Staying On Track With Healthy Eating

"You are what you eat." That statement couldn't be more true if it was physically possible to see it. In actuality, you can see it. The proof is right in front of us every single day, depending on what we choose to put in our bodies with the food made readily available to us in shorter time than a clock can switch minutes. Push of a button lifestyles have become extremely convenient to a world who wants everything right here, RIGHT NOW. The problem is when something horrific happens because of the desire to have it immediately, the process to try to reverse it causes more stress, pain, agony, depression and sadness in our lives. So is it easier to have it right here, right now? Or is it better to work hard & be willing to patiently await the results that will come so we won't spend more time trying to reverse the damage we created to ourselves by being impatient? I'll take #2 please.

In working in the health and fitness industry for as long as I have, I have been through bouts of it all. Wanting results immediately, immersing myself in chronic cardio, eating just barely enough food to sustain brain and CNS (Central Nervous System) function, thinking it would work in my favor. I have gone through starving myself, creating a hostile environment mentally making it difficult to even be remotely available to anyone who may have needed me as a family member or friend. All this added up to a very unhappy, unhealthy and emotionally damaged individual. Its when I reached the point of realizing something was not working and I had to find out what it was. I had to make a complete 180* in order to move forward and away from the damage I was doing to myself.

The foods America consumes, on a regular basis, are completely unhealthy. A majority of people literally take on the form of what 'right here, right now' looks like and its not a pretty sight. McDonald's, Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King, Pizza Huts & Domino's are just a SHORT list that create the seriously obese and unhealthy America we live in today. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! Your body takes on the shape of the foods you put into it. If you consume greasy, fattening & sugary foods on a regular basis, your insides are absolutely disgusting and when it comes down to it, your outer physical appearance WILL eventually catch up with it. Becoming over weight is one issue, some people don't gain, but aging and color change of the skin, dry brittle hair & nails, rotted teeth and so on are all forms of physically displaying BAD EATING HABITS.  

The part people struggle with the most when it comes to healthy eating, is the mental challenges it brings to constantly watch what you eat, be cautious of the calories you are eating and making sure you are staying on track with your workout routines. There are many excuses that come about & play significant roles when your friends all want to go out to eat, party & enjoy life, but you have to understand WHY it is you are doing what you do and know that you can go out with them, have fun or attend family functions and still make the RIGHT choices when it comes to your plate. You don't need to feel obligated to eat the way everyone else does. To make things easier on you, have an accountability partner. Have someone who is willing to do this with you, or someone who lives the lifestyle of being healthy & working out, be your guide. If you want to really FEEL good, make a change in your waistline or build more muscle and change your physical appearance, you HAVE to stick with it. You have to make smart choices and when you start to feel its too much, you need to talk to someone. Don't buy food you know will work against you. If something is in your cabinets, fridge or freezer that you keep going back to & debating on whether or not that "a little bit" won't hurt, think again! Get rid of whatever you see that would work against you immediately! Cheat meals ALL the time is not how it works. Ice Cream, buttery & sugar laden foods or alcohol are not to be a daily indulgence. This is a change that you have to take seriously and make the PERSONAL decision of what you REALLY WANT FOR YOU. It takes looking in the mirror, writing down your goals and making sure you have a plan that will work. 


Food for life. These are the foods our bodies can actually absorb, utilize and nourish us the way we were created to live. Cavemen didn't have what we do. They ate off the 'fat of the land' and I must say, the life span they had may not have been long, but it certainly wasn't because of how they ate. They ate what the land provided, what the body can actually absorb and what we are meant to consume daily. Their nutrition was pure, clean and far from processed or loaded with hormones, gluten, HFCS & so on. Our bodies were NOT created to absorb processed foods which I actually call PLASTIC. We were made to absorb and utilize lean, clean, pure & natural foods. In order to get the body you want, gain your energy back and not feel sluggish all the time, become lean and super fit, your nutrition has to come first. Its 80% of what happens to your body no matter what anyone says. If you change the way you eat, and actually STICK WITH IT, you will learn to appreciate being healthy and realize you have given yourself LIFE again. Create balance in your life by NOT expecting overnight and immediate results. Work hard for what you want, don't settle for less and push through the obstacles you'll encounter with guidance, support and help from the right people who are immersed in doing it too. You will Thank yourself and your body will too.

