9th Annual Run For Mercy 5K & 10K Walk-Run In one week from today, I'll be apart of one awesome race! Yes... Easter weekend I'll be headed to Shawnee, KS for a race to raise money for children infected/affected by the AIDs epidemic in South Africa. The idea behind this race is "Nobody Finishes Last" and I couldn't be more thrilled. Once being a 226lb individual, losing my weight, and then signing up to be apart of any race was terrifying! The scariest part was that I would come in last, which is why I put off signing up for any race. "Why sign up when I knew I'd come in last"? I didn't need my self esteem any lower! However, after my first race, I realized I didn't come in last and I loved every minute of every race I've ever done since then! But for those who are still scared... This race is for you! The campaign is "Nobody Finishes Last". You maybe ask how is that possible... Myself and another individual were asked to be apart of the race and to actually Finish Last. I couldn't be more honored to be apart of such an awesome event. It encourages everyone to be apart of more then a race, but more of what God is doing. It demonstrates exactly what God has called us to do and that is to LOVE each other. Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' – Matthew 22:37-39 By coming together to encourage each other at this race and raise money for children fallen victim to AIDs, we will be honoring Him! I will gladly come in last to know Him children will be encouraged by our efforts. If you want to know more about possibly running this race, praying for our efforts, donating, or just the efforts of Oceans Of Mercy ministry please check out the following: Www.oceansofmercy.com/events/run-for-mercy.html Facebook.com/RunForMercy Twitter.com/RunForMercy Pinterest.com/RunForMercy Please keep myself and all those participating next Saturday in your prayers! BeBlessed

Relevance & importance

Yesterday I was browsing Facebook and as usual, the news feed popped up & for some reason a specific post caught my attention. The post was something about using tanning beds and what one lady would tell herself at age 16. I knew exactly along the lines with the warning of using tanning beds and so forth. I automatically thought, "what a stupid post, I'll tan if I want to tan!". However, as I thought about it more, I was curious about what made me even think someone else's post was so absurd that I would think that exact thought. By no means am I the "every single day tanner" I do jump in the tanning bed once a week to keep color. Some of you may gasp at that thought and want to send mail with all the warning signs of why I shouldn't tan... But you can save the hate mail because this is the thought that I came to after a good hard cardio session... My thought came because those facts aren't IMPORTANT to me. They are irrevevlent to me. I haven't had skin cancer like the woman who made the video about the warning signs of tanning. Then it occurred to me, How many people hate or are annoyed by my several fitness posts and quotes? Granted, yes, they could always unfollow me on twitter or delete me as a friend on Facebook but the bottom line is people tweet and post on Facebook what is IMPORTANT to THEM. &&& what's important to them usually come from each of our own experience. Eating clean and workouts are IMPORTANT to me and I make time for them. Once being a girl weighing in at 195lbs as a 6th grader and that following me up into my college years, I KNOW I never want to be like that again. I will make time to fight against obesity. But this also brings me to the question of why I workout at 5am and then again in the evening. Why do I teach 4 spin classes and still workout ontop of those workouts. It's because it's important to me. So for the person who tells me, "I can't do morning workouts", "I can't workout twice a day", "I can't give up soda", "I have to have my afternoon candy bar".... And the excuses go on and on. In conclusion.... If you WANT it, you'll do it... If NOT, you'll ONLY make excuses! This week I challenge you to evauluate what you have kept making an excuse for a decide if it's important to you or not. Decide to either MAKE IT HAPPEN, or stop whining... It's time we take actions for the desires and goals we have in mind. If you need help, find an accountability partner to really guide you! BeBlessed

Progression IS Success!

I say this over and over, but it's because I really believe it....
A fit lifestyle is a process, not a destination!
I think back to the very first time I decided I was going to start eating clean, I had no idea what I was doing, but I used the resources I had to find out how.  I remember the doctor telling me if I wasn't careful with my eating habits, I could be diabetic by age 25 or 30.  That's when i just did a random search on google to see what a diabetic diet looks like.  I decided, I'll print off this diet and follow it.  For 3 months straight I followed the diet to a "t" and lost 35 pounds.  I stuck with it, and as I continued to read several fitness magazines, books, articles, and blogs, I continued to change my diet.  I found what foods my body responded to positively AND negatively.  I figured out a time to workout regularly and even met with a trainer to really keep me accountable.  90lbs down and still pushing, I have my eyes on a new goal.  

Since December I've been working with a trainer via email, twitter, text, and phone calls.  The guy has the best 12 pack I've ever seen! Literally! I'm envious! For someone who has been significantly over weight ALL OF MY ENTIRE life... A flat stomach is what I desire... However, reality is I can't attain my goal by doing 1000 crunches everyday. The secret is abs are made in the kitchen.  Daily I track my food consumption & meal times are planned.  Workouts are planned.  Everything is planned out because it keeps me from impulsively eating.

Knowledge is key for living a healthy life.  Just like you can't ask someone to go to work for you, you can't ask someone to chose a healthy lifestyle for you. You have to read up, do the research, seek the wisdom and guidance of others who have been there (and that might include getting a trainer who has devoted their life to fitness).

Bottom line, my eating right now... Not the most flamboyant and delicious meals, but they are meals to NOURISH my body and to keep my body in that fat burning mode.  For those of you who have maybe have hit a plateau... It could be time to take a look at your food consumption. Are you slacking anywhere?  For me, a year ago I probably wouldn't have been mentally ready for the diet, but like I mentioned before... It's progression.  I'm bettering myself and challenging myself daily.  Our mind is what holds us back.  If you tell yourself you can't do morning workouts, then you'll never get there.  If you tell yourself you have to have chocolate, pastries, that soda everyday... Your setting yourself up for failure.  I love the quote, "you can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome".  You can't keep doing nothing and expect to look like a fitness model over night.  Dig deep and put the work in.

Since I've started working with Preston, I've lost 2 inches in my stomach & gained lots of muscle.  I keep getting the question if I've lost weight... No! I'm just turning it into muscle.  Don't wait for others to start a fitness trend that takes less work.  Begin today, begin now, begin with your next meal or beverage. Eat Clean, Train Dirty (quote from my twitter fam) 

BeBlessed!