Thank you!!!

 I have gotten some really amazing and encouraging emails this week. It just makes me so proud that I am encouraging and inspiring others. It is always on the days that I am needing motivation that the Lord lays it on someone's heart to reach out to me...so thank you!

 When I started this blog it was really just to hold myself accountable and to give me an outlet to write. I wanted somewhere that I could be completely honest and open about what it is REALLY like to lose weight, and struggle with food addiction and exercise.

I started coaching because I wanted to help people achieve their health goals and to again share my story. People need to see and hear that it can and has been done. And they don't need to just see and hear it in magazines that promise 30 lbs of weight loss in 20 days and on the biggest loser. (Which by the way is one of my favorite shows, but as I have said before it is not feasible in real life...nobody has the ability to workout 6 hours a day....and if they do they shouldn't need the biggest loser)

I just wanted to take a post to say thank you to everyone who reads this blog or follows me on facebook. It is amazing that I have the ability to affect change in peoples' lives. It is amazing that people turn to me when they have questions about diet and exercise. I am still learning, still growing, and still figuring out where I fit in the fitness business. Thank you to all of you who have given me feedback over the last year, and who have helped me along the way!

I sincerely hope that this business takes off and I am able to help people all over the country achieve their goals....because we all know how to lose weight but sometimes we need someone to hold our hand and kick out butt. IF you do not have a health coach let me be that person for you!!! If you are not following the facebook page please do! I post daily (usually more than once a day) about my workouts and what's going on personally in my fitness journey! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Majors-Motivation/167362933372655

This has only just begun!!! Stay tuned for the launch of www.majorsmotivation.com very soon!!!!

 

Sorry Jim Gaffigan....we are NEVER done becoming the best versions of ourselves!! We will never stop learning and working to be better stewards of our bodies! The Lord has sent each of us to earth with a purpose and I am set on fulfilling mine!

Ain't Nobody Got Time For THAT!

I have heard it over and over, and there was a time in my life that I had said it over and over..."Eating healthy is too expensive".

If I only knew then what I know now!! You see when you are buying things like frozen dinners with limited calories, 100 calorie packs, organic whole wheat boxed meals, extra lean ground beef, etc yes eating healthy can be extremely expensive (and not so healthy). But when you learn to eat REAL food, whole food, more veggie based meals it can be very affordable. We have to quit buying diet food!! It is full of fake sugar and nonsense chemicals that are more harmful that beneficial and they do nothing to help you break your addiction to sugar and processed carbs!

As I have mentioned in the past Justin and I use the Dave Ramsey cash envelope system (for more info on that check out www.daveramsey.com) and when we were in college we didn't budget at all and never had any money. We would buy things like hamburger helper and ramen noodles because it was cheap and easy, and we were exhausted between school, work, and parenting Bethany. So what happened when we sacrificed quality for quantity? The weight crept up, and before I knew it my sweet husband was almost 300 lbs and I was back up in the mid 200s.

The difference now? We budget 100 a week to feed our family of 4. We are able to purchase everything we need with this amount. Our diet is plant based and we use a lot of organic frozen veggies which our grocery store often has on sale. We use a ton of beans which are super cheap if you buy them dry (or even in a can) I would love to say that I am one of those super dedicated couponers who saves 1000s of dollars every day at every store, but lets be honest... "Ain't Nobody Got Time For THAT!" And most of those coupons are for food like substances not real food that is actually beneficial for your health.

But some of you are thinking that Aint nobody got time to prep and cook veggies and whole grains. Aint nobody got time to pack a lunch when I can grab a $5 foot long or dollar menu delight. Well if you aint got time for that then you are living on borrowed time anyway. Besides it takes me about 20 min (45 if I'm doing rice) to cook dinner every night and then the leftovers are packed for Justin's lunch the next day and most of the time mine too!

The name of the game in grocery shopping is READING labels!! If you are going to be successful with changing the look of your body on the outside you MUST know what you are putting on the inside. I have a rule that if I cant pronounce an ingredient I avoid it.

Sure it can be irritating to have to throw a cup of oats into the blender to make oat flour but does it really take up that much time? I mean honestly...we live in an age of technology its not like you are grinding it by hand with a rock.

So how do you keep it affordable? Buy what you can dry and frozen. Buy whole grains like Quinoa and steel cut oats in bulk. Check the newspaper for what is on sale that week and base your meals around that. HAVE A PLAN!!! You must know what you are going to eat for dinner and lunch every day!!!! Seriously!

So how do you keep it from taking FOREVER? Use 1 day a week to prep all of your veggies and proteins (if you are eating meat) for the week. This is something that I don't do, because I have my meals that I make regularly down to a science. You can also use your crockpot to do a ton of delish soups that are BTV.

 Here is a photo of my grocery trip on Saturday. I spent $199.04. Aside from our meal necessities and kids' lunch stuff, I bought a few toiletries ($15), toilet paper ($12), paper towel ($4), an ahi tuna steak to take to a party ($8), and baby wipes ($4).

 

If you are needing some more resources check out http://plantbasedonabudget.com/ and http://theultimatedanielfast.com

 

Help Them Help You!!

Anyone ever heard of the freshman 15, what about the newlywed's ever so common 'happy fat', the mommy pudge, or the empty nester's extra fluff. These are things that go hand in hand with crucial changes in a persons life. You see when the support system around you isn't 100% on board it can be extremely difficult to have lasting success and stay motivated. Sometimes they do it intentionally but I would say that 95% of the time they don't even realize they are doing it.

I have several friends who are currently going through this, and that is what has spawned this blog. I got a text today, a call yesterday, and had a talk at bible study not long ago all venting and needing some feed back on what to do when family members and friends have a hard time with your new healthy lifestyle.