Over Thinking

Over thinking. It's a PROBLEM. Its a MAZE in our brain, and it sucks, Period!! Its something we all face no matter who we are. I could list the things we constantly beat ourselves up over but I would be here till I die. Fighting a mental battle about over thinking can actually provoke people to think more and it's not the way to win the battle. Mankind has mentally instilled so many different choices inside us by showing people through TV, radio, movies, books, clothing stores, gyms, jobs, magazines, restaurants, etc. who we "could be" or who we have the potential to be or SHOULD BE based on societies idea of "perfect." There is NO SUCH THING as PERFECT! What we decide to do to create who we want to be as opposed to being who we are has us in twists and turns instead of going in a slated direction to be where we are actually happy. We get derailed and start listening to outsiders and what "they" think we should do instead of really listening to what we should be listening to; our heart. We need to HEAR our heart and block out LISTENING to others. This is for YOU, not them. 

 In the past few months, I've been in a mental battle about whether or not I want to step on stage & do a figure show. 2 of my good friends are WBFF Pro's and after seeing their venture to & off the stage, it put a spark in me that lit my up ass like a wildfire. Seeing how amazing they look on stage, how much fun it was and what they got out of the whole experience just reached out & slapped me in the face. I WANTED THAT! One of my friends is in this picture above. Her name is Jen Jewell (4th one in from the right) and here is when she did her first show & received her pro card. 

 To the right, is my best friend, Jenny Phantharath. She won her Pro card here and has been on stage for years. I have never seen so much hard work and dedication go into fighting for your goals than this girl. From a job that demanded 75% of her day with an hour commute to and from work, to losing her Dad and being the stable rock for her family, she beat everything working against her and reached one of her biggest goals in life. She is the reason I wanted so badly to do a show. Not for looks, but because through anything, she proved that you CAN do whatever you set your mind to. She is amazing and she too is my stable rock.

In 2011, my plan was 2 shows. a Jon Lindsay IFBB show in Los Angeles in August, and the Las Vegas Classic in September. I had to cancel both shows. My uncle became deathly sick with stomach and liver cancer & too soon after, lost the battle on September 11, 2011. I knew without a question in my mind, I needed to be with my family & prepping for a show is selfish. You can't go out & have fun, you're in bed early, up earlier than the sun, working out more than the norm, eating every 2-3 hours & following your entire plan to a T with absolutely NO falling off track allowed. IT IS VERY HARD. It's a lifestyle and although I had to cancel those shows, I continued to stay on my competition diet, but instead of continuing to lean out, I began to build lean mass. For me it meant less working out, more leniency to go out and have fun & no over thinking. It meant not being LIMITED. YaaY! 

And so it went. I built lean mass from August on through the end of December/beginning of January and as I know it takes a little longer than most to lean out, I went right back into my lean phase so I would be ready to get into my bikini and once again feel good about myself.

During the building phase, I had found out the WBFF would be coming to the states and would be in Sacramento in July. It triggered me to aim for that show since I wouldn't have to spend extra money going to Canada. I had a goal. At the time, in my head, this was a YES, I'm doing the show! I was excited and ready to rock it out. Then 2 weeks after, it hit me. Why do I want to do this? Is it because everyone keeps telling me I should? Is it because its my OWN hearts desire? What am I doing? Why am I leaning out again? WHAT IS GOING ON IN MY HEAD??? 

I was back to over thinking. I had lost track of why I wanted to lean out to being with. Initially, it was because of summer and the fun in the sun with my friends on the shore and in the boats! The summer bar-b-que's and chillin out just being present in each moment. It was because I never had a bikini body my entire life up until 2 years ago and now I could buy one feeling confident in putting it on and actually going out in public in it! I FORGOT that. I forgot, because I started over thinking. I blocked out my initial TRUE desire as to why I wanted to be lean again. Believe me if it was healthy and easy, I'd be lean year round. But it isn't. Far from it. I deplete calories every 1-1 1/2 months causing me to lose an extreme amount of energy and I am very restricted. My body type doesn't allow me to permanently lose the fat I lose when I lean out. So I feel comfortable building in the winter and leaning out just before the end of it. I come out of what I call my hibernation clothes. 

I finally stopped thinking about it just the other day and made a very public announcement on Facebook since everyone is there and could be addressed in bulk, that I am NOT doing a show. I chose this because I was tired of thinking about it, tired of thinking about whether or not I was going to go for it, trying to figure out if its what I TRULY desired in my heart, wondering what it would do for me as a person after I did it, wondering if I was just listening to the mass amounts of people telling me to do it and more. I'm OVER IT! I don't want this. Not right now. I want to do what I started out to do in the first place. BE HAPPY and just DO FOR ME. 

