Living Life Better

I just saw Jillian Michaels on the Today show this morning and she really inspired me back into health. As a trainer, I use to look up to her because she was never afraid to yell at her clients and a lot of them really needed to be yelled at. I never really yelled at mine, but I never listened to anything they complained about because I knew what they were doing wasn't really killing them, if anything, they were killing themselves w/ their lifestyle they lived when I wasn't around!!

It's amazing the excuses people make up for themselves to not lose weight, and I know because I sometimes make up the same excuses!! Jillian answered some questions today that are the same questions that I got asked all the time. Everything she was explaining was simple science and biology. No matter what you do, it's the basic essentials that will keep you healthy! In this fast paced modernized world that we live in, we expect to just take a magic pill and lose all the weight. Well I'm sorry my friends, there is no such thing as a "magic pill" or "magic solution" if anything.

I hate when people come up to me and say: "I just bought the new so and so work out video, I'm going to get ripped!!" --- Yeah right... you just wasted hundreds of dollars that you could have used for a new outfit after you've lost weight! Losing weight doesn't cost a thing!! If anything it's cheaper and FREE!!! The reason why those in the before/after pictures get the results that they get is because they've disciplined themselves enough to look like that!! The basic idea to losing weight and living a healthy life is DISCIPLINE!!

If you can't conquer that, then you can't conquer your health! I use to always tell people that if your heart isn't into "living life better" then you're not going to. You MUST have that passion in your heart to want it so bad that it drives you to actually discipline yourself. Losing weight on your own is cheap because you should be eating less!!! I honestly believe that 75-80% of your weight loss results come from your eating. Everyone who asks me "how do I lose weight" get disappointed when I tell them that it's their diet, but it's true!! Calories in = Calories out, the more you put in and the less you do, the more weight you gain. The less you put in and the more you do, then you lose weight. I even know this from personal experience!! My mom put all of us on the South Beach Diet and that was the first time I've ever been disciplined on eating. I ate clean and less then I ever did and I was the skinniest I have ever been in my life. This was before I started training and knew how to work out and when I look at those pictures now, I look so anorexic!... but I did it! I was skin & bones because I watched my diet!!!

The biggest excuse to not be healthy is: "I don't have time." --- Yeah right!! You have time to sit in front of the computer and read this!! --- YOU HAVE TIME! --- the problem is, you don't make time to. Everything is possible once again if your heart is in it. I don't care how many kids you have, how many jobs you have or how many after school/work activities you have going for you --- you can make time!! Especially with eating, there is always time in the day for eating and choosing the proper thing to eat is the key!

Being healthy is not impossible & losing weight is simple discipline. Just like a marathon, living life better is more of a test of your mental strength then your physical strength. YOU can be an unstoppable human being if you put your heart and mind to it.

Soooo.... go out there my friends and LIVE YOUR LIFE BETTER!!! I know you can do it!

The Fallen Leaf

The colors of green dissolve from a deep red to a bright orange and finally fades into a pale yellow. As the brown leaf falls to the ground, the wind takes it away into the neighbor's yard. The dead leaf is then raked into a pile with other leaves that have fallen from trees that use to have vivid colors of summer. The simple fallen leaf then becomes like the other leaves, nothing but debris to be swept away into a garbage bag. The season changes are felt with the cool breeze that lessen the brightness of the sun. As our life transitions into a the last months of the year, I can't help but wonder what the future will bring.

Will the trees survive winter and be more fruitful then this past summer? Or will they simply rot away from the lack of TLC? Life slowly fades away sooner this time of year.... I miss the summer and the bright sun smiling on the world. I miss long days outdoors and coming inside to a refreshing ice cold bottle of water.

Summer is long gone now and so are you. Will it ever come back again the way it use to? Or is this how it's going to be from now on, dead leaves everywhere? Seasons change, people change, and every time it's never the same. I can only hope when spring comes, the leaves grow brighter then ever.

"Fate fell short this time, your smile fades in the summer...."

When Friends Become Family

Wow, what a truly amazing weekend! This past weekend made me realize how important people in your lives will be there at every single life changing event that happens to you!

I have had so many people in and out of my life in my years of existence. There are some that I miss and some I wish I had never met in my life! Five years ago, I thought I had "friends for life" relationships with some people only to realize 5 years later that I barely talk to them anymore. Life continues to grow and change you in so many ways. I truly understand that by simply living, everyone goes through different changes, but that shouldn't be a reason to not support the goals and dreams of each other.

I was really humbled from the weekend to see those who showed up physically, in spirit or not at all. Of course when the ones you would think would show up don't, it sucks, but at the same time it makes you realize that you're just not as important to them anymore like before and you learn to appreciate and love the ones who do show up. Priorities change, people change and lives change, but true friends will be there through thick and thin in all the changes. I never did think I'd stay friends with some of the people in my life now, in fact I didn't ever think we'd even become as close as we are. I am truly blessed to have the ones that have stuck around for the ups and downs.

To all my friends that have been there since day one, thank you and I love you!