Felt like my class

This past November a couple of gal friends and I decided to do a 30 day squat challenge. We figured with all the holidays around we wanted to help or butt from falling to the floor.. And, we all wanted the girls butt in the picture.

We started out great, we would knock them out in the morning before work.  And, as they increased some of us broke them down into groups of 10 and did them throughout the day.

November 22 sucked for me. I was at work and forgotten all about my squats. I was at work at my desk and had a few minutes, I figured that knock out 190 of them.

I took my shoes off, raised my desk and proceeded to do the deed. I did them in groups of 10 or 20 making sure I had good form. After that, I lowered my desk back down and went about my work. About 2 hours later I noticed an unusual tightening, I tried a few stretches to loosen it up but it was on its way to seizing up. I didn't  have any way to get home for relief so I worked though the day. As soon as I got home, my husband put tried to work out the muscle kinks and apply ice. All I could think about was I had to to prepare Thanksgiving dinner in two days, what am I going to do? I managed to prepare the meal very carefully with a lot of help from family and friends but, I was not able to finish the squat challenge. That to me was the worst part of it. 

After 2 weeks my back pain finally let up enough for me to attempt a yoga class. I knew my limitations and capabilities to modify when I needed to.  

I arrived to class a little early to relax in the heat and ended up talking with Lauren, the instructor. One thing led to another in conversation and I mentioned that my back was a little weak and that I might have to modify a few poses.

The whole class was amazing and the movements we performed were centered around core strength. Not once did I feel a twinge or a pain or did I have to modify. At the end of class I felt energized and like the class was wrapped around my needs.  Thanks  Lauren at Fire Fly

It's your story. Be Fabulous

So it's January, 2016.  I hope you fabulous people didn't do the same resolutions that didn't work last year. Or make ones that are impossible to reach.

Last year, my resolution was to learn another language because I figured I had the food thing down. I jumped in both feet and worked hard at it. I took classes, bought books and I was going to conquer this. However, life gets in the way and I had to put it on the shelf to study for a work thing. Exceptionally boring stuff I might add.  I'll get back to it this year.

This year my goal or resolution was simple. I wanted to lose 20 lbs to get my eating back on track. All the summer craft beers and margaritas can catch up with you.  Healthy eating and movement have always front and center but something about the end of the year that makes it so final.  A new year makes it feel like it's a free pass to start over and be great at it. I'm working on with some gal pals that have the same mission. When you can network, you have power to get thought situations to vent about and to celebrate victories and there is success in numbers.

Make this year all about you. As I get older it's about pampering yourself a little more, be with loved ones and enjoy life. Over this past year I've met some wonderful people that I now consider friends. New relationships and new ideas have blossomed. In 2015, I took a belly dancing,a burlesque class and I learned yoga.  I accomplished more in 2015 but these ones were memorable moments.

Pole dancing popped up in conversations recently, but that one is on hold. Not sure about that one. I can see myself sliding down a pole flat on my face. My point is try something new. Take a dance class, join a team, yoga or get a dog or cat.

So far January 2016 is working out for me and my food plan. Using hCG Activator I'm down 10 lbs and feeling great.  I keep my self accountable with my chalk  board cupboard doors. I get excited to cross of each day.

Whatever big or small just do something that you can call your own and be fabulous about it.

It's been a week

It's my first week on hCG Activator and I've lost 6 lbs in 3 days. I put together a 6 week challenge of a consistent exercise and an eating plan. I've cleared my calendar so nothing is to get in my way.  I've taken the time to set this up, but what really put me over the edge was my waist measurement. I gained 3 inches around my middle.  I thought I was going to lose my mind. I knew my pants were getting tight and I would try on 12 tops before settling for the one that hid the muffin top the most. I don't even like muffins!

I know you gain weight rather slowly but you always seem to justify it until something happens and BOOM where that 20 lbs come from? Time to reel it in.

My first experience with hCG Activator I lost over 60 lbs in 2010. I know the plan works, and as a creature of habit I will do what works for me again. I have been so unsuccessful in the past  with my weight control that I did not want that frustration again. Plus, the food plan makes perfect sense. It's full of energy and it makes me feel good. It's all fresh wholesome foods how can you go wrong?

