Nothing like the start of a new year to inspire people everywhere to make some changes. Most people, (probably you too) have some kind of inspiration to get fit, lose fat, get healthy. In September I gave birth to my 3rd baby boy and took some time off to recover....

and now I am ALL BUSINESS.

So in an attempt to hold myself to a higher accountability, I plan to blog about my journey. Who knows how long it will take, but I think it's reasonable that I can reach my goal by July of this year.

My goal: size 4-6 dress size, weight 130. The weight part is not that big a deal for me, but I would like to be able to wear all the clothes I wore BEFORE my last pregnancy. But perhaps more than all of that, It has become NECESSARY that I become strong in my core, legs, and arms so I can do things like play with and lift my kiddos. I need to run around with them, swing a bat or kick a ball. And I need to be able to do all of these things without pulling any muscles!!

So.... a plan of attack?

I started the INSANITY ASYLUM program yesterday which will take me through the next 30 days- 6 days on and 1 day of rest.

After which I will be CROSSFITTING.

And my meals will be pseudo-Paleo-- which simply means there will be no fast food, processed (ready-made canned, bagged, boxed foods), breads, rice, or white potatoes of any kind. Sweet potatoes are fair game. What people need to realize is that SUGAR is their real enemy, and why they can't lose the fat***especially around the middle*** and SUGAR is in almost EVERYTHING.

Because I decided- like, just now-to blog, I haven't yet taken before/after photos and measurements...and I haven't even decided to go public with this blog. BUT hey, I'm doing better than the person who hasn't got off the couch, right?

XFLD Graduates Class 001

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!!

So you came, you saw, and you conquered the madness that is Xtreme Fat Loss Diet. I know that you have experienced results that have long eluded you. You have lost weight, inches, fat...and have gained energy, endurance, confidence, maybe a couple of inches in height from standing a little bit taller....
Take your celebratory cheat day. ***BUT*** maybe take a little bit off since tomorrow, there is no fast day awaiting you.

Some of you may be asking, 'What Now?' Well, now is where you transition your eating and workouts to something you can manage on a daily basis. We must establish a new "normal". It seemed to me like a treat to actually get to workout only ONCE a day ;)
As for your eating habits, I want you to remember the way you ate before. It is IMPERATIVE that you do NOT return to those habits, they got you where you were!!

Were you eating about 5 small meals a day, about3 hours apart? Did you eat fruits and vegetables with at least 2 of those meals? Were you getting in your workouts at least 4 times a week?

In 25 days you have developed some precious, new habits. These will be the new foundation for your health.

To make it extremely simple, if you follow these 3 tips, you will do well and perhaps even continue to burn stored fat:

1. Eliminate sugars. Obvious offenders are cookies, cakes, candies, sodas, etc. But NOT so obvious are things like orange juice or bread--any bread. EVEN 100% whole wheat. When that stuff hits your system, it acts just like sugar. The best carb choices you can make that will not make your insulin skyrocket-- (which makes you store fat, and makes you crash so that you reach for more sugar)-- are: sprouted grains like ezekiel bread, quinoa, millet, spelt, brown rice, or yams.
2. Eliminate processed foods. If it comes in a box, bag, or can, chances are high that it is processed. The thing about these offenders is that there is so much in there that your body has to filter through and decide what to do with, that it can't tend to the bore desirable business of burning body fat.
3. Eat good fats. Good fats do not translate into body fat. Here's a list of good fats to name a few: real butter, whole eggs, raw nuts, avocado, extra virgin coconut oil...

I know...you thought I was gonna say, eat fruits and veggies, clean proteins, eat every 3 hours....etc. I figured you already knew that.

Here are a few of my secret weapons: CLEAN EATING MAGAZINE. Worth every penny..SUBSCRIBE!! People have claimed to have lost about 20 pounds just eating ONLY meals from this mag!

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. You can google it for articles, but suffice to say that it is good for cooking, adding to protein shakes, eating right off the spoon... and it helps you with weight loss.

Nutrilite Double X. The MOTHER of all multi's. This will make your 6 hours of sleep as restful as 8. This multi fills in any nutritional gaps you may have, therefore eliminating energy deficits as well as kill some cravings. It also protects your body at the cellular level...think DNA.

