Happy New You! (Are you Committed to Your Food and Fitness Goals?)

It's nearly the end of January 2012 and many people have already abandoned their so-called "New Year's Resolutions."  Either they've gotten busy with work and life, their willpower and motivation has faded, or let's face it -- some of us have just gotten plain lazy. We'd rather watch the latest episode of "Basketball Jumpoffs" or "Real Housewives of Buffonery" than get our ass off the couch and get our workout on. :)  Every year I make a promise to myself to eat cleaner and more consciously and exercise consistently. Initially I embarked on this journey for vanity reasons (by my own admission), but I've since realized soooo many other benefits to this healthier lifestyle including: dramatically increased energy, a higher fitness level, balanced mood, and a more positive outlook on life. In 2012 I'm continuing the journey as a lifestyle. I think the reason why a lot of people fall off the wagon is they think about it as goal for the "New Year" instead of one for the "New You." 


 I was watching TV the other day and it's so funny how 3 of the major weight loss companies are running advertisements simultaneously featuring major singing celebrities.  Pop/R&B singer Mariah Carey is promoting for Jenny Craig. Jennifer Hudson is touting Weight Watchers and Janet Jackson is the current face of NutriSystem. It's like the weight loss battle of the singing divas!! LOL. I think all of these ladies look absolutely beautiful and have remarkable before/after transformations. How much of the company's food they actually ate to achieve their new bodies is another question, but I'm sure for legal reasons they had to at least sample the food. Of course all of these programs work if you're consistent with them, but naturally the use of celebrities is a marketing and PR ploy to draw the eyeballs of more people. I saw one Facebook post by a woman that complained that Mariah was not relatable and Jenny should get rid of her as a spokeswoman. Some folks will "poo-poo" these programs because they think celebrities make better and faster progress than the "average Jane" with their access to nutritionists, personal trainers, and private chefs etc. 

I used to think this way too and now I realize it was just an excuse. As someone once told me, even a wealthy person can't hire someone do to their pushups for them. No matter what, if you want to be healthy and more fit --  burn fat and build lean muscle --  YOU have to do the work...lift the weights...do the cardio...and stay away from the junk food. No one else can do it for you! That's what it comes down to.  There are really very few shortcuts for long-lasting success. 


I do write down my yearly goals in a journal in January of every year but I review them every quarter to check-in on my progress and see where I'm falling short and where I need to improve. It's also an opportunity to pat myself on the back for any accomplishments I achieved. I found that this type of ACCOUNTABILITY helps keep me on track, focused and motivated. 


FOCUS = "Fixed On Course Until Successful." 


So sorry. Pardon me. I think I was having a Gary Busey moment.  :)  Ultimately everyone has to find what works for them, but it must be frustrating to make the same darn goals every year and not make any progress. Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results right?


On that note, in 2012 I plan to blog more often (at least once a month, if not more). I'll continue to share my experiences and reviews of different fitness classes (everything from Cardio Barre to Hot Yoga to Kettlebell workouts). If you have a fitness class that you enjoy or that has helped you achieve your goals, I'd love to hear about it.  I'll also share my insights on food and nutrition from some of my domestic and worldly travels. For example, did you know that in Cuba, they use little to no pesticides, herbicides, hormones or anti-biotics in their food?  I didn't realize that until I visited last year. You won't see any McDonald's, Burger Kings or Taco Bells there and the taste and quality of the food is infinitely better and healthier as reflected in the bodies of the people. I barely saw any overweight or obese people. We have a lot to learn about the way other people do things and I'm all about knowledge-sharing and having a dialogue so we can continue to improve ourselves and live healthier lives.


Until next time...may you continue to achieve your goals and may all your dreams come true. Be happy, healthy and well!!

Making the Decision to Change

I decided to start this blog to share my weight loss/fitness journey with others and help keep me accountable.

Over the last decade I have tried numerous diets and weight loss programs -- everything from Slim Fast to Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig. What I've realized is that there's no magic pill for getting fit. If you burn more calories then you consume you will lose weight and if you fuel your body with the right nutrient-dense foods you will have the energy to fuel your workouts.

My battle with weight began in my mid to late 20s. Prior to that I rarely worked out and effortlessly maintained a nicely sized 3-5 figure. With age, my metabolism slowed down and I started to pack on the pounds. Even though my eating habits hadn't changed, my sedentary lifestyle caught up with me. My dress sizes were creeping up and up and soon going shopping was a depressing event instead of the fun adventure it used to be. I had gone from FAB to FLAB!

In 2003 I tried a body transformation program called "Body-for-Life" which was quite successful. I managed to lose 17 lbs over the course of 12 weeks, and not only was I really liking the changes I saw in my body, but the compliments were flowing in from friends, family & co-workers alike. My skin was radiant and I had more energy than ever before. Unfortunately, I got a bit over-confident, started slacking on my workouts, and returned to some of my old eating habits indulging in cheeseburgers, fries, chocolate shakes etc.  I thought that because the fat had started melting off of me I could afford to "cheat" on my diet here and there. Well...the result was that I gained all the weight back and then some. For the next 5-6 years I struggled with trying to lose the weight again and get fit but it seemed like every time I would make an attempt, life would get in the way. Work came with its demands and then there were household chores to do and friends, family and significant others to spend time with. I just never seemed to be able to "cross the abyss."

Then in the Fall of 2009 I finally said enough is enough! I had reached my highest scale weight and body fat percentage ever. I no longer recognized myself in the mirror or in pictures. My mother (God bless her),  who has probably been one of my biggest supporters, was also my most vocal critic.  I knew deep down inside that I had let myself go and needed to make some changes. I knew I wasn't "living my best life." I said to myself "I really should be a better steward of the body God gave me since it's the only one I'll ever get." So I joined Jenny Craig in 11/09 and started my weight loss journey to build my best body for life. As of today I have lost 16 lbs on the program. The biggest benefit is the convenience of not having to cook your own meals and the fact that the meals are calorie-apportioned so you don't have to count points or calories. I am on a 1200 calorie-a-day diet. When combined with some light to moderate exercise, it creates the calorie deficit I need to lose weight.

Kimberley Locke (American Idol) dropped 40 lbs on Jenny Craig
going from 178 lbs to 138 lbs and a size 14 to a size 6.

I'm going to continue the Jenny Craig program but I have also decided to accept the BFL (Body-for-Life) challenge again starting on 8/2/10.  It's a 12-week body transformation contest involving healthy nutrition and supplementation as well as cardio and resistance training 6 days a week. There are multiple monetary prizes of $10K and $25K for winners in different categories. It would be an absolute honor for the judges to select me for one of the prizes and the competition aspect is very motivating. The end of the 12 weeks coincides with my 39th birthday. I see this as being the greatest gift I can give to myself.

I'll be sharing all of my 12 week goals in a future blog update as well as info about my meals and workouts. I've learned if you can't measure it, you can't manage it, so I try to document my goals and measure my progress against them.

Thanks for going on this journey to wellness and fitness with me and I hope we can learn many things from each other. :)