As you all know, Justin and I have been fortunate enough to have each other to lean on during the last half of my weight loss journey, but it hasn't always been that way for me. Don't get me wrong having a spouse to hold you accountable and keep you on target makes eating right and exercising so much easier, but like I said it hasn't always been that way. My history of attempting life change started and failed a long time before I met my sweet husband.

How many of you know a couple who struggle with this exact situation: "He just doesn't understand what I am going through, he can eat what ever he wants and not gain an ounce"

Or the friends that say "Oh come on you can have that piece of cake, you deserve it! You've been working so hard."

Or the husband that is so sweet to fix (or buy) dinner while you are running the kids to their practices but you come home to enchiladas with extra cheese and a cheesecake for dessert. He brought you this because he knows they're your favorite and you are seething mad because you cannot eat them.

You see they are trying to make you happy, trying to be kind and supportive, and trying to love you but what they don't realize is that they are tempting you and causing you to take 1 step forward and 2 steps back. I am not going to lie to you this is a tough situation. You love these people and they love you! That is why this conflict is so tough. The best way to handle it is to address it straight up.

When you decide what eating plan and exercise routine works for you, let them know exactly what your plan is. Ask them to hold you accountable, or take it a step further and ask them to join you. Let them know the best thing they can do to support you is not to tempt you, and to encourage you to stay on plan.

1 Corinthians 8:13 says "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."

If they are eating your favorite thing in the world (for me that would be carrot cake) and you know that just one bite of that can send you into a downward spiral of junk eating and a backslide for the record books, let them know that. Just simply ask them not to bring it around you. You would never offer an alcoholic a glass of the Merlot they used to call their favorite would you? Or someone trying to quit smoking a puff on your cigarette? No that's just cruel. The same is said for someone who is trying to break a cycle of bad eating.

My father is a recovering alcoholic. He tells me all the time that if he ever had to restrict his eating he would go crazy. This coming from a man who quit drinking cold turkey 5.5 years ago and never looked back. Junk food addiction is real, and we should be able to talk to each other about it.

Have a real conversation with them, let them know exactly what you need for them to support you. Once you are strong in your will it wont be as hard to turn down tasty treats, and once you are at a place that it wont cause a back slide or binge you will be able to have small quantities of those treats!

I know it may sound nice on paper and you are thinking yeah whatever Ryan, you can say that all you want but you don't know how they will react. Well, no I don't know them, but if they really love you they will want you to be happy, and if you're not happy with the way you feel in your current state they will help you get to that happy place, you just have to be straight with them and hold strong to your convictions!

photo credit:www.myrecipes.com -uniquehealthandwellness.com 

New side by side!

I finally took a few miniutes to make a new before and after side by side! I will post another post soon, but just wanted to get it on here!

Also if you are not currently following our Facebook page please come visit!
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Majors-Motivation/167362933372655

Better Than Vegan Dinner Party

Justin and I are constantly getting asked how we have achieved and maintained successful weight loss.  The actual equation for weight loss is simple, eat less and exercise more. However there are literally thousands of diet plans, eating guidelines, diet programs that come with a diet, book stores have aisles dedicated to only weight loss and weight loss cookbooks. You can't turn on the tv, open a magazine, get on Facebook or twitter or even fox news with out hearing about the latest trend in weight loss.

Justin and I chose an approach that many would see as extreme, but it has really worked very well for us. I could talk about plant based eating for hours, I love to educate friends and family about our lifestyle because not only have we had great successes with watching the number on the scale drop, we just feel better!

Justin and I are blessed with amazing friends who are willing to try new things, so we hosted our first dinner party since moving to VA, and we served all Better Than Vegan food.

What is BTV, you ask? Oh I am glad you did! Justin and I coined the term when we first began the Daniel Fast in January 2012. The Daniel Fast is a 21 day partial fast where you eliminate all meat, dairy, added sugar, white flour, yeast, and any chemical from your diet. You essentially eat only fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, and water to drink. This is meant to take your focus off of food and place that focus on the Lord and using your body in service to Him. It is meant to take that idol of food out of your life, and allow you to worship only Him.

In the first few days of the fast it isn't all smiles and happy feelings, in fact it is terrible. As you go cold turkey eliminating all of the processed junk and chemicals from your diet your body literally goes through a detox, and you are like a drug addict during detox...it isn't pretty. Justin coined the term Worse Than Vegan, because at least vegans can eat bread.

But just as alcoholics come out of the detox feeling better than ever and loving their new addiction free life, so did we. We began to feel lighter, in control, closer to each other, and most importantly closer to the Lord. We were able to take the control back from the food that had reigned over us for so many years. After the 21 day Daniel Fast was over, we decided to keep going. So Worse Than Vegan became Better Than Vegan. And not only does BTV encompass the diet we choose, it also gives us the freedom to eat other things in small quantities every once in a while. So you're thinking oh, they never eat meat I couldn't do that I love steak too much...so do we! So every once in a while, about 3 times a year, Justin and I will go out to dinner and eat a steak. But it is no ordinary steak, oh no.....it is only the best of the steaks because we are not going to waste our night out and our time of abstinence from red meat on any old steak. It teaches you to really appreciate it when you splurge. We also have added back in a few things like shakeologey (which is very close to being BTV), honey, coffee, red wine, beer, and the occasional margarita! The difference between the way we treated the things we have added back in now is that it is in small quantities.

