3 Steps to Achieving Your Goals in 2014

Almost everyone that I have talked to since the first of January has made some type of resolution or set a specific goal. Many of them have multiple. I am not exception. I take goal setting very seriously. But setting a goal isn't the end of the process. Setting the goal is only the beginning.

There is a quote floating around the internet that says something like "A goal is only a dream if you don't put action behind it"... In other words. If you are not willing to figure out the processes you need to have in place to reach the goal, all you have is an empty dream.

Setting a goal is important, you won't achieve anything if you don't know where you are heading. But in order to make progress towards that goal you have to start by brainstorming all of the little steps you need to complete before reaching success. If you commit to doing 2-3 small things each day that will help propel you forward you can not help but to reach your goal. 2-3 things may not sound like a lot... but they add up over time. Remember, Rome was not built in a single day.

3 Steps that will help you achieve your goals
1. Focus your attention on your goal -- Figure out what you want to achieve and write it down.
2. Brainstorm the steps you need to achieve your goal -- Break your goal down into small daily tasks.
3. Commit to consistency -- Complete 2-3 small actions each and every day.

I look forward to hearing about the goals you have set for this year. Please share your goals in the comments section along with your plan to reach them.

When Opportunity Knocks, Open the Door

Last month I was contacted by someone I had briefly met at the Healthy & Fit Expo last year. Asking if I would be interested in being on the cover of his magazine.

To be honest, when I received that message from him I thought, "Is this guy a creeper?" But after checking out his profile and realizing this was for real and remembering how I had first met him, I jumped at the opportunity.

I was so nervous. I felt completely out of my league and unworthy of such an honor.
I am NOT a fitness model.
I do NOT have a perfect body.
I have stretch marks and loose skin and still some areas I would like to firm up...
and lift....
and suck in.

But what I realized (with the help of some amazing and supportive friends and family) is that I have worked really hard to get to where I am.

I am a work in progress just like everyone else.

But this opportunity might allow for another opportunity to inspire even more people to seek a healthier and more fit version of themselves.

So while I didn't feel the most confident doing it, I pushed passed that self imposed barrier, stepped outside my comfort zone and did it anyway... Because more than anything I want to help other people achieve their goals.

And if I can do it, YOU can do it.

Whatever your goals may be, whatever opportunity you find yourself presented with, if you want it and are willing to work for it, you CAN achieve it!

What is Your Favorite Cheat Meal?

What is your favorite cheat meal? 90% of the time I stick to a plant based diet, it just works best for me. But on occasion I splurge and one of my favorite things are these Spicy Grilled Shrimp Tacos from Chili's... OOoooh, they are sooo good!! Now it's your turn to spill the beans!! What is YOUR favorite cheat meal?

Who's Dream are YOU Building?

Create Change

There are no shortcuts in life. No matter what your goal or aspiration, it won't just happen. You have to do the work.

Monday Motivation!

If you want to change your lifestyle... YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!

~Bob Harper

Spend less time with people that whine, complain, and spend their lives wishing and hoping for success but do nothing to achieve it.  You are a GOAL-GETTER!!

~ Chalene Johnson

Why I Became a Beachbody Coach

I would like to share with you why I became a Beachbody Coach, some added benefits I hadn't counted on, as well as what it means to be a Beachbody Coach.

I became a coach while I was in the process of achieving a 50lb. weight loss success story.  I want to be very clear here.  I did not achieve the 50lb weight loss first.

My story begins with a late night, a heavy heart and a spunky blonde.

My heart was heavy because I was heavy.  My weight was something that I constantly thought about.

Every morning when I would get dressed,

every time I went to buy clothes,

every time I had an event to dress up for,

every time I walked out of my house,

and every time I passed a mirror.

Now don't get me wrong, I know that beauty can be only skin deep.  We have all met people who are stunning on the outside but after talking with them for only a few minutes you can see they don't have a light shining through their heart.

It wasn't just my appearance that gave me a heavy heart, it was the insecurity I felt.  It was the frustration I felt when nothing in my closet fit.  It was the sadness I would feel when I looked in the mirror and couldn't believe that I had let myself get to that point. My weight, the discontentment with myself and the constant feeling of failure affected my confidence and self esteem.  I felt horrible about myself and I hid that from everyone.

One night I was watching TV and an infomercial for Turbo Jam came on.  I was instantly captivated by a cute, spunky blonde that was punching, kicking and jabbing and telling me how much fun it all was going to be....

Exercise for me was hard.  I was heavy, who am I kidding... everything was hard.  But what she was doing looked fun and I thought even if its hard, if I am having fun I can try it.  So I sneaked out to where I kept my purse, grabbed my credit card, and ordered when my husband wasn't looking.   

I instantly fell in love with Turbo Jam.

Oh yes, from the very first time I did the Learn & Burn DVD, I was hooked.

It totally helped that that spunky blonde was always telling me what a great job I was doing and encouraging me every step of the way... It was hard for sure but I kept at it and it started to get easier.

