Getting Fit is an Incredible Opportunity

I read this motivation today and was instantly humbled and even more thankful for my health and fitness. This really puts fitness into perspective. Do we really have a right to complain about getting fit? There are so many who are unable to lift their body from a wheelchair.

Sometimes we can lose sight of what an incredible opportunity we have to get fit. Instead of looking at it as a burden, we should be spilling over with thankfulness for the opportunity.

Do you have a working body?  I do, and although I may have some medical limitations, I appreciate what I can do with what I have.

We live in a stressed up world and place much upon ourselves. We make life so busy that we're missing out on what is truly important. Health is a valuable gift we're supposed to take care of by what we do with our fitness.

Getting fit and healthy is a privilege just the same as growing older. If our mindset is not focused on the important stuff, we will live a life of chaos not to mention creating an unhealthy body.

Fitness goals require a positive attitude. Our body achieves what the mind believes. For example, instead of seeing meal prep as a burdensome task, be thankful for the health benefits you will receive from eating right.

The same goes for exercise. Is your life really so busy to not fit in a 30-minute workout? Really?! There are many who struggle just to walk. Try looking at your body as a beautiful gift and appreciate the awesome opportunity you have to get in shape.

It will be our mindset that carries us into the right way of thinking about getting fit. Our bodies will only go where our mind pushes us. Being able to exercise is truly something to be thankful for.

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Be well and Stay Healthy

A Healthy Lifestyle is the Only Way to True Fitness

Trying to achieve the so-called perfect body causes many of us to take drastic measures. Whether from detox cleanses, extreme caloric restriction, surgical change of normal organ function, to outward cosmetic procedures. All those methods don't mean a thing if a healthy lifestyle is left out of the equation.

No matter what you do, it's still about the lifestyle. Extreme measures without learning how to buy, cook and eat healthy foods won't do it. Without regular exercise or nutrition knowledge, it's all wasted time and money.

What happens when you reach the end of one of those popular restricted calorie shake diets? What did you learn? Are you prepared to eat right and educated with a lifelong nutrition program?

What happens after a few fat cells have been sucked out (liposuction) and you are still hitting the pizza and donuts? The same goes for surgically altering your stomach with a band and still continuing to eat fries and drink soda. What has been learned?

This is exactly the point. What is truly being learned about health, fitness, nutrition and how to achieve it?  Sadly, without the proper information to guide you toward a healthy lifestyle, most return to the weight and size (or larger) than prior to going drastic.

This blog is not to be judgemental or offensive, but to open your eyes to what it means to get healthy. Nothing inside a packaged shake mix or on an elective surgery table is going to provide health and fitness. Good health is achieved through daily food choices and exercise creating a habit that becomes a lifestyle.

The belief quick fixes can stand alone to create the hot body of your dreams is a fantasy. If product companies or surgeons are telling you some magic shake or getting something snipped will do it, they're wrong. I will go as far as to say negligent in feeding you a load of BS. Regardless of the procedure, it will take living a healthy lifestyle to maintain your body.

Have you fallen into the now trap? Quick fix solutions never provide permanent change.

Are you unwilling to invest time to learn how to eat right and enjoy awesome workouts? This is what it will take to get healthy. The desire is there, otherwise, you would not be seeking a way to get results. Why not get fit the right way and forget about how long it will take? The goal is enjoying the process, not the destination.

Are you are serious about getting fit and staying healthy? It's not found in a bottle or on a table, but in how you think and live. Change takes changing your daily routine. Start by writing down goals and begin a healthy lifestyle list.

What are some simple things you could do right now to get motivated and moving in the right direction? Build on your list and follow-through with your thoughts.

Short-term goals could be replacing processed foods in your refrigerator and pantry with healthy selections. Another could be adding exercise 3 times per week, or losing 5lbs. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is about daily progress and not perfection. Be patient, don't compare yourself to others, and celebrate each daily victory!