 So onto the story of the party! Justin's friend at work, Dani, has been wanting to add in more plant based foods into her diet, but she didn't know where to begin in preparing them. We had been talking with her for months about trying to come down and hang out on a weekend and we would cook for her. Well life in VA is insane and everyone is always very busy so it had taken us forever to get that day planned. Finally we both had a Saturday that would work, and we decided to have everyone over that we had wanted to have come over for months! So the BTV dinner party was born.

I absolutely love being a hostess! It was so much fun to watch everyone mingle and meet and new friendships being made right in my family room! We had several friends from church with their kids, my friends Ashley and Jeff from the gym and their 3 handsome sons, and Dani and her boyfriend! It was a blast!

We had red and white wine, some beers from the local brewery, and here is the menu:

Major's homemade salsa, guacamole, corn cilantro salsa, cowboy caviar, and a hummus I buy at Costco with tortilla chips, cracklesnacks (veggie crackers that rock), and pop chips to dip for appatizers.

Then we had oven roasted asparagus, grilled veggie kabobs, amazing grilled portabello caps, and quinoa with tomatoes and green chilies.

I made a fruit salad, and Justin was going to grill pineapple for dessert but we were all so full from the main course we forgot to put it out!

We also had about 10 kids at the house so we served them hot dogs (yes all beef) and they had an ice cream bar for dessert where they got to choose the toppings.

All and all everyone liked the food, and had a great time! I am already excited to plan the next dinner party. Justin says it needs to be a bring your own meat party to off set this one....we shall see!

Thank you to all of our friends for coming and having an open mind about the food!

Oh and check out my fun outfit I wore to the party....My mom got me this outfit for Christmas! I love it!

 

 

Happy New Year!!!

I cannot believe it is January 2nd! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time passes by as an adult. Maybe it's after you have kids, not sure, but I do know that it was just January 2012 and now here we are a year later! I would like to celebrate a year of blogging as Major's Motivation!! While I haven't blogged as much as I would have liked this year, I am setting one of my goals for 2013 to work on the blog at least a couple times a month!

I started off 2012 with a hangover and tight jeans, and I am happy to say that 2013 did not begin that way! I started off 2013 with a clear mind, a bowl of oatmeal, and cardio & weight lifting with my husband!

This entry I would like to discuss goal setting with you. It seems that everyone and their dog, mother, aunt, and pet hamster are setting new years resolutions and posting them on Facebook and twitter! Don't get me wrong I am all for putting those goals out there for the world to see...that's what started this blog! But I have an issue with the new years resolution.

I understand that a new year starts and symbolizes new beginnings for people. But why do we have to wait until Jan 1? And why the resolution... I will resolve to make an entire 180 in every aspect of my life on January 1st and by January 7th you're over it! Believe me I have made this mistake year after year. I would vow to get on a budget, eat right, exercise, read my bible, spend time really talking to my husband, and then I would wake up a week later over drawn in my checking account with a bad diet, right back where I started....so in the Major house we do not make new years resolutions.

 Justin and I set weekly and monthly goals. Most of the time they are the same, a family goal, a goal for our marriage, a goal for Major's Motivation, and a fitness goal. Sometimes they repeat and a lot of the time the have to do with prayer, reading my bible, amount of workouts, and they ALWAYS have a deadline.

That is the problem with the resolution....it is too broad! We will find a way to cheat ourselves out of achieving the life change we desire on January first because there is no timeframe to hold us accountable! To set good goals you need to be SMART!  Setting SMART goals is something I learned years ago and started applying, this is also something I teach my clients to do, and encourage them to continue with weekly. Paul J Meyer talks about SMART goals in his book, Attitude is Everything.

photo from http://dreamchoosers.com/s-m-a-r-t-goals


So I encourage you all to take a few days to reflect on your 2012 resolutions...what happened? Maybe they really stuck, maybe you achieved that complete 180...but if you're like the majority of those people who take up all the elliptical machines and parking spots at the gym the first 2 weeks of January and then disappear never to be seen again (until next January), you need a little help setting those goals.

Then spend some time in prayer, find out what God is leading you to, his plans may be way better than your plans!

And finally find someone to really hold you accountable. My husband is that person for me. I am that person for my health coaching clients. Find someone who is knowledgeable and that you can trust. And it usually helps if that person has walked through your struggle....if you need help with weight loss find someone who has been there and done that. If it is financial accountability find someone who has achieved financial freedom (I recommend the Dave Ramsey program, we are no where near finished with it but it has done wonders for our bank account and marriage!). If it is reconnecting with your spouse, talk to a family counselor or trusted friend who will positively encourage you.

No matter what your struggle may be, there is someone out there who has walked through it. When I was obese I used to wonder why I couldn't just be skinny like the other girls. I would ask God to give me a different metabolism, a different body type. But now as I look back on those years as the chubby kid, the obese teen, and morbidly obese young adult I know that I had to walk through that so I could come out victorious and teach others that there is a better way!



Check out www.beachbodycoach.com/ryanmajor for more info on workouts and shakeology!

Make the change!

People ask me pretty much everyday how I did it. How did you lose the weight? How do you eat so strictly? Why can't I lose the weight? How do you find time to get to the gym everyday?

It comes down to being ready to make the change. Being ready to make a complete 180 degree change from eating poorly and not exercising to eating REAL, healthy, food and getting off your duff and doing the work. I looked for an easy way out for 10 years...it does not exist! Truly losing weight is a matter of burning more calories than you are consuming and working your body so it can convert fat to muscle.

