What I GAVE to GAIN.

I was pretty depressed in this pic. This was taken January 2010. I was a size 13 and around 150lbs. I was tired all of the time and constantly wore the baggiest of clothes to hide my body. I decided to make a change...I had totally hit my own personal "rock bottom". It was not as easy as just waking up and deciding to exercise. I had to completely overhaul my lifestyle, which meant that I had to give up a lot of things to gain the body and quality of health that I so desperately wanted. Here is what I gave up so I could "gain".

What I gave, or gave up :)

late night eating

alcohol

salt

sugar

starchy carbs

poor self talk

my baggy clothes =D

fried food

diet soda/soda in general

depression

negativity

syrups

mental weight gain...i.e. baggage

hiding

fear

pain

low self esteem

FAT

What I GAINED for my SACRIFICES:

Self LOVE

Confidence

Muscle

My smile

mojo :)

energy

beautiful skin

positive outlook

skinny jeans

tight fitting HOT clothes! =D

the confidence to model again <3

ambition to try new things

spiritual enlightenment

hope

trust

the I can do anything, don't try to stop me, I will always find a way or get out of my way 'tude. It's called "Lindsay Power". =)

a strong desire to show other people they CAN feel this way and have all of these things too. :)

I FEEL ALIVE

happiness

creativity

being a positive example to my children

Abs

sexy shoulders, butt, thighs, back...you name that body part and it has been transformed! ;)

lifestyle change.

**What I gave to gain the lifestyle I needed, wanted, and was craving...was hard to give at first. I fell off that wagon. I complained. I veered off track. I binged. I hit plateaus. It took a hell of a lot of blood sweat and fuckin' tears to get here. It's still not over. I bitched at some people who love me. Then I put my big girl panties on and did it. I'm still doing it. I have dreams. But the point is I have gained so much by giving so much. No one hands it to you on a purdy silver platter. You want it, go get it. The equation is easy, we make it harder by making excuses. If you want to change yourself mind, body and soul you have to get HONEST with yourself. Stop enabling yourself to make bad choices. Stop telling yourself "well I would workout but it hurts." Or "I don't have time." Or "I can't give up the foods I like." Do you think people that have incredible bodies have all of the time in the world? Do you think it wasn't hard for them to give up the foods they love (which btw, you don't have to totally give up) =) In order to change you must be willing to get uncomfortable and make sacrifices. Successful people aren't smarter, perfect or better...successful people have failed many times, they just NEVER quit. Give.

Day #4...

Today I admit I didn't want to work out. I was very tired for some reason. I did it anyways. It wasn't pretty but I did it. I still have some more cardio to do this evening. Shooting for 2 magazines this weekend, so it's game on!

~Never regretting the things that are making me a stronger person inside and out...this is character building~and sometimes this foundation was built on blood sweat and friggin' tears baby! Day 5 here we go!

Under Construction

So just like my ever changing body, this blog is also "under construction". I want it to be kind of my fitness diary painting a picture of both my triumphs, struggles, helpful tips and more. I think that a blog should be informative but REAL. I want this to be a no nonsense approach to my life.

So today's entry..."Under Construction." ;)

I am officially Under Construction. Mind, body and soul. December was one hell of a month for me. I won't say it was "bad", because what's bad? Having no food is bad. Not having a home is bad...cancer is bad. So I won't say last month was bad, I will say it was a bit of a challenge for me. It was not my best month. Between modeling gigs that went awry to the craziness of family issues and the stressors of the holidays...when January 1st rolled around I admit to feeling fried.

All I really wanted was an umbrella drink and a beach chair far away. However, the reality of it is, that I'm a mommy with responsibilities. I have a home to take care of, meals to cook, bed time stories to read. I also have customers and friends seeking my fitness advice. I have photo shoots to go on. I have dreams. An escape would be nice, but not possible. So the first of the year, I found myself stressed and about 4lbs heavier due to the holiday indulgences. Instead of hiding under that rock that I wanted so badly to befriend, I decided to challenge myself to a 6 week body transformation. I really want to track my fitness progress on this blog as well as facebook. It helps me to hold myself accountable and hopefully it will inspire others as well.