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Be well and Stay Healthy

          

Too Busy for Fitness is Not an Option

If we don't make time to workout and let the day get away from us, it's easier to say forget it. Other things become a priority and we tend to use being busy as an excuse to skip it. If we're high energy in the morning and missed that window to exercise, we can dread doing it in the afternoon.

I just so happen to prefer working out in the morning and understand the feeling of pushing through later. It sucks but doesn't mean to skip the workout. Discipline means doing what you need to do even when you don't feel like doing it. So, it's important to not let ourselves down and make it happen. We can only blame ourselves and will suffer the consequences of not taking care of our fitness business.

There will be times missing a workout can't be helped and that's acceptable. Honestly, this is a rare occasion. When busy things seem to take over our entire day leaving us without a sweat session is the norm. Fitness takes good planning, making time and not skipping a workout no matter what. Without a plan, it's just a wish, right? Without making the time, it's not going to happen, right?

We go through life making so many excuses on how we don't have time. Really?  I love that quote "someone busier than you is working out right now" and it's the truth.

We must start owning our excuses and admit when fitness is something we don't want to do. Now that's the beginning of a revelation.

We should ask ourselves why we procrastinate or refuse to take care of our health?  What's so burdensome about moving your body for a few minutes each day and eating healthy?

It's not about time at all, but your feelings toward working out and eating right. Honesty is always the best way to create change.

The truth of the matter is if something is important to you, it gets done. Everyone has time to hit up social functions, watch hours of TV and surf the web. When it comes to one hour of exercise, the busy button somehow gets turned on. Give the offer of meeting for a drink, and suddenly a burst of energy occurs.

Unfortunately an unhealthy epidemic is happening because too many people are refusing to take the time for health and fitness. Those who exercise and eat right on a consistent basis are in the minority. This really needs to change. Agreed?

If we continue to not make time for exercise, we will eventually be making time for illness. The same applies to eating right because we are what we eat. What we eat in private, we wear in public and our body certainly shows how we're living. This has become a horrible fact. Straight talk, but we need to start making the time!

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Be Well and Stay Healthy!

Slow it Down for Better Fitness Results

Rushing for any goal can create stress, frustration and missing way too much of what's important in life. I have learned to take things a little slower, practice patience, listen intently and enjoy the moment.

I have implemented this philosophy into my fitness, nutrition, work, and play. I enjoy teaching that nothing good happens fast and the process is the result. 

Take workouts for example. Slowing down to execute good form on all exercise is essential. Our focus should remain on the muscle being worked, understanding the movement and doing it right. Lifting weights is a slow and controlled process. When done correctly, we can achieve amazing results. 

When we take it slow and think before we lift, our muscles receive a greater benefit. I personally create a two-part motion to weight training. I focus my mind on the muscle being worked, contract the muscle, then execute the lift. 

Lifting with purpose creates the best environment for muscle growth and reduces the chance of injury. Nothing good happens fast and muscle growth takes time. Patience is very important and better results happen when you take it slow. 

Nutrition is another area we need to slow down and eat right. We tend to eat too fast not allowing adequate time for our brain to tell our stomach we're satisfied.  

Cooking amazing healthy food is meant to be savored and enjoyed slowly. It takes at least 20 minutes for the brain to communicate satiety to the stomach.

Sadly, we often consume larger portions eating too quickly. Habitual speed eating is one of the many causes of obesity. We tend to snack on unhealthy processed foods after the meal because we remain unsatisfied. 

Learn to slow down and savor your healthy meal. Allow 20 minutes, drink water, enjoy conversation and relax. There is no need to rush and our body will appreciate the slower pace. 

Stress can become a problem when we constantly rush here and there. Our calendars are flooded with commitments and many are unnecessary. Saying yes to everyone and everything causes us to rush without any breathing room. Our time to take care of ourselves becomes limited and excuses of being too busy take over. 

Chronic stress releases chemicals into our body hindering our ability to lose fat. Our body can only take so much before it lets you know enough is enough. We are usually hit with illness, anxiety, burn-out and just not healthy.