So there it is! You MUST be ready to make the change. No person, company, or diet plan can do it for you. Sure you can do it half assed and lose a few lbs and a couple inches but trust me when I say it will not be lasting. This is not something that you do for a season, it is a lifestyle. I have been working out at the same gym pretty much every week day for over a year. What I have found is that at the time I go, I see the same faces everyday. The same people are there, their kids are in kids club everyday. Our gym has amazing people working in their child care. Madison has been going since she was 5 months old, and she loves those girls! Bethany can't wait to go to see her friends on the evenings we go to the gym. Sure a few new people come and go with the seasons (esp the new year...that is entertaining to see all of the new years resolution members come in hard core for a week, hurt themselves, and take a break until next January) but for the most part the members stay the same.

So it is about a commitment. Not to a gym or eating plan or health coach but to yourself. Do you need an eating plan? Absolutely! Do you need a gym? It's either that or one of the amazing team beachbody workouts you can purchase here: http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/ryanmajor
If you are interested in health coaching shoot me an email! I can get you in touch with someone in your area who can provide amazing services!

My husband and I have made this 180. and we are still working out daily and eating real food. Do we treat ourselves? Yes!! Do we believe in loving ourselves? YES!! It's not about restriction, its about taking care of our bodies so we can be good stewards of our blessings!

I have a confession...

Ladies and Gentlemen it is time to come clean. I have a very serious confession to make. I suffer from a rare but serious condition....A fear of the TREADMILL!!!

I know what yall are thinking, seriously Ryan....a fear. And while it isn't one of those things where I can't see them or anything crazy, I literally find it almost impossible to workout on one.

I think it mostly goes back to being self conscious. When I was extremely obese I wouldn't run on one because it sounded crazy loud and shook with each strike of my foot on the belt. I also have a history of being shot off of the end of the treadmill. And although that memory still makes my friend Ashley who happened to be on the machine next to me at the time laugh hysterically...it has haunted me for almost 10 years.

So in this time of the dreaded plateau that I find myself in, I have finally had to give in to the fact that I am also in a fitness rut and need to switch it up to continue on my journey. In my quest to set new fitness goals it all kept coming back to running. Run a 5k people would say, train for a tough mudder, or what about a half marathon. I would shoot those suggestions down in a heart beat because the 300 pound girl inside me was thinking are you NUTS?! I CANNOT RUN, and it's winter, training for a run means the treadmill....so I was out on that deal!

In the past my excuses for skipping the dreaded running machine included my boobs, "They're just too big and flop around when I run", my knee "It can't handle the impact", and well "It's Hard!"

My husband spends about 5 hours a week on the treadmill, and he loves the way he feels after a great run. After weeks of not so gentle encouragement from him, I finally decided it was time to try it out. I made it my goal to run 1 mile on the treadmill with out stopping. I thought that was an easily attainable goal because I usually run 2 miles or more on the elliptical each day when I am not in a high intensity cardio class. So about 2 weeks ago I took my first jog on the treadmill. Keeping my incline on a 2.0 and my speed around 5mph off I went. The first 5 min were easy...fun even. My boobs are no longer an issue, in fact they pretty much don't move at all in a sports bra. My knee, still hurts a little but after being checked out by a doc I found out it is a ligament issue...not a cartilage issue. Plus my iPhone was blaring one of my favorite Pandora stations and I got in a good rhythm. Before I knew it my mile was up, and I had done it!!

The rest of that week I ran every day, getting faster and stronger. This week I have even experimented with intervals on the treadmill, different inclines, and even got up to 7.5 mph sprints. And you know what, the Husband was right!!!! It has made insane improvements already. Yesterday I decided to get back on the elliptical to see how different it felt after my 2 weeks of treadmill running. It was a breeze! I ended up going about twice as fast on it and ran 4.39 mi in 35 min.!!! And still felt good enough to take a yoga class and do abs!

The moral of my story is that sometimes we need to take risks even if they seem small. Getting out of our comfort zone can make you feel empowered and successful. I no longer feel like I can't do something that it seems so many enjoy. I no longer feel restricted to the elliptical and stair machines. I still don't know if I will be signing up for any long runs any time soon, I will keep y'all posted!

Fat day blues!

There are some things that I need to address. Some things that I have alluded to in the past but haven't really elaborated on.

I am talking about body image! This can make or break you for the entire day. We all want to put our best foot forward right? We all try to look our best and make a great impression. That is after all a huge part of the way we are perceived as healthy, successful, smart, competent, etc. So what are we supposed to do or think when we look in the mirror and no matter how hard we have worked, or what we have achieved we still see a fat or unhealthy reflection? This is something that I struggle on more than a daily basis. I will look in the mirror and still see my old self, or even if I see my new body size, I still only focus on imperfections.

As we all know, we are our own worst critic's, but when the mindset of a 'fat day' sets in, it can ruin your entire day. When you feel fat, or blah you don't feel like putting on your workout clothes because they're tight, so you skip the gym. When you skip the gym you tend to eat like crap, which makes you feel fat which in turn makes you skip the gym....its a vicious cycle.

Check out this blurb I found in an article on fitsugar.com:

Feeling thin or fat is an illusion constructed in our posterior parietal cortex — an area of the brain that integrates sensory information from different parts of the body. Unlike your sense of touch, there are no specialized receptors in your body that send information to the brain about the size and shape of your body parts, says lead study author Henrik Ehrsson, MD, PhD. "Instead, the brain appears to create a map of the body by integrating signals from the relevant body parts such as skin, joints, and muscles, along with visual cues," he says.

 

So you see, we are not crazy or experiencing depression or self hatred (well you might be and if you are I would suggest you seek out professional help). This is a normal brain pattern, and we have to recognize that and move on during the day. Here is the link to the whole article so you can learn from their tips on turning around a fat day.  http://www.fitsugar.com/How-Feel-Fat-25314402?spi_source=popsugar.com&spi_campaign=tagalert_email&spi_medium=email

 

There are a ton of resources out there about body image and how we can fix it. If you need more info or article please shoot me an email, I have a bunch more on hand. Also keep several 'before' photos on hand...never forget where you were so you can appreciate how far you have come!

