Character Building...

I've been reading a book for my job that I have found to have several important points. This one particular chapter I just finished focuses completely on Character. But... WHAT IS IT?!

Character can be summed up as: "What you do when no one is looking".

When it applies to your job, yes, you may do a great job at what you do when the boss is there... But what about when he isn't? Do you follow the same routines and actions when the boss is out of the office? Why not? Your character is tested in these moments BECAUSE your only fooling your boss, not your collauges.

Now let me ask you about your workouts AND EATING HABITS? I continue to hear the same sad lines,
"everyone is skinny and I'm not..."
"why can't I lose weight?"
"I workout, and gain weight!"
"I don't get results, so their isn't any point in workingout"
"what do I do to look like ...."
"I can't get up early..."
"I'm too tired after work..."
"But my friends were eating __________"
"But my friends were drinking ________"

THERE IS NO EXCUSE! EXCUSES HOLD YOU BACK! Your character is developed through digging deep within yourself and saying no to the cheetos, beer, pizza, doughnuts, candy, cake, soda, and the list goes on!
Doing your workouts and saying no to the foods that will get you the negative effects is your character building. Don't tell everyone your doing This, This, and That... but your really doing nothing. Your character of each workout will show as you continue to put effort into each action. We need to self evaluate our goals. Are all your EXCUSES more than your desire to better yourself?

If so, you'll fight through the temptations. A trainer is there to keep you on point. If your going to get a trainer and show up for your workouts but leave his or her gym and have no follow through the rest of the week, don't expect to meet your goals! Your setting yourself up for a disappointment.

What about your walk with God? Are you giving Him the same excuses? I'll be honest, I do at times! I'm very focused on ACTION. I work hard at what I do and give 100%. If I don't see results, I know it's time to change. However, God see's the bigger picture just like a trainer would in your workouts. He see's you fighting through. JUST LIKE YOUR TRAINER CAN'T DO THE WORKOUT FOR YOU to get the results... God has us pushing through some tough things so we can reach the top of the mountain and look down at the puddle of sweat and praise Him.

Whatever mountain your climbing (Character Building) this week, I encourage you to take one step closer. Dig deep and know that you are Blessed. Know that you are loved... Know that You Got This!

W/love
A

Starting...

As Spring is right around the corner and chatter of races swarms the air, I can't help to think back to the first time I decided I wanted to get fit.

Let me take you back to my high school years.  I worked as a waitress and babysat for several families in my communities.  I saved up my money up to buy my very own treadmill from Sears.  We put it in our Living Room and my dad nagged me because it was a huge piece of equipment that he didn't want in our house if I wasn't going to use it.  I would do Tae-Bo or run on the treadmill after school when NO ONE was around.  I would lock the doors so no one could watch me run (or SLOG ... Slow Jog) and if someone came home, I would just stop.  I was so self conscious of my obesity that I didn't want anyone around to make fun of me!

Now I had totally forgot about this feeling until I jumped on the treadmill yesterday and began running.  I started my WARM UP at level 6 and increased up to my full sprint of 7 and kept my steady pace through the next 6 miles.  All the sudden, it struck me that when I FIRST started on my treadmill at home, my SLOG was at 4-4.5 and my goal was to run for just two minutes.  I would step on the treadmill and walk the majority of it!  My endurance was so low!  Man have I increased from there!

I tell this story because even though it isn't the start of a NEW  YEAR, that doesn't mean you can't START NOW!  I'm probably the number one person that doesn't listen to excuses.  Tough Love is SUCK IT UP AND DO IT!  Yes, it's hard, you'll sweat, you'll shed tears... But I've talked to NUMEROUS individuals who have a "POOR ME ATTITUDE"!  They aren't losing weight or making gains and the summer is fast approaching.  They want to look good in a shorts and a suit, but THEY AREN'T WILLING TO WORK FOR IT!  You can't have a body that you aren't working for!  NEWS FLASH! STOP MAKING EXCUSES of why you can eat whatever you want  and skip workouts.  It just doesn't work that way...  Face the facts and be honest with what your putting in your mouth.  If your putting bad into your body, you body will begin to look like what your putting in it... BAD!