If you aren't taking this multi...you are really missing the boat. You can read up on it, and even order it here.

Well kids, I am really proud of ya'll for taking the journey with me. I am looking forward to seeing/hearing about your before and afters bright and early tomorrow morning!

Rounding third...

Ok XFLD'ers....you are officially in the home stretch now. I know that everyone thoroughly enjoyed their 4th of July picnics, bbq's, celebrations, etc...now it's time to go to work! This is where you take all the momentum you have been building and find the next gear in YOU. Did you know that your mind can take you so much further than your body will let you go?

Your body doesn't WANT you to hurt.

It wants to be comfortable.

IT WANTS TO BE FAT.

But your body isn't in charge...You are.

You decide what comes into your body by way of your mouth. You decide that the inanimate object in the shape of a Starbucks muffin DOESN't, in fact, control you. And your food choices no longer define you as it did in the past. You are a new creation, by your own free will. You CHOOSE to be fit, healthy and strong. The old "you" dies in the following 5 days. The New you is waiting to completely dominate and take over. The New you has strength, confidence, and muscles never before seen. The New you, over the last month, has developed new habits of drinking water, eating clean proteins, detoxing from sugar and carb-dependency, eating vegetables, drinking protein shakes, and pushing yourself through those workouts.... where maybe a month ago, there WAS no workout routine. Not only that, but you also established a habit of preparing, knowing in advance where you will be when meal time comes. You are making healthy meals before-hand when you know that you may otherwise be at the mercy of whatever food establishments you are near when hunger strikes. You also know exactly when you are gonna get that workout in. How many of you had this lifestyle before??

*****Doesn't it feel aweosme?!*****

Some of the things you now possess as a fringe benefit of having done XFLD are a higher self- esteem- not because of how much better you look and feel, but because you know you honored your self-promises. You now have a stronger confidence, and this exudes making you a more attractive person to others. This confidence affects every area of your life, so now you will find yourself excelling at your job or business. When you find this peace with yourself, all of a sudden your relationships have improved. You now exemplify the saying that you cannot truly love and value others, until you love and value yourself as a person. Now...just by being in your sphere of influence, others are inspired. See what you have done?!

With all of that said....go hard this week. Or go home. I said it, you heard it. You didn't come this far to quit. GO HARD. See you at the finish line.

Real Quick Thought For The Day

Guys, I am literally supposed to be out the door right now, but I wanted to leave you with a positive thought to create a positive mindset for you today. KEEP FOLLOWING THE PLAN IN FAITH. Focus ONLY on today's task, which is to get in your 3 workouts with INTENSITY, and only drink your BCAA's until tonite's protein/fat shake. The plan works. The thing that can steal your focus right now is thinking too far ahead, or thinking about what you did or didn't do last week. It's over.

Think about what the average person is doing right now....probably starting their 4th of July picnic a week early, right? But YOU....are gonna breeze right into those reunions, get-togethers, barbecues, beach parties, lake outings looking like a champ! AND you will be able to celebrate without TOO much restraint and not feel guilty. So do the work ya'll!!! I believe in you, do you?!

Cheats,Thoughts, Transitions

It's Christmas!! Uh...no, just cheat day. But close right?! LOL I am starting off with homemade sausage biscuits, and can I just say... Mickey D's got Nuthin on me!

By now I know everyone has got the hang of this deal. And July 9th is not very far away! You only have 2 more cycles until you can proudly snap an after photo to capture all of your hard work. Some of you may feel like you want to do another cycle before you take an official after photo. But don't make that mistake!! Looking at yourself the day you started and the day you finish will give you motivation to continue on this fitness journey! I was even surprised by my pictures, because I saw myself eery day, but I didn't see all the changes I had undergone. C'mon, I'm not saying you have to SHOW anyone!!

I know that this program and the ease with which you can burn fat and lose weight can be addicting!! But Joel highly suggests to put in at least a month prior to a second round. I may have spoken to this once, but when I started again, it had been a mere 2 weeks. I can definitely say I am feeling the effects of starting again so soon. If you have questions about this, please drop me a note any of the ways that you and I communicate, because as with all things, there may be exceptions!