 

As you all know my journey to health is very closely tied to my relationship with God. So even though I have read a ton of info on body image and how to fix it, the best way I have found is to ask the Lord to give me a very clear view of my actual reflection. To give me a proud sense of self in order to carry out His tasks he has given me for the day. You see we are not simply living out our days for us, we are here with a purpose. We must be healthy in order to complete any task he may set before us!

 Huge shout out to my husband for breaking through the 90lb loss threshhold!!

 

_________________________

Is it really possible that it has been 2 months since my last blog post? That is terrible! I am so sorry! This fall has come on fast and strong! We are all out insane busy right now! Between running kids to school and piano and riding lessons, keeping up with the family, being in charge of Sunday school at church, and Major's Motivation life is crazy!

 

 



Back to Nature!

So the weekend after the theme park we decided to take the girls up to the mountains in the Shenandoah and go hiking! Justin grew up in Oregon in a town surrounded by wilderness and mountains...I did not. I grew up in the Texas Hill Country, and the only hiking I had ever done was up the trail at enchanted rock **still a great time and if you're in central TX you've gotta do it!!**

We made the hour drive to the mountains, and began the hike. I was a little hesitant about how Madi would do with being carried all the way up, and we would still be on the way up if she was walking herself. But she did great! She rode all the way up and down the mountain on Justin's shoulders.
Bethany, who is not a nature girl when it comes to bugs so this could have been bad...but she also did great! She complained less than we expected and completed the full hike! She only fell down a few times, and by the end I think she learned how to avoid the sticks on the ground that were tripping her up. I absolutely loved the hike! I love being outside and this was right up my alley! I love the trees and the smells, and the little creeks and streams that are all around! It was beautiful!! My first hike will certainly not be my last!

I know this blog is intended to be about health and fitness and this post as well as the last have a lot to do with family. I am posting these things because as we improve our health we are able and willing to do more active things with our kids! It is awesome!

I want my kids to lead active lifestyles, to see past the television to the world around them, and put the laptops down and find true adventure.

I also post these things to encourage you to get out and play with your kids. Ask them to join you for your workouts, teach them about fitness from the get go, so they don't have to fight an uphill battle for health like so many of us!

Bethany is a morning person...like a really early morning person. She usually gets up about an hour before Madison and I (as in 6am, she's crazy). The last 2 mornings I have come down to the living room to find my yoga mat out on the floor. She did her kids' yoga workouts on her own, and was folding laundry. Just gotta say...awesome kid!

I wear a fitbit everyday to track my steps and fitness each day....we logged 7 miles at Kings Dominion (not including the water park), we hiked 4.35 mi on the mountains and 615 feet!! Family fun days can be a great way to get your workouts in!

Roller Coasting!

A couple weeks ago Justin and I embarked on a journey most parents cringe at...we took the kids to the theme park. I say cringe because lets be honest this can be a less than desirable experience depending on the age of your kids.

This is the time that we are reminded exactly how inconvenient the 6 year age gap in our kids is, especially at these ages. Bethany can ride pretty much everything and Madison doesn't understand why she can only ride baby rides. Neither one of them are going to go on their own and Justin and I cant ride anything together because someone always has to be with the kids. So needless to say we had been avoiding the whole situation. Not to mention the last time we went to a theme park we were both overweight. I was on the smaller side after my initial weight loss, and hadn't gained a lot of it back just yet, and his marriage weight gain was on the rise.

But going to a theme park as an overweight or obese person can really be terrible. You can't fit comfortably into the seats on most rides, or even ride some of them because of a weight limit. Walking confidently in the water park? YEAH RIGHT!

Justin and I like to think of ourselves as fun parents and we do really enjoy roller coasters, so we were semi excited about that part of the visit to Kings Dominion. We arrived when the park opened with 2 very excited, sunscreen coated girls. And we had a great day! There was no drama (well...minimal drama we do have 2 daughters) and both kids did great all day!

I met a fellow fitness and health coach watching Madison drive the monster trucks, and that was a total God thing. We were discussing how being at a place like Kings Dominion really shows us how we are the small percentage of the population that is health conscious. 'Gym Rats', 'Health Nuts', we are the exception, not the rule. I guess it is human nature to flock to those similar to you. I am at the gym everyday and everyone there when I go is for the most part always there. I go to church at Lifepoint every Sunday, and everyone there is on fire for Christ. In my little bubble of influence everyone is pretty positive, genuine, and encouraging. It isn't until you go places like the theme park full of the general population that you realize how unhealthy and unhappy the general population can be. People screaming at their children, morbidly obese people on scooters (eating fried oreos...seriously people you can't make this stuff up), and the group of 9 year old boys in front of us in line at the water park who were talking like thugs, cussing in front of their mother who did nothing to correct them. Not my favorite.

 Universal Studios 2010

 Kings Dominion 2012 (We look so much younger....except for Bethany...she looks like a baby in the Disney photos!)

 Thanks Madi for the awesome family photo with the peanuts characters!

Finding people to do life with that lift you up and encourage you to be the best version of yourself is crucial to meeting and keeping your fitness goals. On the days that I stumble I am so blessed to have a spouse to lift me up and encourage me. On the days when I just don't feel like working out, I am blessed to have a beachbody coach to tell me to push play or head to the gym. Everybody needs somebody to hold them accountable. Please let us know how we can help encourage you! Major's Motivation has openings for in home health coaching and is now accepting new clients!