You have got to watch the following video:

CLICK HERE--->> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDkUdidasHg&feature=related

Now I have to ask you again... How bad to you want it?  For me, I WANTED to be fit.  I STILL DO... So why do I get up at 4:30am to train?  Why do I workout numerous times in a day?  Why do I eat the way I do?  SELF CONTROL!  It's time for us to stop making excuses for ourselves and others.  Reality is reality.  I'm not going to lie to you.  If you want... You gotta go for it and stop holding back!  I did it, so can you... it's 85% mental so start telling yourself you CAN and have some FOLLOW THROUGH!

WHERE WILL YOU SEE ME NEXT?!
2012 RUN FOR MERCY IN KANSAS CITY!  Received this email: "I'm the Race Director for a  5k/10k race here in the suburban Kansas City area called the Run For Mercy 5k/10k. We are proud of the race - over 4,000 participants in the past 3 years. We're proud of our charity's cause: helping children that are infected & affected by the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Our charity is Oceans of Mercy.The race was my first-ever 5k 7 years ago, one of the biggest accomplishments of my adult life. Now, I have 3 half-marathons under my belt. Many have a misperception that you have to be incredibly fit to do a 5k and have a fear of coming in last. Well, we wanted to take care of that with two honorary positions for the 5k & 10k races - an inspiring person in the running community that could help those toward the back of the pack with encouraging words and a cheerful spirit. As a faith-based organization, I was inspired by the verse in the book of Matthew, "...and the last shall be the first and the first shall be the last." It's about someone putting others before themselves..."

Yes! I will be pulling in the back of the race!

I loved Gene's words, couldn't be anymore well stated!  So, check out the site and see if you can come out and support the cause and run for others and with me!  Lets do this!  Check out the site!   --> http://www.oceansofmercy.com/events/run-for-mercy/about-the-run.html



BeBlessed!
A

VALENTINES!

UGH! VALENTINES DAY!
Since I was younger I can remember every single Valentine's day that I didn't have a boyfriend.  Like all young girls, everyone wants a Valentine.  In school all the girls my age were running around with boy friends starting as young as 2nd & 3rd grade.  I remember waiting for THAT ONE CUTE guy to confess his love and at least give me a card.  BUT, that never happened!  Still waiting on him...

HOWEVER, what I have learned, is I'm not going to wait on Mr. Right feeling sorry for myself and eating my feelings.  I've mentioned this in numerous interviews, but I originally wanted to "Get Skinny" so I could find a guy that would be attracted to me and fall deeply in love and have tons of babies!  My mindset WAS: "NO ONE COULD EVER LOVE A FAT PERSON LIKE ME..."

BUT WHAT I DISCOVERED-> was my mom was right! 

"You can never love anyone until you love yourself."

Up until I lost my weight, I spent my days feeding myself negative thought after negative thought.  I hated myself inside and because of that, I had allowed myself to reach 226lbs.  Through a clean eating diet and a healthy workout plan including weights and cardio I dropped 90lbs.  More importantly though, I also fell in love with myself.  I became self motivated (instead of needing others to motivate me).  I was able to cope with my disappointments in life without eating.  I gained a whole new respect for myself and fit women.  There is a difference between being skinny and being fit!  (The reason for my twitter name Fit_NOT_Skinny)  There are people who can eat WHATEVER they want and not gain a pound... BUT they're no healthier that someone who eats everything and gains weight.  Skinny or overweight- NOT FIT AND HEALTHY!

A FIT&HEALTHY 'LIFE STYLE' only comes into play when you are feeding your body cleanly and combing cardio and weights.  Fit&Healthy includes being positive and KNOWING that you can.  You should be your biggest cheerleader!  First know that you can... THEN TAKE ACTION!

Hate to post it, but it's true! Girls HAVE Muscles!

So for Valentines, take time to love yourself!!! Not by indulging in Donuts, Chocolates, Sugars, Pastries and so forth that you'll later feel guilty about but... Treat yourself to stepping outside your box and EXERCISING WILL POWER!  Look in the mirror and speak POSITIVELY rather than filling yourself with all those NEGATIVE thoughts!  Cheer yourself on... then let that overflow to everyone else you encounter!  ENCOURAGEMENT GOES A LONG WAYS!