When life feels on fast forward, we need to take an active role in slowing it down. Do we really want to miss out on the opportunity to feel our best and live our best healthy life?  

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Be well and Stay Healthy

Our Daily Choices Define Our Fitness

Being fit is not a temporary condition but fills our entire day and life. The motivation to get in shape may have initiated with bikini season or an event. The fitness results, however, should be life long.

Unfortunately many settle back into old unhealthy habits, but that's not the way fitness is supposed to work. We are living not realizing life is the event we are getting fit for.

I approach my fit lifestyle with a plan. My energy is highest in the morning, so I schedule my workouts accordingly. Starting my day with exercise enables me to feel great for the remainder of my 24/7 fitness shift.

The workout is not the only part of staying lean and muscular. Planning my nutrition plays a major role in maintaining my body. I have lots of healthy food ready to go and follow a 90/10 nutrition plan. I may relax some on the weekend shifting down to 80/20 allowing for a few treats. I also drink plenty of water and consider it an essential nutrient.

Fitness doesn't end at the workout but includes the 23-hours after sweating your butt off. Working out daily and turning around eating crappy on the regular isn't the definition of being fit. What we choose to eat, hours of sleep and even our stress levels determine our fitness.

When fitness becomes a habit, the healthy behavior is done without thought and going through the motions come naturally. Being fit is not a pretend or fake lifestyle. Your body always knows the truth of your actions. In fact, those who are closest to you will know exactly how you're living and if it represents health and fitness.

The choices we make throughout the day determine our fitness. When we adopt a fit lifestyle, it just feels normal. We don't think, we just do and it feels right. We are living our best life and feeling great about it. Our body represents the life we choose to live and what we do today affects today but also all our tomorrows.

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Be well and Stay Healthy

             

Sorta Kinda Fitness Doesn't Work

We want to be fit, feel good and look great. You may be trolling the net right now for the newest fad diet or quick fix to fitness. We struggle with giving 100 percent to getting in shape the right way. We are stuck in sorta kinda fitness.

Sound familiar? We want results but just can't commit to a fit lifestyle. We blame others and ourselves for eating off track and make excuses for missing workouts. When we give a small percentage to doing it right expect small rewards in return.

We are wasting too much time and missing too many opportunities to get healthy. Why is that? What is going on in our lives where we stop making ourselves a priority? Instead of looking into the issue, we accept it as our normal. This is an unfortunate truth.

We have great intentions and even put in some effort to eat right and exercise. This is awesome and to be applauded. Something happens to halt the process. Our mind plays negative games, we may hear a hurtful comment, or not seeing results causes frustration.

Sorta kinda fitness also involves partying too much with friends or at home. Eating crappy food half the time and managing only one or two workouts per week. We can even be in denial about these behaviors. We believe living this way is fitness.

Resentment can be a problem with sorta-kinda fitness. We don't understand why we're not losing fat or not seeing muscle. More self-doubt and what's the use mentality creeps into our thoughts. It's time to take off the rose-colored fitness glasses.

Living a half-way fitness life is not giving your all to the program. Being in denial and pissed off about it doesn't help or change things.When we start taking responsibility for our health is when fitness happens. Fitness is a lifestyle and sorta kinda just doesn't work. Straight talk all in fitness love. Stay Healthy!

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Be well and Stay Healthy

Why Do We Complicate Fitness?

The only hard thing about fitness is negative thoughts about the process. We convince ourselves a boring diet is needed and endless hours of exercise are required. We go as far as considering it a burden and a cramp in our lifestyle. Instead of turning our nose up at the very thought of getting healthy, maybe rethinking the process is all that's needed.

Do you think people decades ago farming for a living to survive working from sunrise to sunset worried about a diet? They may have spent hours doing physical labor, but it was a lifestyle and eating healthy was part of it. Nothing complicated, just some sweat, and eating home cooking straight from the garden. Their bodies represented how they lived. Unfortunately, this has been replaced by couch potato channel surfing, stuffing our faces with processed food and diets that don't work.