FINALLY BACK!! Tons of recap!

Good morning!! I am so happy to be able to sit down and knock out this blog for y'all! It has been a crazy busy summer. I was in Texas for the entire month of June. This proved to be quite the challenge fitness wise, but I managed. My weight was maintained and I managed to lose 4.5 inches!! So it was a good month!

When I was in Texas I was able to speak with a friend of mine who is also a health coach. She had some great advice, and I also joined her as a Beachbody Coach!! While I am not one for home sales companies, and I know that they give a lot of people a funny feeling, I have to say a company whose mission is to end the trend of obesity is one I want to be a part of!

It was great being home with my family for a month, getting to ride horses each day, and see everyone. The girls had a blast!

Now that I am home I am doing my best to hit it HARD with the workouts. I am doing Brazilian Butt Life (an amazing home workout through beachbody). When I decided to buy BBL I wanted to just add it in and not eliminate any of my gym workouts. I thought it wouldn't be that hard since it was a DVD workout and I could keep doing what I was doing plus BBL.....NOT THE CASE!! It is hard!! Plus that equals 3 hours a day working out...something that I just don't have. So I am down to 1 hour in the gym and 1 hour for BBL. Some days I get it all in but that is rare.

The coaching business is going really well! I am offering a free 30 day trial of coaching when anyone buys a beachbody workout!!

 Here is a photo from my college roomie and bestie's wedding with Madi and my Dad!!

I will use some more TX photos for our progress photo from July...but it will be on tomorrows blog b/c it's already time for M-DAY!!!

6 Months of tracking....

When I began tracking my weight loss and measurements through a spreadsheet I had no idea what that would look like in 6 months!!

It has been 6 months since we switched to a plant based diet, and 8 months since I started my daily gym routine and almost a year since I set my sights on losing baby weight!! I will share with you some statisitcs since January!!

Since January 1st I have:

Lost 35.5 lbs

Lost 4.75 inches from my bust

Lost 4.25 inches from my waist

Lost 3 inches from my hips

Lost 3.25 inches from my thighs

Lost 2.25 inches from my arms

Taken my BMI from 31 5/9 to 26 even

What blows my mind is that this is just what I have been able to do in the last 6 months. This doesn't include what I did from July-December of 2011. This time last year I was losing the weight from having a baby, and honestly I felt okay about my body. I wanted to lose 20 lbs and get back down to my wedding weight....but other than that I didn't have much more in mind. I didn't think I could get lighter than when I got married! Well did that plus 33 on top of it. A 53 pound loss in a year! Sounds like a small number (considering I have lost 140lbs total) but 35 of it has happened since January!

I hope these numbers give you all hope. I hope that watching my journey shows you that you can do this too!

The health coaching business is offically open!! Please stay tuned for the launch of our website!! COMMING SOON!!!

www.majorsmotivation.com

June 2011!!
4 generations of strong beautiful women! (Photo By Judson Baker)
I am so blessed to have a mom and nana who support me!!

I will post a new 4 generations photo when I get to Texas NEXT WEEK!!!!! So ready for some ranch living and Lone Star state in my life!!!

It's that time again!!! M-DAY!!!!!

Here we are again at the beginning of another new month! May was a great month for me!! Sure I fell short on my lb loss goal, but I am realizing that my body will do what needs done on its own time. I just need to embrace my new shape, and enjoy the muscle mass and tone I am building!!!

I am adding a new category to my measurements, and that is body fat percentage!!

From M-day Last Month I have lost....

4.5 lbs

Bust stayed the same (glad!! I dont care to lose anymore)

.50 inch from my waist

.25 inch from the hips

.25 inch from my right arm

.25 inch from my left arm

right thigh stayed the same

left thigh stayed the same

neck stayed the same

 

 

My body fat percentage was 23.21% May 1st

 

June 1st it is 23.09% (I would like to get it into the Athlete range)

 

 

Jan 1

Feb 1

March 1

April 1

May 4th

May 1

 

 June 2

  June 1

 June 1

I realized that I have only been posting my monthly photos in my workout clothes...June is proof that I do own other clothes. lol

Oh so long ago....

My 19th Birthday

I have been going through old photos all morning today. I was kind of shocked looking through all of these pictures again. You know how it is when you have your picture taken...you only keep the ones you think you look good in.. I am posting some of them here to remind myself how much better I feel now, and while I have always felt that I was pretty, I am so much happier being healthy and fit. I also want you all to know that no matter how little or how much weight you want or need to lose, you can do it!

Leading an NYCHA meeting, Mississippi 2004

March 2005

2005

Summer 2005, after a Kenny Chesney Concert...looks like my life revolved around food!

Plucking a banjo in an antique store....

And just for good measure...Here is one of me from last month! I have lost about 10lbs since this photo!

Makes me weak in the...legs?

So as many of you know I am always excited when my gym gets new equipment and gadgets to play with. I am also a big fan of the biggest loser (even though it sets up unrealistic expectations of weight loss and can cause some people to fail because they don't lose 20lbs their first week of exercising so they give up...but I digress).

Anyway a few weeks ago my gym added the TRX training system...which is basically a bunch of straps that hang on a bar that pivots and you use these straps to do body weight exercises. The trainers on The Biggest Loser use these a lot. Pretty intimidating if you have no idea how to use them. Because they are a new thing, the gym offered a free intro class weekend...the weekend we went to the beach. I was pretty bummed because we missed it and I didn't want to pay for a personal training session just to learn how to use some straps on the wall. But luckily they were offering free sessions, you just had to sign up.

