Recent Posts

Yesterday, as I prepared to go to an Active Wear party hosted by a dear, new friend, my husband said something that made me think twice. He looked at my Before and After photos on my flyer and said "You doctored this Before photo."

Of course, I did NOT. But he was so sure of it. He said that he can NOT remember me looking the way I did.

He sees me everyday. And everyday, he has something to say about the way I am shaping up. It is always positive, yet back then, he never said anything. Probably because there was nothing to say. It is amazing how much you take for granted. And how little you may know about your own body and just how unhealthy you may be.

Looking back on the before photos, you never would have guessed that I was just 2% away from being considered "obese". Maybe not "obese" in the fat sense, but "obese" in the BMI sense. At 30% BMI, you are at risk of so many more health issues than you are with a BMI of below 24%. Your body starts to wear down because it has to work harder to keep itself moving and healthy. It literally begins to deteriorate, shortening your life expectancy, and increasing your risks of various health issues...mainly heart disease...which I may add is the number #1 killer of women in menopausal age. And you don't have to be "fat". There are many obese skinny people out there. They ones who may look thin, but are just as unfit as the obese people. Their risks are just as great.

I remember my last visit to the doctor, and him saying that I was gaining a pound of weight each year. Normally, it wouldn't be a concern if you are in your 20s...but get into your 40s and that pound a year becomes a risk. I'm so glad I did something about it. In less than a years time, I may have only dropped 10 or 12 pounds, but I have decreased my BMI from 28% to almost 19%. I moved out if the "risk" arena and into the "healthy" arena.

I can assure you that I didn't doctor my Before photo, although I do work in Photoshop, and I could have done so...and looking at it now, I think if I did ANYTHING, I would have made myself look thinner! Who wants to see where you have been? It is more important to see where you are going.

The most amazing thing is I took control of my life and my habits, and in less than a year, I became someone completely different. My husband, who sees me everyday, still can't believe the change. So what does it mean? Even for the most obese, there is life at the end of the workout...everyday is a step that makes you proud of who you are and who you will become.

...and those you love, and those who love you, will take notice.

They are getting it. And they are starting to appreciate what it is I am doing for them. Yesterday, my husband thanked me for not buying anymore crap. He has realized that the biggest reason he could not drop the 30 pounds that has crept on the past few years is the mindless eating that he does all day. And, yes, I'm partly to blame for that. Why? Because I was a "provider". I bought the food. I kept it in the house. I allowed for it to be eaten. I, myself, tried to stay away from it. I like to sneak myself a cookie now and then, but when the package was empty after a few days, I'd get angry and buy another package. It seemed I never got that cookie. Now I know why...the mindless eating by the rest of my family. "Provide it and they will eat it."

Now my motto has changed.
My new motto? "Provide it and they will eat it."

What? But, Theresa, that is the same motto!
Why, yes it is!

But instead of providing the crap, I'm providing the healthy. I make a big fruit salad twice a week. I fill the fridge with carrot sticks, celery sticks (which I cut myself to save money), nut butters, hummus made from scratch, hard cheeses, Shakeology, mixed and ready to shake and drink. You won't find chips, or cookies, or candy anymore. Even my step-son noticed when he came home from college last week. "There is no more junk food in this house", he said.

Yep...no more junk food.
"Provide it and they will eat it."

You see, you've started this incredible new way of life. Your fitness habits and eating habits have changed. You are seeing the light! SHARE it with the family. Why deny them? Why start an individualized weight loss program? If you have young children, imagine the good that you are doing for them. Imagine their little minds reaping the benefit of fresh foods. They are looking up to you. Feed their brains! Feed their bodies with the stuff you are now feeding yourself. They will adjust. They will get used to it. They will start to crave it.
I'm not saying the kid (or you, for that matter) can't have a cookie once in a while. But look to make them yourself. Use whole wheat flour, use natural sweeteners, make it a family project to find the healthiest ingredients, and then make them together! Quit buying the boxed stuff. Home made from scratch says there is love involved. Show it!

And the significant other? Maybe he or she could stand to lose a few pounds. After all, the two of you are in this together. It is not a crime to want him or her to be around just as long as you will be, now that you know what you are doing. Make the adjustment. Do it for the ones you love.