About 3 months after I started Turbo Jam I saw someone on Facebook post about a new work out by Chalene Johnson, that spunky little blonde I had grown to adore, called Chalean Extreme.  I did a little research on the program and placed my order.  Again, I did it on the sly... I didn't want to tell anyone what I was up to because I didn't want them to see me fail.

ChaLean Extreme is a muscle building workout program that uses heavy weights (or bands).  It was unlike anything I had ever done before.  Research has proven that the more muscle you have in your body, the higher your metabolism.  Well, I knew that I wanted a higher metabolism.  I already trusted Chalene because of what the Turbo Jam program did for me, but I still didn't believe in me.

I went to Target and bought some adjustable dumbbells and started the program as soon as it arrived in the mail.  Up to this point, my husband didn't know I had been working out.  I was still staying home with my youngest child and would workout during the day when he was napping.  It only took a few weeks before I was able to see noticeable changes when I looked in the mirror.  I had been at it for about 6 weeks when my husband (who isn't the most observant person in the world) asked me what I had been doing to lose weight.  It was then that I very shyly took him to the basement and showed him the weights I had bought and the workout programs I was doing.

I stayed consistent and after my first 90 days with ChaLean Extreme I lost around 30lbs.  I was ecstatic!  Yes, I had lost weight but even more importantly I learned a few things about myself.

1.  I am a fighter.  I am not a fighter in the sense that if I don't get my way I am going to kick, scream and yell myself into what I want, but I am a fighter in the sense that if I don't achieve something that I want I am not going to give up.  I am going to keep trying and failing isn't the end, its a stepping stone.

2.  I have goals.  This might sound a little funny, but after being a stay-at-home mom for 8 years I forgot what I wanted to do with my life.  I was in a perpetual state of laundry, cooking, cleaning, laundry, cooking, cleaning, with a wipe-a-hiney thrown in here and there that I forgot I could do more.  I forgot that I could dream.  I forgot I could set goals.  Even more, I could achieve them.  Please, do not get me wrong.  I love being a mom more than anything.  But, that's not all I am.  I have more to offer.

3.  I am strong.  Its funny that after falling on my face after 3 pushups done on my knees and then progressing to 12 pushups on my toes has taught me that I am strong in heart.  Most of the time when I am struggling with a workout its because my head is telling me I can't... its those times that I have to dig deeper, push harder and prove that nasty voice wrong.  This does not just apply to my workouts.  It applies to every single obstacle I face.  It applies every single day.

It was after that initial weight loss success that I wanted more.  I was feeling better, I was more confident and I knew that I could achieve whatever goal I set for myself and I wanted to lose another 20lbs.  I knew without a doubt that what was holding me back was my diet.  I had made many changes to my once over processed, mostly fast food way of eating, but I was still a long way from eating the way I knew I had to in order to reach my goal.  Beachbody, being the cutting edge company that they are, was just introducing a new product that was and still is absolutely revolutionary in the health supplement industry.  The product they had just launched was Shakeology and I knew it would help get me on track with my nutrition.

It is not a miracle product and it will not cure cancer or any other disease, but if you are like me and need something that you can count on every day to give you great nutrition, increase your energy, and aid in your weight loss then I recommend it to you.  This is why I signed up as a coach.  As wonderful as Shakeology is, it is also expensive.  And, it is worth every. single. penny.  But, as a coach I was able to save money and that is always a good thing.

After talking to my coach Jenelle Summers, who also happens to be Chalene's much taller sister, I signed up to be a coach in August of 2009 and had absolutely no idea how that one little decision would impact my life.  But I will save that story for another day.

Being a Beachbody Coach means I have the opportunity to share my passion for fitness with others.  It means that when someone is struggling with motivation to workout I can encourage them.  It means when they are struggling with changes to their diet or even where to start I can share what I have learned.  I am not a fitness professional, I am not a nutritionist.  I am a coach and I love what I do.  And I am fortunate to earn an income from sharing my passion.

Its Time to Start!!

September is almost upon us with back to school looming, kids sports schedules starting and the organized chaos of life kicking off full blast!

If you struggle with balancing it all AND finding time to do the things you enjoy then I highly recommend doing Chalene Johnson's 30 day Challenge. It is completely FREE and only takes abou 10-15 minutes per day.

I recommend it to anyone that struggles with finding enough time. If you are interested, go to: http://30daypush.com/ and sign up!! You have nothing to lose!

If you have already completed the program, leave a comment for the others!! Thanks!

Be a Coach -- Join Team Addicted!!

What was YOUR Excuse?

Soft Serve Banana Ice Cream

Oh my goodness... I completely stole this off my friends blog!! I hope she doesn't mind, but I give her full credit.  Gabi is amazing and you should stop by her blog and say "Hi"!! Make sure you tell her I sent you!  The following is all from her and I couldn't have said it any better.  I hope you enjoy this yummy treat as much as I will!