This is what I envision when I close my eyes now. The picture above. When I go to sleep at night, I'm truly resting. I'm not stressing myself out & skyrocketing my cortisol levels every night & day over thinking this thing that was getting the best of me. I made my announcement, and the moment I did, I was RELIEVED. Its a breath of fresh air and the ability to be as free as the horse above. Just run with what makes me happy in life. In my opinion, wild animals have it best. They live life everyday not having to think about anything. They go on instinct and that is part of some things that mankind lack. Not everything as man should be based on instinct, but I believe if we applied it to our lives a little more, we would be less inclined to over think things and lose a lot of stress in areas of our lives. Don't make it complicated for yourself. Be honest with yourself, listen to and HEAR your heart and do for you what no one else can. You must first be happy with yourself before you can be happy with or for anyone else. Just let it go and be present.

Skinny Fat, Sickly Skinny, Lean, Muscular, Bulky or Fat?

The confusion a majority of people have is that skinny means the same thing as lean, muscular means the same thing as bulky and fat is politely "chubby" or just simply fat. The problem with that is every single one is different and there are many body types in the world. No 2 people have the same one, however, people do share the same descriptions when one is lean, skinny, sickly skinny, fat, muscular or bulky. Lots of people are all of these but actually knowing what category they fall into is not addressed enough. When I was a child, the only category I fell under was chubby, or fat. I knew nothing more & was under the impression I'd be that way forever. Little did I know or learn as a child is that I could change that with the decision to change my eating, start working out & become aware of how to keep it up.

The picture above shows 2 different females, both of the same size 2. The female on the left is what you call Skinny Fat. The female on the right is what you call Lean. So how does that work? Because in most people's minds, they wouldn't have any problems looking like the woman on the left. The misconception is that she is skinny and that is it, when in reality, if you were to give her a body fat test, her results would deem her fat. That simp[y means for her body type, she has more fat than muscle. The woman on the right is lean. Women the same size as her are usually treading away on the cardio machines every single day trying to unveil the muscle she's toting. The problem with that is unless they add weights and a clean meal plan to the equation, nothing is going to change. Mass amounts of cardio with no weights keeps you skinny fat because all the cardio does is eat the muscle and reverts it to fat. 

 This is in gyms everywhere. The picture of ALL women running and cycling their way into what they believe will reveal the muscle tone they are looking for. Don't get me wrong, some do cardio everyday for endurance because  everyone has different goals. But even so, those people should pick up weight training at least 2-3 days a week to keep the very important energy source in their body, muscle. Our bodies use our muscle for energy everyday and once you're depleted of glycogen, the body will resort to the muscle and begin to consume it just to stay functioning. Carbohydrates aid in giving us the glycogen we need so the body doesn't eat the muscle, however, many are consuming the wrong kind and wrong amounts of carbohydrates. Endurance athletes, after a long drawn out cardio session, generally fuel up on carbohydrates because they notice and feel depletion of glycogen which carbohydrates provide. 

 

Weights are important to any training routine. The misconception here is that first, a lot of women believe that only men are to lift weights and second, weights will make you bulky. FAR FROM TRUE! Every person in the world has muscle. Every person in the world should fight to maintain it. FAT is bulky and muscle can look bulky too, but women who lift heavy weights do NOT GET BULKY without a meal plan that will get them to that point. Which would mean consuming more calories than you burn on a daily basis and following a very intense weight routine. I lift heavy ass weights. I love them but I am not bulky because my meal plan is created to keep me leaned out. For those of you who wonder what it is to lean out, its simply shredding fat on the body to unveil the muscle tone being built underneath. This picture below is exactly what women believe will happen when they lift any size of weight:

This woman above is a competitor in Bodybuilding. Her meal and workout routine is extreme and she must consume thousands of calories just to keep building this muscle mass and look like this. You don't see an ounce of fat on her, but she has built a ton of lean mass by following her plan to a T for years. This will NOT happen to you women when you lift weights. What will happen (granted you follow a clean meal plan with fewer calories than you burn) if you lift weights, is the picture below:

 

This woman is what you call LEAN. She is not "Bulky" she is not "Skinny". She is LEAN. There is a huge difference. You can tell she doesn't have a lot of body fat, she is still small but her muscle structure is beautifully crafted and visible, not extreme like the woman above where you can see almost EVERY muscle fiber in the body. This woman is more than likely correcting society on a daily basis when they call her "skinny". Skinny is small, yes, but skinny implies no muscle tone. I'm told a lot that I am skinny and I am constantly correcting it because I know I'm not. I am lean. During my building phase, I'm still told I'm skinny although I have to put healthy fat back on and don't personally feel I'm lean but people still get it wrong and call me skinny. 

