What holds you back?

Have you ever used the phrase,

"I can't do that, I am only a ____/ just a _____" (fill in the blank). 

How about,

"I am too busy, I don't have enough time". 

Or,

"I don't think I could do that, I have never tried before".

You are ONLY what you limit yourself to be.  Think back to when you were young and you wanted to be a doctor, a ballerina, an astronaut... Did you become one?  If you did congratulations, if not, what stopped you?  Did someone tell you that it wasn't possible?  Did you realize it was going to take too much work to get there?  Did you not think you could do it?

It might be too late to become a ballerina or an astronaut but it is not too late to change direction in life towards something that you have a passion for.  Set some goals, make a plan and take steps to get there... ANYTHING is POSSIBLE if you SET YOUR MIND to it!!! 

Too busy?  We all have the same number of hours in a day, it is just how you use them.  Sit down with a calendar and work out the things that are necessities like sleeping, eating, working, looking after and spending time with your children, etc.  Then calculate what is left... I'm betting it is more than you expected.  What do you want to do with that time?  Figure it out and schedule it in!  If you don't have a calendar then GET ONE!  Scheduling your days in the calendar may seem like a lot of work but it will actually end up saving you time and making sure you don't forget important events!  (side note: there ARE truly people that don't have enough hours in the day and are scheduled and efficient... if this is you think about prioritizing your "to do's" and cutting out what ISN'T important)

You can never succeed if never give it a chance.  Even more, you can try and fail but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try again.  Failure is part of learning.  It teaches us what NOT to do next time.  The definition of Insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  Go out and learn something new, take the challenge and see what happens.  If you fall down, brush yourself off and try again!

So, what IS holding you back?  Have you looked in the mirror?  Whether it is fitness, nutrition, career, volunteer work, adventure, family, relationships, whatever, you need to realize that your opportunities are limitless.  Remember your dreams, make new dreams, make a plan of attack and then figure out how to get it accomplished!  You can be your biggest roadblock but you can also light your own fire to push forward... which will it be?

With every step you take, decision you make, or road block you set, you are a mentor.  Remember that when you limit yourself and equally when you push yourself a little bit harder.  Your child, your friend, you sister, your nephew... they are all watching and learning.  Show them what is important!

Want some inspiration?  Watch this video by Live Unbound

RevAbs - Two weeks down!!!

So my one week results did not change in week 2.  There are a few reasons for this.  The  main one would be that I failed to stick to the nutrition plan calorie recommendations!!!  It could have been the 6 servings of pistachios I consumed on day 8 instead of 1 serving.  It could have been the P90X bars I added to the food list that probably contained a LOT more sugar than the "none" I was supposed to have...I DID keep dairy out (except for 1 tbsp of half and half a day in my coffee), I DID keep my carbs intake very low, and I did eat plenty of healthy protein and vegetables!!! I DID keep out fruits too!  I did learn a lot as well!

This mama needs some carbs to keep her sanity :)  I still haven't figured out where exactly they need to go but in the last 2 days I think I have made up for the carbs I cut out in the past two weeks!  Surprise...I am human just like all of the rest of you!!!  I also enjoy an occasional glass of wine.  Yes, I understand that these are empty calories and can have a backward effect on weight control, BUT loss of my sanity can have a more backward effect ;)
I also learned that despite the high calories in nuts, they don't seem to have a detrimental effect on my weight like excessive carb eating does!!!  So as long as I measure out my serving and don't go back for 5 servings, I can continue my relationship with these lovely morsels!!!
Fruit!  I know I ate too much dried fruit in trail mix which is very high in concentrated sugar.  I definitely will add fresh fruit back!  I was craving apples and pears, so as a morning snack...perfect!  Berries in my Shakeology or oatmeal...great!
Unless you are going for a quick fix, dramatic drop or have TONS of weight to lose you need to consider how reasonable the changes are that you are making and if you are going to be able to sustain them!  How are these changes effecting not only you, but also your family!!!  Planning is always great.  Making meals that work for everyone will make your life easier and will probably make the rest of your family healthier if you are keeping your nutrition in mind as you prepare!  There are so many great resources available for healthy family recipes, you just have to look and sometimes buy a few new ingredients.  There are also great resources on the Beachbody site!  Join me and I will help you find some choices that will work for you and your family!!!

Do you have Big Goals?

Sometimes I get fired up about goals and ambitions and plans and then I stop dead in my tracks as I realize what a challenge it is going to be to attain them all! Sometimes I have my vision set but someone crushes it by suggesting it is a crazy idea.

I think that is an issue for many people, and most of those people just leave it at that. Oh well, too much work, too much change, guess I can't do it so why even try! Are you one of those people? If you said yes, you are not alone. Statistics show that over 80% of our population is in the same boat as you. But do you need to stay in that boat? Hell no! Jump ship, and swim as far away from that boat as you can get.

Our goals can seem so far fetched and hard to reach but there are ways to make it a bit easier! Make mini goals. Map out the route to that big goal and take it one step at a time. Put a picture of that goal somewhere prominent, like on your bathroom mirror, and see it every day and know that someday you will reach it. How far away someday is though is totally up to you! You can be motivated and encouraged by others, but you need to do the hard work yourself. If you haven't been successful in the past it probably has a lot to do with how hard you tried and probably the route you took. Read books for ideas, join groups that can help you, search out the right route to take. Your goal could be to lose 5 pounds or it could be to lose 100 pounds. Your goal could be to get out of a dead end job, or to find one that pays you what you think you are worth. Your goal could be to travel around the world. Whatever your goal, there are steps that need to be taken to reach them, so figure out what step number one is, and keep one going!

Don't be afraid to read self improvement books, my current favorite is "The Slight Edge" by Leo Weidner.  Find tools to boost your self worth because you are worth it and if you don't believe that then you are going to have a difficult time persuading anyone else to believe it!

If you are looking for an amazing business opportunity and/or some fitness motivation and accountability please check out the message from Carl Daikler, CEO of Beachbody.

Back to school!

Today was the first day back to school for my kids! A little sad that summer is over but they are so excited about seeing old friends, making new friends and about learning! Do you remember those days when we used to be excited and ready to face new things? Chances are that doesn't happen for you very much any more?!?!?!
What used to excited you? What goals did you have that you put out of your mind because life got in your way? Do you think you could dust some of those off and give them another chance?
Start slowly, just take one...it might take you a little while to remember some of them so no hurry, but get started now, today...if you wait until tomorrow, it just might not happen!
Many of us mama's had a plan to always look the way we did when we got married...then kids came along and whammo...you thought that plan was gone. Guess what, that isn't the case! You can make that body come back with a little hard work and determination! Chances are the papa's ran into some roadblocks along their journey's too! Hey, if your kids can go off to school all on their own, if they can learn the alphabet, multiplication and complete book reports, you can watch what you eat and lift some weights!
Whether it is a hard core fitness program or walking around the block or eating right or playing sports or just shutting off the TV and reading a motivational book...do something for you. Do something that will help you feel better about yourself, help you go into each day ready to hit the ground running.
I want my kids to see that I am as excited and motivated about life as I want them to be. I am going to reach some of my goals and make some new ones. Are you going to join me?
I would love to be your coach, to help you along your journey, you just need to let me know how I can help. You can sign up on my Beachbody site for more fitness and nutrition support...join a family of people all with the same goals in mind!