Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition - Jacqui's Singing a Brand New Song!

I have a confession to make...I REALLY, REALLY relate to Jacqui.  In a way, she could be my long lost sister.

No, I didn't start out at 355 pounds like she did, but I still know the feelings that got her there very well.  The feeling that you're letting people down because of your weight.  Being so scared you quit on something when you've barely gotten started.  Having setbacks earlier in your life that still haunt you well into adulthood.  And being frustrated whenever you try to overcome all of this.

Now Jacqui was assaulted as a teenager, and thankfully that's something I cannot relate to.  But I can see where that made her want to add layers of protection to her body.  I did that myself as I grew up, being hurt over and over again by classmates and trying to eat away the pain - even though that only made it worse.  Other than my parents, it seemed nobody believed in me or my dreams. I was shot down anytime I tried to stand up for myself.  And when it came down to it, my parents wanted to protect their only child from being hurt, so they urged me to get a "real" job and forget about singing and songwriting.  I know they were only trying to do their best to look out for me, but they projected a lot of fears onto me about doing the "secure" things in life to keep me "safe".

Now this path I've been on has led to many blessings, like meeting my husband and having my son.  I did my best wherever I was.  But something was always missing - something I tried to replace with food.  At one point I lost all of the weight, but when my mom got sick and then passed away I ate away the pain again.  And ever since then I've struggled...sometimes moving forward, sometimes taking a step backward.

So of course when I found out Jacqui was a singer who was too nervous to get on stage because of her weight I saw even more of myself in her.  You HAVE to pursue what you really love in life - your passions: not the ones of your friends, relatives, or anyone else.  It's taken me a long time to get to the point where that is what I'm doing.  Trying to follow everyone else's "rules" only made me anxious and depressed...which made me eat lots of sugar and fast food for temporary relief.  Until the point, that is, when I had to take charge, learning to balance family and personal repsonsibilities with pursuing my passions and pushing away the negativity.

Chris helped Jacqui overcome her fears - fitness and music wise.  She lost 207 pounds. She is like a whole new person; the person she was always meant to be is finally coming out.  And once she got started, there was no stopping her!

I know I still have my days when I struggle trying to balance it all and still have quite a bit of weight to lose...but I'm getting there.  I'm writing songs, singing whenever I can and writing articles, along with the novels I hope to soon have published. 

Nobody said it would be easy - but it will be worth it.  And with a role model like Jacqui, there's no way I can go wrong!

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition - This Is How You Do NO EXCUSES!

Season 2 of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition started off with a bang.  And I couldn't help thinking how for all of the Biggest Loser talk during this past season of "No Excuses", the first man featured on the new season of EMWLE put them all to shame.

If anyone should have had plenty of excuses not to lose the weight, it was Tony.  He started out at 398 pounds, with a very ill disabled son and pretty much no help at home.  After the first 3 months of the challenge, he was down 104 pounds and broke up with his extremely whiny, unsupportive fiancee and moved out of the house.

Problem was, he had nowhere else to live.  Chris helped him move his stuff out, but had no idea that Tony was sleeping on friends' couches or in his car, working out wherever he could.  He decided that he needed to stop being in the fast food business and work his way up as a bodyguard.  Chris helped him get training for that. 

Tony's son, Marcus, also passed away during this time, and his new girlfriend paid for a plane ticket so he could go to Michigan for the funeral.  (And I have to say...even his ex-wife seemed more supportive than his fiancee!)  TONY NEVER GAVE UP.  No matter what was thrown at him, he kept pushing toward his goals, doing it for himself and in honor of Marcus. 

With so many obstacles and stresses in his life, Tony truly showed what NO EXCUSES means.  His final weigh-in, at his 50th birthday party, found him down 200 pounds and weighing 198.  His goal had been to get under 200 - he reached it even with everything else going on in his life.  He is now working as a bodyguard, has a new place to live, and proposed to his new girlfriend who is much better suited to his positive lifesyle and personality.

Makes all of our excuses look flimsy...doesn't it?  Let's all follow Tony's lead and get it done NO MATTER WHAT!!!

June Fitness Goals!!!

Happy June 1st!  It's been a rough week with stress including a death in the family, but I know I have to get myself back on track.  And what better day to do this than the first of the month?

So here are the goals I've set for myself for the month of June:

1. Lose 10 pounds - doable as I commit to the other goals below.
2. Play more tennis!  I try so hard to get better and have so much fun I don't realize I'm exhausted until afterward.
3. Get back to drinking more water.  Over the holiday weekend and the stressful few days that followed, I drank diet soda more than I should have.  Time to cut that out!
4. Keep up with Spinning and Pilates.
5. More fresh produce - my fruit & veggie count wasn't that great this week either, and now is the perfect time to get the good stuff in!
6. Walk/run on days I'm not playing tennis or spinning.  I've done a lot of walking, but it's time to step it up more with running intervals.
7. Come up with more healthy alternatives for favorite foods that are not so good for me.  Limit treats!

