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

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!

5 Days Until M day!!!

At the first of the year I had Justin take my measurements. I was feeling like knowing the number of lbs lost was not accurately reflecting the work I was putting in. Knowing that as my fat and muscle will change in my body my weight will fluctuate, I wanted to make sure I was able to see the results each month. M day was born. I am actually really excited to take my measurements on Tuesday, February 1st.

I will be posting a photo, pounds lost this month, and inches lost. I would love to hear how your month went as well!!

Again, I am a totally open book, please do not hesitate to email questions and comments!

This week was a particularly hard week for me in the gym. I really felt the intensity of my workouts each day, and by today I felt exhausted after my trip to the gym. I am really pumped to see the results! I will post the results Tuesday Afternoon!!