I never imagined this would be so good but it is, I promise. The recipe info only includes the nutritional info for the bananas BUT feel free to use no calorie toppings or mix ins like cinnamon (awesome choice!). Make sure if you include anything else, you count the calories.

This might also be a great way to sneak some fruit into your children's day.... where are my sneaky moms out there?! Enjoy!

Soft-Serve Banana Ice Cream


Nutrition Info
Calories: 108.6
Fat: 0.6g
Carbohydrates: 27.6g
Protein: 1.2g

Ingredients
4 frozen bananas

Directions

Place frozen bananas in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to break into smaller pieces, then turn on and run for about five minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The bananas will start to resemble soft serve in a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl and place in freezer for about 15 minutes, if you'd like, or serve immediately.

Another recommended topping: A tablespoon of pure maple syrup mixed with 2 tsp dark cocoa powder (calories not included).

Or maybe you should mix in some PB2 for an awesome PB Banana ice cream! Please share your other ideas too!!

(Makes four 1/2 cup servings)

Number of Servings: 4

Power Yogurt for One

This protein packed snack is perfect for when you need something to eat in a hurry.  Mixing up the fruits will give you variety in flavor.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 scoop whey protein powder, flavor of choice (to really step it up and use a scoop of Shakeology)
1/3 cup strawberry slices
1 tsp flaxseed oil (or ground flaxseed)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix until protein powder is thoroughly blended in.

Nutrition:

Calories 240, Total Fat 7.5g, Sat. Fat 2g, Carbs 19g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 11g, Protein 27g, Sodium 86mg, Cholesterol 7mg

From the Best of Clean Eating Cookbook.

Thought for the Day!

This is your life. If you are not who you want to be, change it! It won’t be easy and it may take some time, but surround yourself with people who love and support you and go for it! No regrets! Only you dwell on your failures. Good luck and remember the inner strength you’ll achieve from adopting a healthy lifestyle far supersedes anything physical.  – Jamie Eason

Monday Motivation

Show MORE, Be MORE, Do MORE
LOVE with all your HEART and LIVE with all your SOUL
NEVER let others hinder you or hold you back
BE YOU, LOVE YOU, EMBRACE YOU!!!!!

~My dear friend, Jaime Kallay

Monday Motivation!

If you bend with the wind, go with the flow, have faith and be true... Life will never break YOU!

~Author Unknown

Shaun T's Insanity: The Asylum Back to Core Day 8!

Motivation Monday!!

"We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way."

~Gloria Gaither

Do you Eat a VARIETY of Fruits and Veggies?

... or does the prep work keep you in a rut with the same old standbys like apples and bananas?  I LOVE fruits and veggies and a wide variety too.  But I wasn't always good at getting a variety of them into our diet.  I freely admit that spending time in the kitchen preparing/cooking/cleaning up is not my favorite thing... and if we didn't need to eat in order to survive, I wouldn't spend any time in the kitchen at all! But, I have figured out a few ways to get what I NEED without torturing myself too much.

Most of us know that the more variety in the colors of fruits and vegetables we eat, the more variety in nutrients we are feeding our bodies.  When I head to the grocery store I keep that in mind.  I try to buy different fruits and vegetables depending on seasonal availability and rotating a few standard items.  There are some fruits and vegetables I have on hand ALL the time... I try to supplement those. I look for RED berries, GREEN grapes, PURPLE plums, YELLOW peppers, ORANGE melons, BLUE berries, YELLOW mangos, GREEN kiwi, RED radishes, GREEN leafy veggies, ORANGE yams, etc.  And I choose a few of those (and others) to buy for that week.  Making sure my shopping cart looks like a rainbow by the time I am done.

When I get home, I get it all cleaned, cut up, and ready to go for the week.  That means I pluck the grapes off the bunches, wash them and put them in a container so they are easy to grab.  I cut up my melons and berries and put them in a tray so I can grab one container out of the fridge and have a variety of fruit ready to choose from.  I also clean my veggies.  I cut peppers in strips for dipping which makes it super easy when I want to dice a little to toss in an omelet.  I also will look for ready made veggie trays that are already to go so I don't have ANY prep work before we can start to enjoy those.

There are a few little bonuses to all this prep work.

1.  Once I am in the kitchen and in the groove, it really doesn't take all that long to get the work done and I only have to do it once. 

2.  When the kids are looking for a snack after school there is a bounty of ready to eat healthy and nutritious goodies that are much healthier than fish crackers or junk food.

3.  Once the produce is chopped up and ready, and all the beautiful, bright colors on display it makes it easy to crave those juicy fruits and veggies.

Of course, another way to supplement your diet is Shakeology®.  Shakeology® is the most nutrient dense super-food protein shake on the planet.  It contains 70 healthy ingredients and is certified LOW on the Glycemic Index, which is good news for those that may be suffering from Diabetes.

Motivation Monday!!

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."

~Author Unknown