Getting fit doesn't take a miracle diet and certainly isn't a secret to accomplishing the goal. The problem is within our thoughts and unrealistic expectations. You want to lose 20 pounds in a week and look like a fitness model. Not going to happen. We also want the process to be an easy quick fix requiring no workouts and drinking magic shakes while remaining on our sofas. Wake up America!

Being fit and healthy is really simple. Eat greens, grains, lean meats, healthy fats, drink lots of water and exercise at least 3 times per week. Nothing hard about it and it's not a diet. Why is this process considered boring, tasteless, and the end of fun in life? Society and marketing have done a great job brainwashing people to believe a load of crap.

Eating a fresh organic crisp apple or perfectly grilled chicken breast are not what I call horrible. Are you kidding me?  Remember eating celery stuffed with peanut butter? Now that's a healthy treat full of flavor and fun. Being fit will take tossing the food myths and getting real with your thoughts about health. It will also require you to move your butt off the couch and into the gym. Exercise is what you enjoy. Love basketball? Start playing. Enjoy dancing?  Look into a Zumba class. I like to use the jungle gyms at parks and play around on those doing pull-ups, step-ups, and triceps dips for example. No more excuses or belief that fitness is complicated. It's time we all embrace the simplicity of the process and have fun on the journey.

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Be well and Stay Healthy!

             

Why is Unhealthy the Acceptable Norm?

Have you been feeling unhealthy and just not right for some time? This can be physically or emotionally. Yet, we continue to accommodate and even accept the situation. Our body and mind can only take so much before it breaks. We ignore the signs until we are lying face down in our own hopelessness.


We're aware of how unhealthy we are and how bad we feel but continue to tough it out day after day. Instead of making changes to create a better situation, we simply accept unhealthy as our normal way of life. Sad but true. Many of us don't even realize how good we're supposed to feel. We continue to eat processed foods, refrain from exercise and live under a cloud of stress.

How often do you take inventory of your life?  Are you accommodating joint pain and illness from eating unhealthy foods leading to being overweight?  Are life's circumstances so stressful to the point of causing depression and anxiety? What's going on at home in your personal relationships?  Is your home a peaceful sanctuary or a war zone?  How about the job? Are you happy and doing what you've always envisioned or burdened by the thought?

We are meant to live a happy, healthy life. The unfortunate truth is many of us choose to accommodate being unhealthy. We eat and drink things we shouldn't, become couch potatoes and drown in our own self-pity.

Isn't it time we stop accommodating unhealthy and start fixing the problem?  If you don't know where to begin, ask for help. No shame or stigma about needing assistance sometimes. We've all been there. Society puts shaming on every human topic ad nauseam. If seeking help from a professional gets you on the right track, then go for it. I suggest an expert in the area of your struggle.

If you want to adopt a healthy lifestyle, consult with a qualified personal trainer, nutritionist, or registered dietician.  Making a doctor's appointment to discuss your stress and seeing a licensed counselor or therapist may be helpful. Check out your local church and talk to a pastor. If the marriage is suffering, sometimes all you need is a little help from a licensed marriage and family counselor. The great news is you have options!

What it boils down to is changing your life for the better. It requires recognition of the problem and a willingness to fix it. There is nothing healthy about accommodating unhealthy. You can either sit and wallow where you are or put on a fix-it attitude. Wishing you health and happiness!

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Be Well and Stay Healthy 

Why Wait for New Year to Make a Change?

I enjoy the excitement and celebration of New Year but not really a big fan of the resolutions. Largely due to seeing so many people not follow through after a few weeks, or even days. The fireworks of new healthy promises are typically replaced by old habits. The new healthy lifestyle fizzles back into the norm of unhealthy choices. Sad but true.

Why wait for New Year’s to make a positive decision to change your life and become healthier people?  Today is always the best day to make a change. Never put off until tomorrow what can be accomplished today.