My opinion is that processed food companies want you to buy their crap. Yes, it's all crap. if you want to eat right, pretend you are eating like your grandparents or great grandparents. They didn't run out to a fast food joint or open a box or eat a cereal bar. Okay, maybe a little of my consumerism came out there but you get my point.

This year is a bit different, I have a lot of friends and co - workers that really want to make positive change too. So, we all jumped on the band wagon and are positively reinforcing each other.

It's nice to know that you're not alone in wanting to better yourself. Facebook maybe full of crap, but having online friends that share positive words help motivate and send good vibes. Heck, we share recipes, suggestions, questions and stupid memes.

With all my success in the past I was asked to do an ad in a GNC magazine for hCG. I did this  photo back in 2011 and I can honestly say it's not altered. I have the original photo in file. It just looks weird cut and pasted. But this helps remind me of what I need to do.

Along with my food program I have incorporated Hot Yoga a few days per week. I'm not totally busting my ass, but Hot Yoga is no walk in the park, and its great workout Mentally as well. Plus, a few of gals are doing a monthly physical challenge to keep us on task.

I'm on a a restrictive meal plan of lean meats and veggies but yoga allows me to stay active and strong. Its' a win win combination.

Moving forward, its only begun!

Plan for Success

I just came back from a week long conference for work. Very enjoyable, great food, friends and business. They had a expo of samples and expos are a weaknesses for me. I'm one of those people that if its free, I take if and figure out what to do with it later. Its like Christmas watching my kids (and husband) riffle through it. I brought back a lot of food goodies for quick snacks

See what I'm talking about? Lots of little things that are great for lunches and snacking but not so good when I'm on a food plan.
Now, I do have pretty good discipline and have learned to make good decisions but, every now and then you just get a hankering for something and you have to learn to walk away. Over the last couple of years I did gain a little weight back. I used my work conference as a way of getting it all out of my system. I now can put all my energy on the next 6 weeks and focus. My goal is to lose 20 pounds! I planned, plotted  for 3 weeks and today is my first day on my HCG Activator program. My first order of business is to hide all this booty so it doesn't find my booty. Second order is to hit the grocery store for all the food on the plan to avoid deviation.

And the rest goes something like this.
1. Start my journal
2. Record my weight and measurements (pictures of needed)
3. Add in moderate exercise. I'm on a low calorie plan which means I don't want to beat myself up.
4. Begin my accountability: My blog and facebook. The trick is to NOT to keep it a secret. Let your friends and family help you. They only want the best for you.
Follow my on the ups and downs of what it takes to lose weight and all the dirty details. I know it's not going to a piece of cake, (ok, bad pun) but, I do know that if I don't plan I will  fail.

Kitchen Cupboard

My timeline is written in my kitchen for all the world to see, in Chalk. I plan to cross off each day. This is my accountability, What's yours?

Insanity Class

I took an Insanity class last night after work and Jennifer (the instructor) says "it's okay if you take things at your own pace, Insanity is tough and you might are not expected to keep up. Well, every time a attempted to slow down, Jennifer jumped next to me pushing me harder.I'M SO CONFUSED/!!

No. really Jennifer- thanks for pushing me to my limits, I'm glad you did. I'll be able to flex my calf muscles sooner or later.

The Institution Face Book Page

It's warmer on Mars than in Michigan

I don't feel like I'm in Michigan anymore. It's -30 wind chill, my boys are on their 3 snow day, my car won't start, and we are buried under about 14 inches of snow and its too cold to go out and romp around.
So with that, what does one do with your time when you want to be nothing by lazy. Because its so cold all I want to eat is cook comfort food and keep the oven on. But, alas I'm holding pretty good on making sure I don't eat everything in the fridge. I prepped some healthy options in the house for me to eat as I'm spend time in the kitchen. I always make sure to eat first. The real trick when you are bored is to not exceed portions by snacking. If you're lazy, you need less food. I am also on my low calorie with HCG Activator right now so I have to mindful of how many calories I am eating and I need to add with I add exercise.

I have to admit that I have not worked out in the last couple days since we are not allowed to be out on the roads unless its necessary. In order to counteract, I am really limiting what I put into my mouth by drinking water and staying focused. I have a goal and I don't like to fail.

