggled over the years to find herself. She's gotten lost in the busyness of every day life and has put herself on the back burner for the sake of, well, just every day stuff. She has dieted and lost weight. She has gained it back, only to lose it again. She has been on that roller coaster. Just exactly like so many of us. This time it's different, though. She's not going to diet. Diets are about deprivation. She will not deprive herself of anything. Instead, she will treat her body like the temple it is. She will introduce to it wonderfully healthy and delicious foods. She will push herself physically to shed fat and build muscle. She will struggle. She will fight. She may even cry. But, she is committed and she will succeed. I believe in her.
The thing about this is...supposedly I'm her coach but, realistically, she is the one who inspires me.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Reflection



I see her. Every time I close my eyes and think of myself, she's there. And she's beautiful. Unfortunately, as soon as I open my eyes and look at a photograph of myself, or catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror, a stranger stares back at me and she's gone. You see, the me that I "see" inside just doesn't match the me I see outside.

Inside I'm sassy. I'm fashionable. I'm curvy. I'm attractive. I'm sexy - a vintage, classic, ageless sexy - like a Gil Elvgren pinup.

Outside, the fact is, I'm 280 pounds on my 5'8" frame. My body is the right shape - I actually do have an hourglass figure - but the proportion is TOTALLY off. I need to be less than half of me to match the me I see inside. I try to be fashionable and cute, but let's be totally honest here: for whatever reason, designers just don't feel that fashions apply to the overweight. And what is cute on a small frame is NOT always cute on mine.

"There's a difference between interest and committment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results." ~ Kenneth Blanchard

I've been overweight since the birth of my first child, ten years ago. And for ten years now, I've been "interested" in losing weight. Ten years wasted on a rollercoaster of losses and gains; ups and downs. I've lost 30 pounds - multiple times. And I've gained it back, and more, every time. I've succumbed to emotional eating, putting me at more than 130 pounds overweight and 160 pounds over my lowest weight. My goal lies somewhere ambiguously between the two.

I'm done being "interested" in losing the weight. I have a pinup girl inside me. And I'm ready for her to come out of this shell. My name is Deanna. And I'm here to prove to myself that my reflection can and will match the pinup I am inside.