New Year has been a holiday used as a crutch to continue living unhealthy lives. Why? Because we put off until the New Year what we should be doing now and abuse the days leading up to the event. We create an excuse to consume large amounts of unhealthy food and avoid starting an exercise program until the so-called magical perfect time. 

The reality is no perfect time exists and life doesn't wait for our decisions. It goes on whether we join in the positive decision making process or not. Procrastination is the thief of health and fitness. Not taking care of ourselves eventually leads to poor lab results, obesity, heart issues, diabetes, hypertension, increased stress and the list goes on.

Wouldn’t it be better going into the New Year with a healthy lifestyle already in place? 

I'm not trying to be a Darla Downer for the upcoming New Year. I simply want you to consider the reason for waiting to become a healthy person. Celebrating is awesome and decisions made on any day are worth raising a glass in cheers. I applaud all efforts to adopt a healthy lifestyle and the awesome thing is it doesn't have to wait until January 1^st.

But what about all the holiday food and fun? I agree there is a bounty of savory and sweet treats during the holidays. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a little of this and that. This is called living life and balance. However, including your healthy foods and exercise should also be part of your holiday season.

Let’s not use the holiday as an excuse to not take care of ourselves. We have promoted a hall pass to a month of junk food for long enough. When the so-called fun is said and done, we are left with expanded guts and butts. Why cause frustration knowing it will be that much longer and harder to undo what has been done? Think on that.  

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Happy Stay Healthy New Year

Fitness Needs to Become an Action We Put into Practice

Fitness needs to stop being a dream we think about and become an action we put into practice. There are so many factors getting in our way. Negative thoughts and self-defeat are high on the list. Using "too busy" as an excuse is another fitness barrier. Frustration with the lack of results can cause us to think it will never happen.

Fitness requires us to live beyond our dreams. We all have the potential to achieve success. Remaining positive in a negative world will be first on the agenda. No more downing yourself before even trying. "Busy" is a word used for people who really don't want it bad enough. Lastly, there is no such thing as instant results. Daily progress should become the focus.

The action needed to get fit is a daily choice. Start by making a plan and sticking to it. It will be important to schedule your workouts and spend time meal prepping. Avoid processed convenience foods and replace those with healthy nutrient dense foods. Start hanging around people who are positive of your fitness goals.

It comes down to you being responsible for your body and what it looks like. You want it?  Go get it. This is called living beyond your dreams. Nothing is going to happen until you make it happen.

Fitness is a permanent lifestyle change, not something that magically occurs. This is your journey, your body, and your fitness. You will never look like anyone except your best healthy self when it's all said and done. Are you ready to live beyond your dreams? Straight talk but all in fitness love!

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Be well and Stay Healthy

Fitness is a Constant State of Change

Change is necessary, can be a challenge, and inevitable. Sometimes we have no control over change as with the aging process or certain illness. What we can control are changes making us healthier people. That means taking an honest look at our lifestyle. What are we eating and are we exercising? How do we implement all this change? 

Change is a big part of this journey of life. None of us are exempt from the constant changes needed to make our situation better. Did you know our bodies change at every level each day without our knowledge?  

Personally, I have undergone a lot of change in this life as an athlete. My healthy lifestyle enabled me to face many physical challenges. One of the toughest physical changes was rehabilitation from injury. It required perseverance not to give up, and acceptance of not being able to perform athletically as before. 

The inevitable change often difficult for me presently are the changes occurring with the aging process. No amount of exercise is going to stop hormonal shifts and other changes I have posted about going through menopause. This transition or "the change" in life is definitely proving to be a challenge.   

We are all aging each day and our bodies changing through the process. When I was younger I didn't think too much about it. Being over 50, I can get overwhelmed by the different way I feel in menopause. I am sure many of you can relate. 

Both men and women face the inevitable changes occurring with the aging process. Whether prostate issues for men or night sweats for women, it's a situation that can add frustration to life. 