I finally dragged myself to the The Institution and boy, am I glad I did. I took a PiYo Strength class- It's a combination of yoga and strength training. You'll be amazed how much you sweat doing yoga poses and feeling your body stretch, feeling taller and straighter. It was a tricky few days but I still managed to lose 3 lbs in the wake of it all. Keep it up

Setting up a plan for 2014

I have some pretty good things happening at the end of this month and I am on a mission.

Thanks to The Institution I have definitely been moving. With all the different options in classes no way can I get bored. They have been kinda slow because of the holiday but its been a bonus for me as I get the individualized attention. Maybe that's why I can hardly walk today.....Thanks Paul and Jennifer. Anyway, it's getting my year started off right.They offer personalized training and nutritional support. And, the best part is they make you feel like family. Check it out. http://institutionfitness.com/ They much more than what I can explain here.

I would like shave off 10 to 12 lbs while I'm working out to get that cutting edge feel. So I'm doing a double whammy with workouts and food plan.I decided to jump back on a round of hCG Activator for this month and see if I can rock this out. I lost a  over 60lbs with this eating program and I feel good about using it again. You know, if you ever want to see me in action I'm a success coach for this product on FaceBook.  https://www.facebook.com/HCGactivator Meet the whole community and see for yourself how this works.

Its 2014 Give it all you got!

First work out of 2014

A couple close friends of mine are Beachbody coaches and they opened a fitness club in my area called the The Institution. Since my boot camp was over I needed something to replace it.  They had a grand opening recently and I had the opportunity to try it out a couple days ago.

I signed up for more classes and my first workout of 2014 at 10 am. I was already tired and sore from the workout 2 days prior but I had to go. I even bought an outfit, so I had NO excuse to not go and I would look good while doing it.

My plan was to get up 2 hours before class so I could sip my coffee and stretch out. I thought that if I don't get up early to do some stretching I would get hurt in class. I'm not a morning exercise person, my coordination sucks and enviably I get hurt.
Well, I overslept and my husband Tom rolls over taps me on the shoulder and tells me to get up.( Love you too, honey.) I crawled out of bed, made some coffee and wondered if I should take the time to brush my teeth. Yes, I brushed my teeth.
It was only 10 degrees so any warm up I did was long gone as I jumped in my car to head to class.  All I could think of was how my muscles already hurt, how in the world was I going to last an hour workout?

I totally surprised myself, the workout was exactly what I needed. My muscles responded accordingly and I was energized. So, the word is, if your workout was a little tough, work through it and it will get better and you will feel amazing. Check out the link if you live in my area. http://institutionfitness.com/

Working out Vs. Holidays

With the holidays here I thought that I'd sign up for a Fit Body Boot Camp class.  When I'm active with exercise I tend to eat better and have focus. I took way to much time off and I decided that I would hit it hard. I packed my bag the night before so I had no excuses, I was ready! Apparently my first day back was the Monday Murder. 45 minutes of squats, push ups and burpees.

The place was packed, clearly others had the same thing in mind but I found a piece of floor to do my thing. I put all the classes in my calender, wrote down my starting weight in my journal, and found all my socks. We'll see how the next three weeks go but, I'm on a mission and feeling pretty positive about it. My goal is lose 5 lbs but if I don't gain any with all the holiday goodies I'll be just as happy. I learned a long time ago to set small goals to succeed then end up with one BIG failure.

Super Mommy

I took a couple months off of boot camp thinking that I would keep it up on my own. Well, that couldn't have been further from the truth.  I went back for a few weeks and thought I could walk into this like I never left.  About 30 minutes into it I wanted to fall over.Where is this muscle memory that I keep hearing about? I'm so frustrated that it feels like I'm starting over. But week 3 I'm still going and my fitness level is coming back.

We women do it every day. We jam pack our days that we rarely take time out to take care of ourselves. I made the decision that I had to get back to it. I missed the exercise and the way it made me feel both physically and mentally. My husband stepped up and helps with dinners and lunches so I can feel my best. Because face it, no one likes a cranky mommy.