Had to take time and show all my followers this....When I started traveling out of town with my trainer to help her teach Zumba and Tighter Assets, I fell in love with the Smith Center ladies!  Such a fit town excited to workout!  Amongst the crowd, there was this lady who was coming to Zumba and her daughters would come as well.  The girls are always involved in school activities, but it was exciting to see young high school girls coming to work on their fitness.  Well Katie, pictured below, has gone farther than any young woman I've met!  She was always beautiful, but since I had moved, I hadn't seen her! That is until today!  She walked into the gym I was at this morning and my jaw dropped (Yes! Double Take!)  I have to COMMEND this young high school senior!  Kids eat and eat lots of crap!  It's hard to EAT CLEAN and be dedicated to your workouts, but this young lady is another example that changing your HABITS= a FIT AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE!  Katie started at 173lbs and is down to 140lbs and looking FABULOUS! Congrats Katie!!!

Katie at 173lbs!

Monica (mother), Abby (Sister), and KATIE!

Katie with her sister Abby!

FOOD!

HOW IMPORTANT IS EATING && HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO FEED YOUR BODY THE RIGHT FOODS?!?

On Thursday I had a marathon of a day. I taught spin at 5:15am and then lifted lower body including doing core circuits.  Showered & then spent time cleaning my apartment and turned around at 10am to teach another spin class.  The ladies in this class never come to my early class and kept promising me one day they would come, but 6months later, still hadn't.  They're always are commmenting on my energy and how they WILL ONE DAY take a class of mine... So today was my day to get at em ;) haha

5AM Spin!

Please take into consideration these ladies are all above 50 and are getting a good workout in!  I'm so proud of their dedication and desire to be fit.  One of these days I'm going to post progression pictures of my these women who have worked with Genesis trainers!  Their success brings tears to my eyes! AGE DOESN'T MATTER ON LOSING WEIGHT... It CAN be done at any age IF YOU WANT IT BAD ENOUGH! I've seen it!

We got started with our warm up and had a blast.  I went as hard with them as I do my other classes and they were laughing and cursing me everytime I said ,"turn your dial" and "don't touch your dial... dig deep and grind out that gear!" haha I still laugh at their faces!  When class was done one lady said, "we want the other lady back... you're a HardAss!" I smiled and said THANK YOU!

THEN, one lady said... "you have to give us props for being here because we are old and outta shape, you don't know what it's like!" EXCUSE ME!? lol  "Actually, I've lost 90lbs!"  Their mouths dropped and they decided it was Q&A time.  Four ladies stood their and chatted about their problem areas and so forth.  I alway like to listen to other peoples thoughts before I dig in and give my thoughts & all I could say is... "What are you eating?!"  They looked at me like that didn't matter!  UMM... THAT'S WHAT MATTERS MOST!  I then got on my soap box and informed them that you could bust your butt for hours a day at the gym... but if your going to stick to the same diet, your not going to get the results you desire.  Then I asked them this question...

90lbs heavy!

"WHAT IF YOU WERE AS DEDICATED TO YOUR 4 HOUR WORKOUTS AS YOU WERE YOUR EATING?"

Their mouths dropped opened... VALID POINT!

Currently 90lb down

BOTTOM line... you need to decide if your Truffels are more important than a fit & healthy life.  It all starts with your mindset and the plan of HOW you will achieve.  Once you have that figured out, then all you have left is FOLLOWING THROUGH.

I share this because it's still a stuggle of mine.  I have to chose healthy Eats.  I have to make sure I don't eat out of emotion.  I have to NOT eat out of habbit... I have to eat to feed my body.  Just like your relationship to grow with Christ... you have to feed yourself.  And if you feed your soul crap... life goes to crap.  Which do you chose.  Set your mind, be strong, and grow positively in mind-body-soul.

Challenge... Chose to encourage the person that annoys you the most and watch God in action!

BeBlessed!
A

Re-Evaluate

3 wks ago

I have to ask how many of you started 2012 with a resolution?
Fill in the blank... This year I will________________.
Who actually set up a PLAN to accomplish ___________?

If no plan of ACTION was set up, I have to say... how are your new years resolutions coming along?

I love the coversations I have with my mother.  She literally is my best friend.  No matter how many times I've gotten upset with her, she has always been there for me.  She always has the best advice and it really truly comes from her faith in Christ.

And as we were talking about my fitness goals, I explained to her how my faith and fitness go hand in hand.  When you set out to achieve better health, is requires a plan.  You plan out your meals, workouts, plan when you will workout, pack your gym bag, buy shoes, follow through.  You go a couple weeks and measure or step on a scale and determine if your making gains.  But you sure don't weigh and measure every day.  You trust your plan of action and follow through.  However, during the weigh in/measuring, if no loss or gain was made- You re-evaluate how your will achieve this goal.