Sure, it sounds easier than it is. I know that. I started my journey a year ago, and since the new year, I have realized that this has to be a family affair. There were mumblings and grumblings and lots of half eaten plates at the end of meals. But slowly, the mindset has changed. The children ask for fruit salad to bring in for their school snack. So I invested in some mini thermos containers for them to do that. The big healthy salads I make for dinner are now being scarfed down. They ask for Shakeology when they get home from school. Why should I deny them healthy foods? In the long run, it may cost a little more...but the money I'm saving from not buying the crap is starting to show. And everyone is learning lessons that will last a lifetime.

Here is a great recipe for the shrimp lover. I used Market Pantry Extra Large Raw shrimp, 16-21 per pound. I also doubled the amount of shrimp since we are shrimpaholics in this household. The original recipe called for couscous, but I substituted quinoa since it has become a staple here. Plus, I made a few changes to the original recipe.

Citrus Shrimp with Asparagus
2 cups water
1 cup Quinoa
Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 packages of jumbo raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Black pepper to taste
Juice of a whole lemon
2 Tbls Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of a whole lime
2 Tbls Olive Oil or Avocado Oil or combination
2 Tbls Water
1 tsp honey
3 Tbls Chopped Chives

1 bunch asparagus spears (About 3/4 pound)

Prepare quinoa as directed. Squeeze lemon juice into water before adding Quinoa.

Toss shrimp and next 4 ingredients and let sit to marinate about 5-10 minutes. Preheat saute pan, or grill and cook shrimp turning once, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and keep warm allowing shrimp to cook through.

Whisk together next 4 ingredients.

Quickly saute Asparagus in saute pan, lightly coated with cooking spray, until it turns bright green, about 3-4 minutes.

Serve in a large serving dish. Layer quinoa on bottom, then shrimp, then asparagus, then drizzle with the honey lime dressing.

Makes about 5 servings.

Yep. I may be the exception to the rule. I love Mondays. To me, Monday marks the start of a brand new week. It is the day of the week where you get the opportunity to start over. It represents another opportunity to get things right. It is the day when the weekend play ends and the serious work week begins. It is resolution day.

I'm a fan of fresh. I love fresh things. Fresh flowers, fresh spring rains, fresh foods, fresh sheets and linens, fresh fruits, fresh starts, and fresh weeks. Every Monday, I try to change something I wasn't pleased about the previous week. Sometimes it is showing more patience toward my kids or toward my husband. Sometimes it is putting a little more "umph" in my workout. Sometimes I concentrate on the foods I'm eating. Some Mondays, I begin a Shakeology cleanse. Sometimes, I try to focus more on where I'm going rather than where I have been. Some Mondays, I just try to freshen my thoughts. I try to be more open minded. I vow to learn something new.

My Monday might include coming up with brand new dinner ideas for the week. Sometimes it is just the day where I intend to begin ridding of a bad habit, or pick up a good habit. Monday is a day for new to-do lists. It is the day when schedules begin again. It is a return to school for the children, and the return for some quality "me" time. Mondays mean planning ahead, and leaving the past behind.

I have a challenge for you. I want you to start looking differently at Monday. Imagine it as the day that you do something small to turn your life around. If you aren't a to-do list maker, make this Monday the day you start. If you have been meaning to cut the Cola habit, plan to start that this Monday. In fact, write down your plans for the next 4 Mondays. Start with small goals, then work up to the big ones. Look forward to that day as you would a Friday. This will only help you to enjoy your weekend all the more knowing that you have accomplished what you set out to do this week.

Share your goals right here. Tell us what you intend to do to make this Monday not so manic.Make Monday a day to look forward to.

Make it a magic Monday!

 Jump in for the rest of your life!
- Gail Sheehy (from the Foreward of this amazing book)

If you only read one book this year, read this!
                                                                                                                                                                           Are you looking for the fountain of youth? It is in front of you right now. All you have to do is be willing to grab it. This book doesn't teach you how to age gracefully. It teaches you how to live with gusto! Forget aging...aging is for those who think it is their destiny to experience a slow and steady decline in their final third. Change your attitude! Look at it as your NEXT third and enjoy it to the maximum extent! The lesson? Simple rules change your life. In fact, it is a lesson my friend Tony Horton shares in his P90X videos. "Simple rules change your life."

You won't be able to put this book down. In fact, if you are struggling with anything in your life right now, ANYTHING, you will gain inspiration from this bible. Read it. You have nothing to lose for just $10.00...