Right now I'm on Day #3. I am holding my own, sore as hell though. My hamstrings are the culprit of me walking like I just got off of a horse. But I love it, every single second. I am pushing myself harder than before. I feel less stressed and December is barely a memory, more like a learning lesson. I have a potential photo shoot this weekend. Fish and veggies start tomorrow to lean out my core. I'm taking it day by day. Organizing all areas of my crazy life and appreciating even the parts that are less than perfect. Fitness gets a girl to thinking. Definitely, "Under Construction." Day #4 can you handle this? ;)

Commitment Can Be a Process

I get asked a lot of questions about how I transformed my body. People ask me about what I eat, which exercises I do and how often etc. These are all valid questions, but the question I very rarely get asked is about my commitment. My dedication as well as how I viewed my journey, was the most crucial and critical step in my transformation and still is today.

The truth is I am not perfect. Yes, I have pretty pictures of myself in a bathing suit etc. But I used to have cellulite and after my pregnancies lets just say the stretch mark fairy graced me with her not so magical wand. My self esteem was down in the dumps. I never dreamed in a million years that I would be modeling again, all I wanted to do was fit into my jeans. After failed attempts with diet pills (which I advise people NOT to take) and fad diets, I almost gave up...yeah me...the lady who now sweats puddles on her garage floor and preaches NO EXCUSES almost gave up. But there was a piece of me that would not take no for an answer.

I remember seeing beautiful mommies with sculpted arms, tight buns, and 6 pack abs; and I thought for sure that was a result of lipo, or was it? I wanted that body. Why couldn't I be a hot mommy? Why couldn't I have energy to take care of my kids and my home? The answer did not exist in a potion or pill...but within ME. This is where my relationship with commitment began. :)

The truth is that all of the BeachBody programs in the world would have never pulled me out of my funk if my head wasn't right. If I had not listened to that voice that said "give it one more try, there has got to be a way," then I would probably be beyond a size 12, and taking those cholesterol meds I was on the verge of taking 2 years ago. My point? If you change the way you think about your obstacles, those obstacles will transform into challenges...challenges that you will gladly crush, with COMMITMENT. It doesn't happen over night. I fell down countless times. I binged...missed a few workouts...bitched...cried. Then I thought about what I really wanted and why. I got back up and went for it. I'm still not done and happy to be on this journey.

Commitment is a process. It doesn't always happen instantly. Sometimes you may have to re-define your journey, your goals, and your path. But if you keep pushing forward it will be worth it. Enjoy the process. Don't aim for perfection, but progress, even if it is just 5lbs at a time. Now that I've lost all of the pregnancy pounds...I'm onto my next fit journey and committed! :)

Eliminating Poison From Your Life

I truly feel that getting in shape has done more for me than just shrinking my waistline. I believe that fitness has built my personal character. I feel stronger emotionally. I have learned to cut out the negativity from my life (at least what I can). If there is someone in my life that is poisonous to my spirit, then that person doesn't need to be a part of my life. Some people may be unhappy with me for my choice, however it is a necessary one for me. Negative people are like poison, and eventually if you are surrounded by those people enough it will rub off on you, wearing you down. I feel the need to pray for people that don't have a positive light in their life, but I still choose to distance myself from them. 'Nuff said. ;)

There are other poisons that I have personally chosen to eliminate from my life. Such poisons go beyond negative people. I have chosen to eliminate alcohol from my life as well. It is a personal choice and one I had to make on my own. I have chosen to live a clean lifestyle, which doesn't mean I judge others for choosing to drink...but it means that I know what alcohol does to my body and I choose not to consume this poison. I would consider myself a weekend drinker, having a few drinks with friends and family to "unwind". Then the weekend drinking turned into having a few drinks during the week after a stressful day. Before I knew it I was waking up feeling tired after 8 hours of sleep, bloated, and putting weight back on. I have decided a fit life full of healthy lifestyle choices is the life for me. A clear mind and a clean body is where I'm at and how I want to live out my life. This is the legacy I want to leave, filled with positive healthy choices and setting an example for others to follow. Ok that was deep...;)

Welcome To My New Blog. :)

Hey there, welcome to my new fitness blog. I started a fresh new blog to share my fitness experiences and reach out to people that are interested in getting healthy and in amazing shape. For those of you that don't know me, I am a BeachBody Fit Coach. I am passionate about helping people get in shape and become healthier with BeachBody fitness programs and nutritionals. Since 2007 I have lost a total of 70lbs by using BeachBody in home fitness programs, 30lbs of that grand total has been lost in the past 16 months. I have achieved my fitness success in my home, while working at home as a coach and taking care of my 2 small children. This blog is being created to share my fitness triumphs, struggles, experiences, amazing BB products, the coaching business opportunity...but above all it is being created to help end the trend of obesity. Thanks for following my posts! ~Coach Lindsay