So last night was my first experience with these new things. I was pretty nervous, especially because I hadn't worked out with a trainer since October and I didn't even know if I could do these crazy body weight exercises. That little voice of negativity was coming out in my head, and I just had my doubts...even though I am getting so much stronger than I was before!

Working out with the trainer was great because he was able to tell me when I am doing things wrong. I was pretty annoyed to hear that I have been doing my squats wrong for the last FOREVER because my legs track wrong and all I had to do to fix it was angle my foot the other direction. But I am glad I know.

He said that my upper body strength was great, but that my core and legs were weak. The core part I was aware of...but the legs?! I grew up on a horse ranch for goodness sake! My legs should be rock solid! I used to be able to press an ungodly amount of weight with my legs...but thinking about it I haven't done presses in about 4 months! But I do a zillion squats (the wrong way apparently) and lunges. So this week will become about my legs, my inner thigh in particular. If anyone has any great inner thigh exercises they would like to share please do!

The exercises on the TRX system were very challenging but doable. Just kind of awkward the first time you do them. Mainly because you are suspended and may or may not fall. I worked up a great sweat, and am pretty sore this morning. All and all I would say I like them! Maybe I'll be brave enough to try them without assistance..who knows!

 For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, this is the stap system. Photo from http://www.lmu.edu/studentlife/studentaffairs/athleticsrec/burnsrec/fitwell/pt.htm

Don't give me your excuses!

Do you ever have those moments where you are talking to someone and can't help but have an entire conversation in your head 'with' them, but you know that if you said what was actually going through your mind you would, A. hurt their feelings or B. be completely inappropriate?

Come on, I know you all know what I am talking about. I find myself feeling this way quite often. I love to share my story with people. I love to let them know that being morbidly obese or just overweight in general does not define them, and that if they are unhappy with being unhealthy they have the ability to change it. But during these conversations I am always given a rebuttal of rehearsed excuses. The excuses that you can tell they use so often that they have come to define them. The old knee injury from high school, the kids, the job, their asthma, they can't change their diet because it's too expensive to eat healthy, they can't afford to work out because the gym is expensive, they don't have the time, they can't because because because! Ahh! It is overwhelming to think that they are so scared to make a few small changes to their habits, too scared to save their own lives.

I know why they are giving me this barrage of nonsense because I have been one of them. I couldn't lose weight because of X, Y, and Z. But here's the deal...Every excuse is just a choice to fail. It is giving yourself a justification for why you are in your current situation. We hear them in our spiritual life, we see them in relationships, in our jobs; everywhere. People are so ready to justify their actions to make themselves feel better and get you off their back!

I can give you advice, show you how to work out, and teach you about eating healthy until I am blue in the face but it will all be a waste of time if you are not ready to not only make a significant life change, but also to stick with it!

Last week Pastor Daniel's sermon was about putting your 'want to' to work. You have to put in the work. Our society is so used to instant gratification that we expect to lose 100lbs overnight, and when the weight is gone we expect to look like Jennifer Aniston. I've got some news for you, you didn't gain those extra pounds in 1 day, you're not going to lose them in 1 day either and if you didn't look like Jenn before you aren't going to look like her after. There is no quick fix or short cut to health. It is not easy, it is hard. It will hurt, it will take more planning in your day. Yes, you will have to put a lot of effort in. But if there is anything I have learned it is that you will get out of it what you put into it.

Why do diets fail? Because people are constantly trying to cheat on the diet. Who are you really cheating? Weight Watchers isn't the one who will have to lay down to zip their pants, that's you.

You have to find what motivates you, and use it. Think about it every day. For me, the initial motivation was being in my 3 best friends weddings this year. After the baby was born I knew I needed to whip it into shape to be an example for my daughters, but I wouldn't have put a deadline on my goal unless I knew I had to stand up in front of my entire hometown (which is pretty much accurate between all 3 of the weddings) in bridesmaid dresses. Now my motivation is so much deeper than just looking good in a dress. It's my health, it's the health of my husband and children, its inspiring others, its teaching others, it's using health as my ministry, and I tell you what when you know where your motivation lies you can tap into those reserves and power through to reach your goals when you don't thing you stand a chance.

If your motivation is being a certain size, buy a really nice pair of jeans in that size and hang them on your wall. Make a photo of them the wallpaper on your phone. Plaster them everywhere.

If it's a goal weight make signs that have that number on them and hang them all over your house. Especially on your fridge.

As for your excuses...here are my rebuttals...
The old knee injury from high school: It's been 20 years, the injury has healed and if it still bothers you try water aerobics.
The kids: most gyms offer child care. If you don't have access to a gym with childcare, take turns going to the gym in the evenings with your spouse. OR make exercise a family affair: take a walk, play football in the backyard, ride bikes, etc
The job: people who appear to be fit and in good health have a better chance of being promoted, get in shape and you might get a raise.
Their asthma: Don't run...you can still do some form of exercise and inhalers are small...it will fit in your pocket. (I have a good friend who is a successful ballet and jazz dancer who suffers from asthma...you can walk the block after work)
It's too expensive to eat healthy: We actually spend less money on our food now...Just sayin'
The gym is too expensive: Jogging is free, walking is free, running up and down the stairs at your house is free, a jump-rope costs less than $10, push ups are free, crunches are free, jumping jacks are free, if you have cable you have a fitness on demand channel that is included in your cable bill...use it! There are sooooo many options!
TIME: If you have time to read this blog, to look on facebook, to watch the Law & Order SVU marathon on tv...you have time to exercise! A 1 hour work out is 4% of your entire day....just get it over with and you will have more days in your lifetime to refresh your news feed every 6 seconds!