I am open about everything health related. I feel issues, even those topics that may fall into the taboo to be discussed in public are fair game. In fact, I hope we can all agree that sensitive subjects relating to health need to be addressed and shared. Why? Many people are searching for answers or at least support to not feel alone in their experience. If Dr. Oz can discuss the perfect poop shape, vaginal dryness, and orgasms, then for crying out loud, I am surely going to talk about it. 

All change can feel difficult, or extremely fantastic depending on the situation. Adapting a healthy lifestyle through eating nutrient dense foods and regular exercise will bring about a healthy body. Feeling and functioning better can be experienced pretty quickly with these changes. Although the process can feel like a challenge, eventually the change will provide an overall healthy state of mind and wellbeing.  

Change occurring with injury or illness is harder to accept and embrace, at least in the beginning. I found that it takes hard work, lots of patience, and faith first and foremost. Also, the will to want to become healthier and better no matter what that looks like. Our life may be modified but our health can still be optimal. I discovered, the only disability that exists in life is the one existing in our mind. 

The inevitable change of aging is also an area which will require patience and acceptance. We're all becoming new people every day with all this change. We don't always need to feel great about the aging process but it is a transition we need to accept. I'm not saying to celebrate hot flashes and lowered libidos because this is no fun for anyone. Our body is making hormone adjustments our thinking brain hasn't caught up to yet. It's simply our time to cut ourselves some slack and embrace the journey.

The important thing is to change those things we can control to become healthier people and let go of the rest.   

  

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Be well and Stay Healthy

                                                                            

It is Never Too Late to Get Fit

Getting fit and healthy is not just for the twenty-somethings. It's never too late, circumstances never too bad, and we're never too old to become our best healthy self. Our minds can play negative tricks on us. We often believe our goals are unattainable. That simply isn't the truth. We need to change the thoughts about our life and body to begin the process of kicking out the mental clutter.

Beginning each day with a positive focus is essential. It will be a daily choice not to continue unhealthy patterns, believe past doubts and fears, or give in to self sabotage. This will be a time of inner strength development and purging all the crap that held you down for so long. It will be an emptying of the old self into the trash and an awakening of the new stronger you ready to make things happen.

Each day is a new opportunity to change. We possess the awesome ability to make decisions bringing us closer to our fitness goals. It's important to remain realistic and I recommend small changes to start. Examples of realistic goals would be losing 8 pounds in a month or registering to walk your first 5K.

Also helpful for fitness accountability is keeping a food journal. You will be able to honestly track your food intake and make appropriate changes to start eating healthier.

Use your journal to plan an exercise time on your calendar. You will not always feel like working out, but it will be important not to cancel on yourself. You are worthy of good health and a great life. The simple steps of eating right, exercising 3 to 4 times per week, maintaining a food journal, and keeping a positive attitude will provide the results you want.

This is not a quick fix so mentally prepare for a lifestyle change. The time will pass anyway so you might as well be working on health improvement. Fitness is also not about perfection but progress as we strive each day to be healthy.

Self pity will not be your friend nor an excuse to throw in the towel. There will be days when it feels really hard and you may even want to give up. Hold onto knowing you are stronger than any negative thoughts.


Getting fit is earned not given. Believing this goal can happen at any age or circumstance is half the battle. You're now armed with the motivation to do what it takes to achieve your goals.

Helpful Tips:

• Eat a wide variety of healthy foods that include lean proteins, good carbohydrates and healthy fats.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day.
• Get to bed at a decent hour and try for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
• Exercise 3-4 times per week to start and progress as you get stronger.
• Include weight resistance training 1-2 times per week to start.
• Keep a food journal for accountability ... be honest with yourself.
• Dump the junk food and replace with healthy food options.
• Pay attention to portion sizes and read food labels.
• Eat several small meals per day and do not allow yourself to feel hungry.
• Weigh in only one time per week, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting, and how you look naked. 
• Make time for prayer and positive self talk to keep up the motivation.
• Set realistic small goals to start like losing 10lbs or signing up to walk your first 5K. 
• Hire a qualified personal trainer for guidance and motivation if going it alone feels too overwhelming.

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