Focus Word for 2014 - Believe

Happy New Year!  It's time once again to reveal my chosen word to focus on for the year, and the word of 2014 is BELIEVE.

Believing is truly something I need to set my mind to, as there are plenty of times when I let fear or discouragement derail my dreams and plans.  As much as I work on staying positive, I still spend too much time wondering just how things are going to get better or thinking about how far I still have to goal to reach my goals-in-progress.

So starting today and all through 2014, I am going to believe.  I BELIEVE God for the promises He has made to me, to give me hope and a future.  If I stay focused on Him instead of worrying about challenges, I will get where I need to go and find the joy I so desperately need in each and every day.  He is making things happen for me, and for my family and friends!

I also BELIEVE in myself...God gave me specific talents, gifts, and abilities, so I'm going to banish the doubt that creeps in at times - the false voice in my head that tries to tell me I'm not good enough or don't have what it takes.  I will be the me that He has created me to be.  I BELIEVE in what God gave me and will use all of it to the best of my ability.  It's time to move forward with confidence!

I wish you and our loved ones a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2014.  May we all BELIEVE...today and every day of the entire year!

Holiday Fitness Tips from Biggest Loser's Jennifer Rumple

It's the most fattening time of the year...

Well, it is if you don't use a little bit (or sometimes a LOT) of willpower and self-control.  The period of time between Thanksgiving and New Year's can be dangerous for people with food addictions, especially with sugary treats.  You feel like you deserve the treats, especially since most others are indulging around you.  And with so much to do to prepare for Christmas, sometimes workouts can fall by the wayside.

Luckily for us, Jennifer Rumple, the at-home winner of Season 12 of Biggest Loser, was gracious enough to speak with me to give us some help in this department.  In fact, she gave me so many great tips that I had to split it into two articles for Hope for Women Magazine.  Her top 5 tips appear in our Fall/Winter print issue, and the others on our website.

You can access the website tips here.  Within the article is a link to subscribe to the issue so you can get all of Jennifer's helpful information.  Remember, her finale was in the middle of December last year, so she had to navigate the holiday season while working toward the prize...and wanted to be at her best on finale night.  She's defnitely knows what she's talking about!

Please share your thoughts on Jen's tips here or on the article at Hope for Women.  Here's to NOT having extra weight to lose in 2013!

Pumping Up My Routine

The first week of 2012 has been challenging and exciting so far.

It also has me dealing with a cold and cough that would love to slow me down. I had a sore throat on New Year's Day and the day after, but felt well enough to start really working out on Tuesday. I did take walks on the first two days, since I didn't want to do nothing at all to begin the year.

On Tuesday I pushed myself at spin. Maria gave us a ride that really kicked butt, which was just what I needed to get back up to speed. And it fit in with the Biggest Loser theme for the season - No Excuses. I wasn't going to let a cold stop me from doing what I needed to do!

Wednesday brought a brand new cardio class. The instructor, Sophia, taught my niece Sofia (gotta love that!) gymnastics for a while, and she invited me to try her class, Extreme Pump It Up Fitness, at the Middleburg Heights Rec Center. Even though by the time I got to class I'd lost my voice, I was ready for something new to add to my routine.

I did pretty well getting through the class, learning new moves and trying to keep up. I know I got a good workout and will have an even better one next time because I'll be feeling better and know some of the moves. This was my introduction to burpees, which I'd heard about but never actually experienced until now. I can see why people have a love/hate relationship with them. I could only do a few at the regular pace, but kept going and modified the moves to keep my heart rate going. Since I got in on an awesome January special for unlimited classes (something my budget is really happy about!) I'll be there often to perfect those burpees. This first class didn't use any extra equipment other than a mat, but most of the time weights and other items are added to the mix. I can't wait to do it again!

Most of Wednesday night I was up coughing, so I only got about 2 hours of sleep. I still made it to my morning Pilates session, and once Janice helped my clear my brain fog things went very well. I'm so glad I didn't skip the session. I'm determined to take ACTION this year even when the going gets rough. I took a walk in the evening, and finally got some rest last night.

Today is my "easy" day fitness-wise. I'm going for a light walk and giving my body a chance to recover before my 2 hour yoga seminar/session tomorrow. This is the class I signed up for a month ago, so I want to be able to learn and enjoy to the fullest. A single rest day is good, and after yoga I can pick up the pace once again.

I'm also pumping up my routine with more fruits and vegetables and staying away from as much processed food as possible. Since I'm working to clear the icky stuff out of my head and chest, I drink even more water than usual. All of these healthy habits will help me get rid of this cold sooner than usual, so I can move on to even better days.