Knowing that I am in the best physical shape of my life makes me feel like a million bucks. Knowing that what ever the Lord asks of me next I will be able to do because I am physically capable. When I teach preschool Sunday school I can jump for the entire song and the kids will get tired before me....That's awesome!

I know that there are legitimate reasons why people can't exercise and I get that, but that doesn't mean they are sentenced to a lifetime in an unhealthy body. You are in control of what food enters your body. You are in control of how many calories you burn on a daily basis. You have the power to change your body. If you feel like you can't.....check in with the Lord, he is just waiting for you to ask him to move those mountains. He can and will set you free from your excuses, and give you that extra push you need when you feel like you can't do it!

M-day Results are in!

It has taken me longer to post this than I wanted. BUT here it is. April was not a huge month loss wise. I messed up by not setting a clear goal, and not focusing even with company and vacation. Disappointing, but at the same time it helped me to get focused in again, and come at the loss goals with renewed energy for May.

From M-day Last Month I have lost....

3 lbs (womp womp womp)

.5 inches from the Bust

.25 inch from my waist

.25 inch from the hips

.25 inch from my right arm

.5 inch from my left arm

right thigh stayed the same

 left thigh stayed the same

neck stayed the same

 

 Jan 1

Feb 1

March 1

 April 1

 May 4th

 May 1

I am so thrilled with the way my body has been changing over the last few months. My muscle tone is looking good, and I am loving clothes shopping!

For the month of May Justin and I are having a challenge, first one to lose 12 lbs wins. So far 6 days into the month we are tied...we have each lost 3 lbs...Ironically that's all I lost the entire month of April, which makes me kick myself! When I lose these 12 lbs, I will be below my original goal weight, and will most likely be done losing.

Wish me luck...well really I should say wish Justin luck because I am obviously going to kick his butt!

 

Hello, is anyone out there?

I have missed blogging this month so much! It has been very strange to miss out on sharing my experiences with y'all. Really there isn't much of an excuse other than being crazy busy. We got back from our beach trip today, and it was really nice to get away.

I was able to get a good workout in at the hotel gym, and we walked a ton around all of the sights of VA beach. We were able to say no to a timeshare presentation, and didn't totally ruin our progress with our diets, although we did stray from being totally vegan. We ate some tuna, and Justin had a lovely piece of salmon last night. All and all we did great.

M day is tomorrow. I am not anticipating a huge number of lbs lost this month. As much as that stinks, I hit a HUGE mile stone...A SIZE 6!!!!!Never in my life have I worn a size 6. I remember buying womens' size 16 in junior high, if that tells you anything about my size progression. Here is a photo of the girls and I on our balcony, me wearing my size 6 pants from Ann Taylor!

 Another huge milestone was wearing a bikini this weekend. I wore one on my honeymoon and to spring break junior year of college, but was very self conscious on those trips. This time I wasn't! So exciting.

Justin and I were just talking over dinner about vacation and food. I was telling him that I felt kind of guilty for eating things that weren't on our plan this weekend. He said he didn't feel guilty because we should never deprive ourselves. We should never say, "I Can't" rather we should look at it like I can eat whatever I want, but I choose to make smart food choices.

Such a great mindset to have, I wish I had totally rewired my thinking the way he has, but after 15 years or so of dieting I will take some reprogramming.

Another awesome thing that happened this month, aside from the beach trip and Justin & Bethany's birthdays was the launch of Major's Motivation! Not the blog, but the health coaching side of it! I was asked to speak at a women's event and share my story, I used this as my springboard to launching my health coaching business.

As you all know the Major's are a continuous progress and we strive to never stop moving forward. This business is all about helping become the best version of themselves by reaching 1 small goal at a time. For more info or to become a Major's Motivation client please send me an email at majorsmotivation@gmail.com

Using Major's Motivation to help people reclaim their health and take charge of their bodies from the inside out is so important to Justin and I. Check back tomorrow for M-day April results!!

Here we are enjoying our first vacation as a family of 4. My husband is so adorable, and doesn't he look 10 years younger after ditching those pesky 80lbs?

M-day results for April 1st!!!

I set some lofty goals this month, and I was hoping to rock out a 10 lb loss this month. I had a few days missed in the gym because life happens, sick kids, sick me, you know the drill. But all and all I am very happy with the results this month. Justin thinks my eating honey may have to do with a lower lb loss but it also has everything to do with muscles! I have been increasing my weights for body pump and ME and I feel much stronger than I ever have.

So for the month of April I will not be eating any honey, we will see if that helps. I am also going to cut back on the peanuts and almonds, the salt is something I crave but I may be overdoing it. Yes I am continuing to eliminate things from my diet, but it is nice to know that I CAN do this. It is amazing how praying has helped me. Doing this to be a better steward of my body has been the huge difference this time around. Also I have gotten to where I NEED my workout each day! woohoo!

Onto the numbers!!

From M-day Last Month I have lost....

8  lbs

1.25 inches from the Bust

1.5 inch from my waist

1 inch from the hips

right arm stayed the same

.25 inch from my left arm

.75 inch from my right thigh

.75 inch from my left thigh

.25 inch from my neck

January 1st

Feb 1st

March 1st

 April 1st

For those of you wondering, I have 9.5 lbs to be considered a 'normal weight' and no longer be in the over weight category. I want to lose the rest of the 9.5 lbs and then I will assess where I am at. Once I reach my weight goal I will be focused on maintaining and toning up all areas, but mostly my stomach. I have some extra skin that I would love to see come back to normal. Although I can get it more toned in the gym I am realizing I will need to have surgery to fix it for real....and I will not be doing that any time soon. Justin and I are not finished with babies yet...once we are we will discuss the possibility of restoring the skin on my tummy!