When I picture skinny, I think "runway model". A majority of these men & women are not just skinny, they are SICKLY skinny. This body type is nothing at all to strive for. It is bony, unhealthy and absolutely disgusting in my opinion. When it comes to caring for the human body, this is NOT the example to use. These men & women have been guided to believe in order to look good or be small, they need to be skeleton like. Its the worst kind of skinny one can be and it sets the worst example for kids, teenagers, women and men of all ages who think that to be accepted or feel good, this is how they need to look:

                                                                           

                          

Unattractive, unhappy, unhealthy and underfed is the definition here. The body is sick, craving energy, proper nutrition, hydration and all the vitamins & minerals its depleted of. 

Skinny Fat, Sickly Skinny, Skinny, Lean, Muscular, Bulky or Fat

Whether you're male or female, we all fall under one of these categories. We cannot correct society for good, but what we can do is correct ourselves and be acutely aware of who we are & how healthy or unhealthy we want to be. Its a personal choice to make. Do not let society guide you into believing you NEED to look a certain way to be accepted. I choose happy & healthy. Whether I'm building lean mass & putting some healthy fat on or depleting fat & getting lean, I will always choose to be healthy in my approach to health and fitness making sure I add all aspects of it to my daily life.  

Trained or Untrained?

There is a certain level a person believes is the stopping point when it comes to achieving something great. Doesn't matter what it is, they tend to believe they aren't capable of achieving things other people have achieved. They set limits or boundaries for themselves and begin to mentally talk themselves out of achieving what they truly want. This is the point where that person needs some encouragement and mental training to see that anything they want to do or achieve is absolutely possible. 

We are all trained in the brain by our surrounding environments, people we've encountered, things we've seen and learned and places we've gone. We pick up bits of information and store it in our minds forever. More likely than not, we tend to forget a majority of what we learn, see, hear or speak due to overwhelming environments that distract our focus from the information we retain on a daily basis. Our focus is deterred by busy schedules, kids, jobs, friends, family, etc. etc. Here is where we have a choice, and here is where people would rather just stay where they are. DISCOURAGEMENT. 

The attitude of someone who has their own self doubts will ultimately play a role. Someone whose attitude severely sucks and someone who will do anything in their mental power to talk another out of something that person truly desires to do. These people are life suckers. They are the negative influence we all know and to the very core of us somehow find it difficult to release them. Some people find comfort in having another person who will discourage them from anything they want to do because its almost a 'permission slip' if you will, to continue to be 'average' and do nothing. Its a comfort in knowing "hey, I don't have to push myself to become great. It takes too much discipline and hard work." Where is the ethic in that? Where is this all coming from when just a few minutes ago, before the negative influence invaded you, there was a desire to do something wonderful with your life? This is one of the most important things you need to recognize and take note of mentally. These people can't see themselves doing something amazing so they suck the idea right our of you to keep you from being more successful than they are. These people are miserable; and misery LOVES company. Especially if they can keep you at their level forever. 

"There's no such thing as tough. There's TRAINED and there's UNTRAINED. Now which one are you?" -Denzel Washington, Man On Fire-

The quote above is one of my all time favorite quotes. This is a mental set people need to have. Are you trained or untrained? Sure someone can be tough. We can lift heavy things, make it through a marathon, live through emotional breakdowns or the death of loved ones, but what does it really come down to? Is that really considered TOUGH? Or is it because we've been TRAINED how to do these things or make it through any circumstance or event? If you answered TRAINED, you're right. These 2 words are completely different. The meaning of trained is shaped or disciplined, conditioned or skilled. The meaning of tough is to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking. These comparative words are similar, but actually mean 2 completely different things. When you think of trained, you might think about how people train animals or how a person is trained for a sport, job, survival, etc. When tough comes to mind, you may think strong, steel, unbreakable, etc. 