What is your main priority these days? Where is your focus? Are you struggling with your job, your kids, or your relationship? Is your workout a struggle? Have you not been able to even start a workout yet? Is it all of the above?

Where are you on your list? I have news for you. You should be on top. No, your spouse doesn't come first. No, your children do not come first. No, your job does not come first. You cannot expect to give 100% of yourself to anything if you don't give 100% to yourself first.

In nature, God provides for all creatures by making them provide for themselves first. Lions who do the killing eat first. Then they share with their mates, then their offspring, and if there is anything left, the remainder of the pride. It is important for the one doing the nurturing, the teaching, and the parenting to nurture, educate, and in a sense, parent themselves first. We cannot teach or motivate if we aren't following our own rules for success.

Are you unmotivated? Do your children come home from school to see you parked in front of the television watching Oprah? Do you send them outside on the weekends without participating in their play time? Do you cry when life doesn't go your way? Do you give up on the simplest tasks because you have lost your patience or motivation? These are all learned processes. No one teaches this to your children except you. You are the one that your children look up to. You are the one your spouse looks too when their day was bad. You are the one expected to take on the extra work when your boss comes to you in desperation. Can you honestly do all this if you don't have belief in yourself? You know what I'm talking about. Do you believe you can do the impossible? Do you live it? Do you put yourself first?

Selfishness is not for pussies. It isn't easy to put yourself first. Why? Most likely because we weren't taught to live that way. We were told to always do for others. And that is fine! Just do if AFTER you do for yourself. You don't need a huge ego, and you don't need to make the doorways in your home larger just to fit the big head you may be thinking that you need. You just need to re-prioritize your life. There are many around you who don't and I bet you could pick all of them out. And I bet you could pick out the ones who do! They have amazing attitudes. They practice what they preach. They look like a million bucks. They have learned how to say "no". They have figured out the key to success and happiness. They put themselves first but they ensure that there is room for the spouse and the children. And everything else comes last. Sacrifices are made, don't get me wrong, but great things come from that. Great things!

One of the first things you hear when you board an airplane is "If a drop in cabin pressure occurs, oxygen masks will release from above you. Secure your oxygen mask first and then assist those next to you." Read that over and over. Read it a few times. Allow it to sink in.

Make yourself the priority. Secure yourself. And I promise that everything else will fall into place.

Today is my one year anniversary. On April 19th of 2009, I started this incredible journey. A journey to find myself. A journey to figure out what it was that I was doing wrong. The journey that literally changed my life. I was getting sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time. I was exhausted from not sleeping. I was beginning to look older, and my weight was creeping up.

A dear friend and colleague suggested I try ChaLEAN Extreme. She was doing the workout and seeing amazing results. I thought, if she could do this, for sure I could. Don't challenge me...I'm always up for a challenge, especially one that will change my life. (Thanks, Jan!)

After just one week, I saw changes. Sure, I was sore. Probably the most sore I have ever been after working out. But the workouts knocked me out at night. I was sleeping! I was feeling more energetic during the day. I was waking up ready to tackle everything handed to me. After one month, the weight was literally dropping off. My clothes were looser, my face looked less swollen. The bloat in my belly was dissipating. I took the next step and started a Shakeology regimen daily. Suddenly, I was regular and off of all of the medication I took for irregularity. The skies were clearing, and I was right out there with my chin up, and my expectations high.

Two months later, my stepdaughter was married and my goal of wearing a size 4 dress was a reality. I had reached my first milestone and there was no turning back. Determination had me seeing myself at 118 pounds, and I had no time frame to reach that number. I was just going to keep moving.

All this started a year ago today. If anyone had told me that I'd be here right now, at that 118 goal, boasting about these amazing Beachbody programs, I'd be hard pressed to believe it. I'd also be hard pressed to believe that just by getting up off your ass and eating the right foods at the right time, and adding a healthy, delicious, chocolate shake to my diet would have me now at a size 2, feeling great, turning heads, and finding out who I truly am, and what I am capable of accomplishing.

We are capable of amazing things. The thing is, we just have to start doing them. Because they won't start up themselves. And there is not one person on God's green earth that can convince us otherwise. YOU hold the key to your own success. Get out there and go for it!

Happy Anniversary to me!