3 wks of lifting 1/2" loss in stomach
than the above picture

I remember when I first started on my fitness journey, I went a whole three months and didn't weigh or measure myself.  I just did my workouts and ate clean.  After a month people were commenting, but I just said, "I don't know".  Right before I went back to school that year, I weighed myself and realized I had lost 35lbs.  I was excited, but exstatic to see what I could achieve if I continued onward with my eating clean and training.

2 years later and 90lbs down, I'm still embracing all that I have learned on my journey.  I change up my workouts and what I'm eating so my body doesn't platue... BUT THE BIG THING- I ASK FOR HELP.  When I don't know, I ask so many of my friends that are happy to guide me.  They have the back group and knowledge and have spent more years on the journey of fitness than I have.  I seek their wisdom and grow.

2 yrs ago...

The same goes for your walk with God.  We set out wanting to be a better Christian.  To live a life pleasing to Christ, however, we sin and fall short.  We get discouraged and give up.  BUT NO NO NO! God knows we aren't perfect.  He loves us and died for us.  We have to take the path of "SUCK IT UP" and "GET TO WORK"  Just because we are followers of Christ, doesn't mean life will be a walk in the park.  Some days being a Christian is like doing Circuits or Burpees!  We all hate em, but the BURN 8 SWEAT makes us stronger.  I encourage you all to look back at where you used to be.  ARE YOU THE SAME PERSON?  If not, are you moving forward.  Have you moved backwords but want to move forward... SET A PLAN OF ACTION!  You have to set a plan and stick to it.  Just like workouts, not all will go well.  It's the day in and day out of trudging, your able to take a look at what you have accomplished.  Don't get discouraged.  You are loved- Know This!

As always, I love hearing your thoughts.  Feel free to send them my way.  I grow as you grow and share your wisdom with me!

BeBlessed
A

Love Yourself Enough!

I guess it’s no surprise to you all that I have another GymStory!  As this new year has begun, I have been able to see a lot of “The Old Alison” in the new comers at the gym.  I share this with you not because I’m a creep at the gym, but because I notice others doing the same thing I ‘used’ to do.

This morning I had just got done teaching spin.  I needed a shower and as I was gathering my things that had tumbled out of my locker, I noticed a woman about my age or a tad bit older getting ready for work.  She had her black slacks on and a nice set of heels.  As all ladies know, you finish straightening your hair before you put your final layer of clothing on. 

Well, this gal was just finishing up, and threw a black sweater over her tank.  She walked over to the mirror and with a disgusted face and sigh, she took it back off.  She went back to her locker and put a different black shirt on.  She walked over the mirror again, deep sigh, and walked back to her locker. Thirdly, she pulled out another back shirt from her locker, one very similar to the first black sweater she had.  Looking at the clock, and a little faster walked over to the mirror, smoothed out the wrinkles, but let out another deep sigh and then walked back to her locker.  I wondered to myself, ‘does she have more shirts in there?’  However, she quickly gathered up her shirts and packed her gym bag up.  And what looked like a last ditch effort, she threw on a black (less fitted) NorthFace jacket and said, “Well I’ll just wear this all day!” 

Now any of you can ask my mother or college roommates… that there were days I literally would go through every single shirt and pant just trying to find the right outfit that I ‘looked’ good in.  In my mind I knew what I wanted to wear and how it was supposed to look.  But when I looked in the mirror, all I could see was how big I was.  The reality, 90lbs overweight, nothing looks good!  So many times I would stand in front of the mirror just eyeing every  part of myself that I hated and wishing the fat would melt away.

I could relate to this woman this morning.  I once was there.  And as the last ditch effort, you through a hoodie or jacket on because it hides the fat, or at least helps cover the fat up. 

I’m here to say, the only way to look in the mirror and be happy with how you look, is by first loving yourself.  You have to love yourself enough to take care of yourself.  You have to love yourself enough to say no to the breads, pastas, creamy sauces, high sodium, and sugar.  You have to CHOSE to eat clean and workout and drink lots of water.  Yes, I hate getting up early and sweating, but it’s a great feeling when I’m done.  It’s a great feeling to look in the mirror and see the results paying off as well.  Fam, you have to take care of yourself.  Love yourself.  Love God and know who you are in Him.

BeBlessed, and as always, your thoughts are always welcomed my way!

A

Loving Yourself Enough?!