Repetitive actions produce a trained mind. Habit, is said to take 21 days to develop. A trained mind takes a lifetime of continual educational training and application everyday to become what we desire to become. Its skill, its determination, knowledge, action.... its mental set! Its what you decide for yourself to become. Its when you take those life suckers and with a swift kick in the ass boot 'em out of your life. Its when you take control of your life and begin a new journey that you believed was out of reach for "someone like you". 

We are all human. Well known or not, we all have the capability to do what we set our minds to. All it takes is training the mind and getting yourself equipped with the knowledge that helps you put that training into action. Knowledge is power when applied. Use it. We are UNLIMITED. 

Do Something About Nothing!

And NOTHING ever will. Unless of course there's a remote, junk food and a television. Sure a lot can happen with what I just named. Let's start with poor health, move onto obesity, depression invasion, self hate, sadness, anger..... are you getting the picture??? What happens here DESTROYS people on a daily basis because they *Choose* to do *Nothing* about something. That something is what you have created sitting in that chair or on that couch. Can you honestly say you are happy with what you've chosen to do to yourself? Are you pointing the finger at everyone else BUT YOU? The answer is clear and the truth is brutal but if you continue to live this way, NOTHING will ever happen and you will stay miserable. 

GET UP!!!

I'm constantly asked the same things over and over as what to do to get the 6 pack abs or how to sculpt your legs/arms/back/etc. I'll tell you this, I've been overweight. I've been at that point where I was JUST SITTING THERE doing absolutely NOTHING about everything I hated about myself. I know what its like to not want to get dressed, go out in public and loathe the beautiful people running around in bikinis on TV. But what I refused to do was take responsibility for MY OWN CHOICES and the lack of actions I CHOSE to take. 

So now you ask the lingering question we all have; What MOTIVATED Me? The Answer:

I MOTIVATED MYSELF! 

   

Yep, I said it. It didn't take anyone but me because what I saw is I was personally unhappy and was sick and tired of ....... being sick & tired! I didn't want to be that person anymore and I KNEW that inside of me and under the fat layers there was someone DIFFERENT waiting to be unveiled. I decided that I was enough and should be the reason to no longer do nothing about what I couldn't stand. The pictures above show everyone that I have NOT always been fit! You need proof for yourself to see what you don't want to be and that "before" picture we all take, is reason enough to get yourself motivated. 

Sometimes it takes more than you. There are others who don't feel they can do it alone because they have no idea where to begin. It may take a fitness model, a friend, a book, a family member or someone else but if you don't reach out to who you want to help you, they won't reach out to you because they don't know you are looking for their help. You need to speak up! When you step on the scale & see the numbers, is this what you see?

 

If so, its time to step up to the plate and DO SOMETHING! No one else can do it for you but once you decide that you are tired of being where you are and start moving, there will be unlimited resources of help waiting to guide you along the way. If it takes using at home workout programs to follow, DO IT! If it takes a buddy system in the gym, GET ONE! If it takes revamping your entire kitchen to start eating right, CHANGE IT! 

One of my very favorite fitness athletes & WBFF PROs, is a woman by the name of Diana Chaloux. Some of you know who she is, some don't. What she shows the world is that no matter who you are, IT CAN BE DONE and she is one of the most humble and uplifting women I've watched over the years. Her non stop help and dedication to people have brought many people to health and fitness. Not by using herself as the role model, but using her real clients, posting the before and afters, to show ANYONE wanting so badly to become super fit and actually feel GOOD about themselves, that they CAN do it! 

YOU need to be the reason to live happy! YOU are reason enough to do something that will not only benefit the way you feel, but increase your self worth and passion to WANT to continue to keep going. My personal journey is a continual change. While I train the way figure competitors do, other people do not. That is what makes me happy and that is the desired feeling & look I create by doing it everyday. There are all kinds of different things you can do to feel better. You don't have to want to be in a bikini. You don't have to want to be a muscle packing tough guy and you don't need to do it to impress anyone else. The only thing you need to do is make sure you do what you want for yourself. If thats just simply changing your eating habits so you feel better inside, then do it. Make a move to make the change. No one ever got the results they have by someone else doing the work for them. IT TAKES YOU and the hard work that won't lie when the results from taking action follow. 

I was reason enough to make the change. I was reason enough to become who I've transformed into. Mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, I have changed. It did NOT happen over night. I had to LISTEN to people who knew what they were doing. I had to ASK questions to find out the answers that couldn't be given unless I opened my mouth. I had to RESEARCH what it was I personally needed for my body type and I have to continually KNOW that I will make changes throughout my entire life. You create NEW goals, set new PERSONAL records and new CHALLENGES that will help you continue to grow in more ways than one.