I'm not letting this silly January cold stop me from my plan of ACTION. How about you? How is your first week of 2012 going? Let me know what healthy plans you've put into action!

My Biggest Loser Season 13 Challenge - No Excuses!

Tonight is the season premiere of Biggest Loser- which means it's time for a new challenge!

I managed to lose 2.2 pounds over the holidays, except that with a couple of drinks on New Year's Eve and my monthly gift ready to arrive, I gained most of that back.

But enough of that. No dwelling or excuses, only moving forward with my plan of ACTION.

My starting weight this morning was 199.6. It's nice to start 2012 without extra holiday weight to lose on top of everything else. (Normally I'd weigh myself in mid-December, and have a larger number on the scale come January 2nd or 3rd. Since I weigh a hair less than December 13th, I'm calling it a wash and going from here.) Just like last season, I will weigh in every Tuesday and post the results up through the Season 13 Finale in May.

The winter/spring BL season is always a little bit longer than the fall one, so I've kept that in mind while deciding upon my goal. I will lose at least 35 pounds by the finale, which will put me at 164.6 or less. I'm stepping up my workouts and being even more conscious of what I put into my body. And I will continue to stay away from the diet soda and drink plenty of water.

If you would like to join me, please post your goal here or on Twitter at #BL13Challenge. We can encourage each other all season long!

Now it's off to spin class before Biggest Loser tonight!!!

December Goals: Merry Christmas to Me!

Happy December 1st! It's time to make a new set of monthly goals, even though we are diving into the holiday season. I had set goals for November, but some of them were not met because of the chronic fatigue problem. However, as a blog reader pointed out, I did something about the fatigue problem and went about finding a solution instead of just using it as an excuse to abandon my healthy plans. In the past, I would have just quit on my fitness goals with something like this...but I really have come too far to go back. I really like being able to accomplish things!

I also did modify some holiday recipes and drink plenty of water, which helped me get through November in better shape than I normally would have. Now that I have my energy back, here are my December goals:

1. Continue with the H2O, while limiting the special holiday beverages that are so tempting this time of year.

2. Modify some more recipes and find healthier cookie ones. I have to get my brother's awesome veggie casserole recipe he served on Thanksgiving...it was healthy and full of flavor!

3. Even on the busiest days, I will get at least 30 - 45 minutes of vigorous exercise. On days I have a little more time, an hour will be the goal.

4. Remember that working out does not give me license to eat unlimited amounts of cookies, candy, eggnog, or other holiday goodies. The calories and fat will still add up to more than I can burn off!

5. Lose 8 -10 pounds during December, by keeping to my plan listed above.

6. Find non-edible ways to be in the Christmas spirit, remember the true meaning of the holidays, and fully enjoy the season!

Feel free to share your December goals with me as well...together we can keep each other on track to start 2011 in a much healthier way!

Treat...or TRICK???

I bet you see plenty of these displays in your local stores now, and probably have seen them for weeks already. The stores try to get too much of a jump on each holiday now. There is something really wrong about seeing Halloween stuff in Walmart while you hear Christmas carols playing in the store. (Yes...I actually experienced that last week!!!)

No matter when it starts to appear in the stores, we have to deal with all of the candy shoved at us when we shop. It's often the first thing you see when you walk in, and the smell of chocolate is overwhelming. And if you make it past the candy aisles without giving in, there's always some candy at the register just in case you still have thoughts about getting some!

This always used to be a problem for me, and still is from time to time. If I'm especially stressed out, there's no way I can even walk by those displays because I will cave and get some candy. Then I will go home and eat half of the bag at once, saving the other half until the next day (such restraint! Ha!) and finish it off then. Afterward, I crave more sugar even though my body feels awful. It can turn into a downward spiral if I'm not careful.

I've taken to reminding myself just how crappy I feel after eating that candy, and how much money I'll save by not buying it. Even candy corn and those cute little mellowcreme pumpkins...there is no nutritional value, it's all basically sugar and wax. When I sold PartyLite, we had candy corn scecnted candles, so if I think about it like I'm eating a candle, I have no desire to eat it anymore! (And I wouldn't be surprised if the corn people started telling us that candy corn is CORN, so it's good for you.) I also know that I can't buy Halloween candy early to save for passing out to the kids, because I'll eat it and have to replace it, which costs even more money. I usually have my husband buy the candy so I'm not tempted, and he usually gets his favorites so I don't crave them as much.

This time of year can be dangerous for our health and weight, starting with the Halloween candy and going right through to the Thanksgiving and Christmas goodies. Resolve right now to stay strong and stick to your healthy eating and exercise plan. Your body will thank you come New Year's Day...and you won't have even more weight to lose for that resolution!