My plan is to rock June!  How about you???

Summer Workout Playlist!

Since Memorial Day weekend is upon us, it's time to think about summer workouts - and the music that will keep us pumped up and going through hot days.

Here are a few of mine for this summer:

"Start Me Up" - Rolling Stones
"Good Morning" - Mandisa feat. Toby Mac
"Feel Like a Rock Star" - Kenny Chesney/Tim McGraw
"Rumour Has It" - Adele
"You Gonna Fly" - Keith Urban
"Good Feeling" - Flo Rida
"Georgia Peaches" - Lauren Alaina
"Free Ride" - JaneDear Girls
"Good Girl" - Carrie Underwood
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" - Kelly Clarkson

I wold love to hear what you're listening to when you work out...and don't forget to stay hydrated!

Fashion Star Inspiration

 Fashion Star has gotten me thinking...

I really love fashion.  As someone who doesn't fit into single-digit sizes yet, sometimes I've tried to pretend that I don't care about fashion.  Sure, I get excited when I discover that something in my closet that I haven't been able to wear for a while fits once again.  But a lot of designer clothes come in only smaller sizes, which can be depressing if you think about it too much.

Enter Fashion Star - a show trying to find the next big designers, who can be creative while still making something that we "regular" people can wear and afford.  Let's face it, the economy does not help the fashion industry.  Many of our budgets can not withstand the big designer prices, which I'm sure is the reason why some designers create special lines for the stores many of us can afford to shop at. 

 I've become inspired by the designers trying to live out their dreams, and have discovered that I would actually wear quite a few of their creations.  I haven't shopped for any of them yet, since I'm losing more weight and don't want to spend money on something that will be too big soon.  (Although, it's a wonderful feeling to find out something is now too big on you!)

But that also inspires me in another way - to stay on my path to fitness so I can wear these awesome clothes.  Of course, there are much more compelling reasons to get fit and healthy...but fashion is still fun and we all want to look good.  Being your best in every way is important, which includes looking your best.

Congratulations to Kara, the winner of Fashion Star, and all of the other designers who sold pieces to H & M, Saks, and Macy's.  Soon I will be sporting your creations proudly - not only because I'm proud of your work on the clothes, but also because I'm proud of the work I've done on myself!

Biggest Loser Withdrawals - Or Not?

So the Biggest Loser finale was last week...two weeks earlier than it would normally be for the winter/spring season.  I'm sure it was because of the walk-off and having less people competing toward the end.  But it still means no BL to watch - not only for the next two weeks, but all summer and possibly longer.  (Still hearing from various sources that there will be no fall season!)

What are you doing to combat Biggest Loser withdrawal?  Or were you just so fed up with this past season that it doesn't bother you?

As happy as I am to be done with the nastiness and drama from certain contestants this season, I'm still missing BL.  Actually, I've been missing the BL of past seasons since January...you know, the seasons with more inspiration and motivation than drama.  So I've been having a type of withdrawal already. 

My plan is to watch old clips of past seasons to be inspired all over again.  And I'm doing my thing - spinning, Pilates, walking, eating healthy...pushing myself to be my personal best.  The one way to overcome someone else's drama is to take the focus off of them and concentrate on yourself and what you need to do to make your own life better.  Don't let any negative people, whether on TV or on real life, bring you down with them.  Live your own life to the fullest.

What are you doing to motivate yourself without Biggest Loser?  Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with me!

Biggest Loser 13 - Yes, The Finale Was Still Inspiring!

I wasn't sure about this finale.  For one thing, this is the first time ever that it was only an hour long.  That alone was disappointing.

Plus, we all know that some of the contestants were negative and irritating...more than any other season.  I didn't know if I would still be inspired watching them get on the giant scale.

Well, I was happily surprised.  NBC managed to fit a lot into that hour, and everyone was still able to have their moment on the scale to show just how far they've come.  And did they ever come far!  The ones who blew me away the most were Cassandra, Emily and Roy.  You know the writer in me loved the sign in the audience saying Cassandra has the "write" stuff.  I think I identified the most with her this season for that reason alone.  Overweight writer wanting to get fit and live out the career of her dreams?  Yep - I certainly identify with that!

I was also happy for Mike.  He went through a lot in the short time he was on the ranch, putting up with the negativity while dealing with his own demons.  It was brave of him to admit all of that on camera, and he showed just how much you can accomplish at home...along with the other players.  Congrats to Mike on the $100,000 prize and his new life!

When it came to the final 3, I shocked myself with how happy I was for them.  I mean, I was already rooting for Kim because she seemed to learn the most of the 3 of them - but I love that Conda and Jeremy did so well and hopefully they will start living life in a more positive way.  Kim blew me away, and even though she came close to beating Jeremy for the grand prize but fell a little short, I know her future is very bright.  You can see it in her eyes!

So this concludes the wild ride of Season 13.  Hopefully there will be a Season 14 to write about...but no matter what, get out there and achieve your goals!