.....then

****DO SOMETHING ABOUT NOTHING****

Http://www.wix.com/AshleysDriven/ImpactedByHealthAndFitness 

What Works For Me IS NOT What Works For You

 

It is the most commonly overlooked part when someone decides they want to get in shape, become healthy and change their life. Why is it so common you may wonder? I'll tell you. FAD's! People JUMP at a new diet, workout or supplement believing that "if it works for them, it will work for me!" WRONG! There is not one person in the world who will respond the same way to a workout, supplement or nutrition plan the same way another does. We are all structured differently and our bodies are going to build what we were given to work with when we were born. Embracing this fact is necessary in order for anyone to reach their goals. Its not easy, there will be plateaus and you will beat yourself into the ground when what someone else did, doesn't work for you. That is the point where people give up completely.

Everyone has a body type. Some are Ectomorph, some Endomorph, some Mesomorph and some are a mix of 2. A majority of people not familiar with the fitness industry wouldn't know what I'm talking about. Your body type has everything to do with how you will respond to getting into shape. From nutrition to workouts, rest, recovery, hydration, supplements, resting & max heart rate, calorie expenditure, endurance, personal goals & more, we all respond differently. If you were to research and ask questions you would find out there is a way to get your personal body type. If you never ask, chances are, you'll never find out. There is a test I give my clients that they take and the results after the short quiz is their body type. Its made to help you understand how your body will respond to foods, workouts, pace of the workout, etc. I'm posting it here for everyone, because if you're reading this blog, you are curious about what I have to say and at this point, more than likely want to know what your body type is:    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm

   

The general approach to becoming healthy is to start eating right and working out. Common sense. But there are so many people who hit the gym everyday and eat right but see NO results what so ever. The problem lies in the lack of knowledge from not researching how many calories & macronutrients you personally need a day. How much water you consume plays a huge role as well. We all know water is for hydration as we are made up mostly of water, but it also keeps us healthy from the inside out and allows us to burn more fat! Water is imperative to our daily functions. In fact, its so imperative that we can survive without food, but we cannot survive without water! Aside from oxygen, water is the most readily available resource we have. From mountains & streams, rivers & lakes to the ocean, we are surrounded by water. 

The human body is amazing. The unlimited things it is capable of doing & becoming is up to us. We can daily tell ourselves that certain things aren't possible & we can't do this, that or the other. Truth behind it is, WE CAN! We see people doing these things everyday that put us in awe and shock us. So why can't that be you? Your body is to be treated with care. Researching why can open doors you never knew existed. All it takes is training. Training is a learning process and it will take time, but if you dig deep, RESEARCH everything you need to get to where you want to be and stop limiting yourself, you'll be amazed at what you can do, amazed at the progress you make and STOP following all these diet frenzy fads that have let you down more than once. Its a slow process and its one step at a time. Nothing happens overnight when you decide to change your body. What you do or don't do each day will decipher whether or not you are moving in a forward or backwards direction. 

 

Supplements are by far, in my opinion, one of the worst fads around. From fat burners, muscle gainers, protein powders & more, people believe that if they just start taking that pill or swallowing 10 protein shakes a day, their body will change. News flash:

THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN!!!! 

You have to take action in more than one area in order to start seeing results. I've been to the point of believing if I just started using certain supplements and did NOTHING else, I would see amazing results. That was when I never had the phrase "RESEARCH WHAT YOU'RE DOING" cross my mind. I never thought it through. I believed that box or that commercial and I invested my money into a fad that does not work! I didn't think about lifting weights because once again, I believed that I would become a bulky bodybuilding looking girl and it scared me. I immersed myself in chronic cardio believing I was burning tons of fat while doing it. I was so wrong. The day I decided to research what it is I needed to do was the day I FINALLY asked questions, researched and was guided into what I am now. It took YEARS! My body did not happen over night and I STILL go through many changes during the seasons. This is NEVER ENDING! Its not a 30 or 90 day workout, eat right, take these pills, swallow this drink, FIX IT FOREVER solution. Everything combined together is what WILL work. Being patient and not sticking to just one routine, stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things like functional training using battle ropes, kettlebells, aqua bags, interval & Tabata training, low intensity cardio, etc. Its all a WHOLE and not one aspect of what you do will work against you if you never stop learning! 