On another note, I wanted to mention quickly about the transition from an extreme plan to cut fat, to an everyday balanced and clean way to eat. Because let's face it, we all came into this deal with excess weight because we have established some eating patterns that were making it conducive to gain that fat! I have been using a program through a nutritionist named Patrick McGuire for over a year and he's known among his peers as one of the best in his industry. His personalized programs are pretty pricey, BUT... he does have a new program designed to help anyone eat clean, deliciously, and on a tight BUDGET. In so saying, it's very affordable to get yourself a copy. It won't be more than what you spent on this program you are now on. Just some food for thought. I'll get a link up here soon. Have fun cheating ya'll!! I wanna hearabout/see what ya'll are eating today on Facebook!!

Getting Past the Fear brings CHANGE

It's a funny thing how conquering fears in one area can lead to allowing and embracing change to occur in others...... here's me in my new short crop. Never thought I'd do it, but it's like I'm free all over again ;)

I think the biggest reason people see this program and decide not to do it is they are actually scared of this day where we"fast" and tomorrow when we only drink shakes. I must admit I thought that in the beginning, I might get hung up here too. But I have found these two days to be the most productive. These are the two days that I try to schedule all of my errands, where I am driving here and there in between my 3 workouts. Yes, I did say 3. In the a.m. this program calls for a High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T) which is about 20-30 minutes, then sometime in the afternoon is when you hit the weights 30-45 minutes, and you'll end the day with a cardio session that's less intense. For me that's about a 3 mile run. I literally can set my timer and run in one direction for 15 minutes, and then turn around and come home. But when I get home I know what's waiting for me....a yummy delicious chocolate-coconut protein shake!! This is where I realized I couldn't think about this day as being a true fast, because really I am just not eating anything until 6pm. Game changer. Anyway, enjoy this day and know that your body is burning massive amounts of calories, and your mind is clear and alert, making your to-do list DONE. Get all your workouts in!! YOU CAN DO IT.

P.S. I'd love to hear your thoughts about FAST DAY. Leave me some comments ;)

It's HERE!!!!

Alright people. This is Cheat/Treat/Party Day #3! Thank goodness it came, I was sooo hungry this week. So am I crazy, or have ya'll done this too? I jumped out of bed at 5:30 this morning like it was Christmas, and I drove my happy butt down the street to Walmart to get some goodies. I felt super dorky since I did barely nothing but cover my body in some articles of clothing paying no heed to how I looked, saying 'oh, no one will be there this early.' But Walmart was busy with stockboys getting the products ready for the day's pickings! And everyone was looking at the lone shopping cart and its operator as I maneuvered the aisles putting junk food in. Can I get a witness here?!!

So I posted on FB that I needed some ideas for junk. It seems I am not craving bad stuff lately, but I just want to eat normal things like PB&J with my kids, or milk and cereal, etc. I never was one before this XFLD to buy candy, cookies, cake, eat fast food, etc. So I am thinking today may be pretty tame with my choices, I know I'll hit my calorie mark but I hope I have no regrets tomorrow about the things I "didn't get" to eat.

SOOOO drumroll......I'm proud to announce that I am back into the 120's!! 129.8 to be exact. When I weighed in on my final day for the photoshoot last month, I ended at 128.6, and that was with water-cutting. As soon as I got to lunch I am pretty sure I was back over 130 and have been losing it much more slowly this time around. But it's that faith period I spoke of earlier. You have to have faith when you know you are doing all the right things, day to day, that lead to your goal- even when you see no immediate change. It's the Slight Edge baby! Those who haven't read this book, I'd say GO OUT NOW AND GET IT! I actually know it would help you finish XFLD strong, but it has success principles that are very relevant to the other areas of life that are important. The book, again, is called The Slight Edge.

Well, on my way home from Walmart this morning I stopped by the donut shop and got me some glazed donut holes. I'm going to return my attention to it, and stop ignoring my yummy Dunkin Donuts coffee. Make today a GREAT one, ya'll! I am so proud of all of you, I'm your number 1 fan! And I'd love if you commented below with the results of your weigh in and measurements. Sometimes I miss your posts in FB!