 Research everything and you will become more than you imagined, mentally, physically, emotionally & spiritually. 

Nutrition Plays The Role

"You are what you eat." That statement couldn't be more true if it was physically possible to see it. In actuality, you can see it. The proof is right in front of us every single day, depending on what we choose to put in our bodies with the food made readily available to us in shorter time than a clock can switch minutes. Push of a button lifestyles have become extremely convenient to a world who wants everything right here, RIGHT NOW. The problem is when something horrific happens because of the desire to have it immediately, the process to try to reverse it causes more stress, pain, agony, depression and sadness in our lives. So is it easier to have it right here, right now? Or is it better to work hard & be willing to patiently await the results that will come so we won't spend more time trying to reverse the damage we created to ourselves by being impatient? I'll take #2 please.

In working in the health and fitness industry for as long as I have, I have been through bouts of it all. Wanting results immediately, immersing myself in chronic cardio, eating just barely enough food to sustain brain and CNS (Central Nervous System) function, thinking it would work in my favor. I have gone through starving myself, creating a hostile environment mentally making it difficult to even be remotely available to anyone who may have needed me as a family member or friend. All this added up to a very unhappy, unhealthy and emotionally damaged individual. Its when I reached the point of realizing something was not working and I had to find out what it was. I had to make a complete 180* in order to move forward and away from the damage I was doing to myself.

The foods America consumes, on a regular basis, are completely unhealthy. A majority of people literally take on the form of what 'right here, right now' looks like and its not a pretty sight. McDonald's, Taco Bell, KFC, Burger King, Pizza Huts & Domino's are just a SHORT list that create the seriously obese and unhealthy America we live in today. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! Your body takes on the shape of the foods you put into it. If you consume greasy, fattening & sugary foods on a regular basis, your insides are absolutely disgusting and when it comes down to it, your outer physical appearance WILL eventually catch up with it. Becoming over weight is one issue, some people don't gain, but aging and color change of the skin, dry brittle hair & nails, rotted teeth and so on are all forms of physically displaying BAD EATING HABITS.  

The part people struggle with the most when it comes to healthy eating, is the mental challenges it brings to constantly watch what you eat, be cautious of the calories you are eating and making sure you are staying on track with your workout routines. There are many excuses that come about & play significant roles when your friends all want to go out to eat, party & enjoy life, but you have to understand WHY it is you are doing what you do and know that you can go out with them, have fun or attend family functions and still make the RIGHT choices when it comes to your plate. You don't need to feel obligated to eat the way everyone else does. To make things easier on you, have an accountability partner. Have someone who is willing to do this with you, or someone who lives the lifestyle of being healthy & working out, be your guide. If you want to really FEEL good, make a change in your waistline or build more muscle and change your physical appearance, you HAVE to stick with it. You have to make smart choices and when you start to feel its too much, you need to talk to someone. Don't buy food you know will work against you. If something is in your cabinets, fridge or freezer that you keep going back to & debating on whether or not that "a little bit" won't hurt, think again! Get rid of whatever you see that would work against you immediately! Cheat meals ALL the time is not how it works.  Ice Cream, buttery & sugar laden foods or alcohol are not to be a daily indulgence. This is a change that you have to take seriously and make the PERSONAL decision of what you REALLY WANT FOR YOU. It takes looking in the mirror, writing down your goals and making sure you have a plan that will work. 

Food for life. These are the foods our bodies can actually absorb, utilize and nourish us the way we were created to live. Cavemen didn't have what we do. They ate off the 'fat of the land' and I must say, the life span they had may not have been long, but it certainly wasn't because of how they ate. They ate what the land provided, what the body can actually absorb and what we are meant to consume daily. Their nutrition was pure, clean and far from processed or loaded with hormones and sugar. Our bodies were NOT created to absorb processed foods which I actually call PLASTIC. We were made to absorb and utilize lean, clean, pure & natural foods. In order to get the body you want, gain your energy back and not feel sluggish all the time, become lean and super fit, your nutrition has to come first. Its 70% of what happens to your body no matter what anyone says. If you change the way you eat, and actually STICK WITH IT, you will learn to appreciate being healthy and realize you have given yourself LIFE again. Create balance in your life by NOT expecting overnight and immediate results. Work hard for what you want, don't settle for less and push through the obstacles you'll encounter with guidance, support and help from the right people who are immersed in doing it too. You will Thank yourself and your body will too.