Feeling Selfish

After so many foolish diets, pills, gym memberships, doctors, nutritionist, clinics, nutritional shakes, and starving myself. I was at my wits end. Or at least I thought I was. My body was breaking down physically and mentally I was a basket case.
I saw a commercial for Baratric surgery on TV and thought maybe this was a possibility. I was really nervous to call but I sucked it up and called.
It was an evening appointment and I went after work. I remember exactly what I wore that day almost 3 years ago like it was yesterday. I had been down to the clinic before when I visited the nutritionist a few months earlier. This time the room had long tables with folding chairs in a lecture setting. I was early so I could get a seat and I had no idea of what to expect. They had information  folders on the table with pens to take notes about a dozen were laid out. I was the first person in the room and I got a sudden fear. What if someone I knew came in? What would they think? As people began to make their way into the room I started to feel really foolish for this decision. It was clearly a life or death situation for these folks and I felt horrible for wasting anyone's time. One women came in a wheel chair and others had assistance and oxygen tanks.  What was I thinking, I felt so selfish. I was afraid to leave because I would get noticed so I sat quietly wishing I would vanish into the corner. I sat through the hour long presentation as the professionals talked about the different types of procedures available. It was all presented very well and the care that would be provided. At the end they had us each  figure out a BMI chart and a check list of any medical problems. High blood pressure, diabetes, hypertension, etc. I filled out the chart, no blood pressure problems, no diabetes  no hypertension. All clean. When I got to the weight part I could feel my breathe getting shallower and quicker. I was 7 lbs short of the the allowable weight.  One comment sticks out in my mind. The nice lady that was helping me fill out my chart said that I was only 7 lbs short to qualify and that I needed to gain weight. I don't know if she was joking or serious but I will never forget it. I politely said thank you for you time, but no thank you, gaining weight was not an option. I quietly excused myself walked out to my car and sat there in the quiet for a few minutes, replaying the whole experience in my head.  While it was not a pleasant experience I did realize that I was not a bad off as I had worked up in my own mind. I had my health my family and friends. I was still in charge of my own destiny. I just needed to find the right combination.

Back to the Grind

I hate being sick. I had been sick for about a week and couldn't exercise. I picked up a upper respiratory virus and had to wait it out. When I can't workout I get cranky. Tom is the first tell me flat out GO WORKOUT please.All talking stops and I just go. It's a great stress reliever. I have always had the workout bug my whole life, heavy or not I always did something to get my heart pounding, I had to. I have a whole workout gym and workout discs in my basement. But, of course I feel the need to leave the house to get my sweat on properly. At home I'm half assed because I have kids that want a snack, the phone rings, or the dryer buzzer goes off. As a mother you always have laundry.

I had an online coupon on Groupon for 4 weeks of  Fit Body Boot Camp. close to work and  I thought could I? http://www.fitbodybootcamp.com/mi/lansing-fitness-boot-camp/ I saw pictures of what I thought was more of a torture chamber than a class. I saw kettle bells, weights of all sizes BIG tractor tires, car tires, bags of sand, punching bags, cables, ropes, and scuffed up walls, very manly looking place. I immediately thought of the Biggest Loser Gym and wondered if Jillian or Bob were going to walk in. My first reaction was Oh dear, this is going to kill me, so I bought 8 weeks and planned it 6 weeks out so I could get myself motivated. I added it to my calendar, I talked about it on Face-Book me and Tom bought some workout clothes. I take Tom shopping with me for a couple reasons. 1.) He's an excellent shopper and 2) he makes sure I get clothes that fit. I had a habit of reaching for larger sizes before I realized that I lost weight.

My first day was here. All day at work I was was thinking about this class, I told all my friends so I couldn't back out. I was doing this. It's 4:20 I walk in the door and it smells of sweat and tears. I was greeted by Emeka, the owner.  Emeka Umeh is from from Nigeria, 6"2 and just about as wide. I knew I had just signed my death warrant.


The class is only 30 minutes of hardcore, old school exercises and  I a couple trainers  are ex military. The first week I dragged my butt to my car wondering if I was going to make it home. I sent a text to my husband after class telling him I was coming home but my arms were shaking so bad I couldn't get my words right. He sends back don't text and drive. I said I wasn't, I couldn't put my hands on the wheel to drive and I had to wait to gain some strength back. "LOL"


6 months later I'm still going to FBBC at least 5 days a week. Life is going fast and 30 minutes is all I need to. I'm happy, its pumps me up and I make better food choices. I love that each class is different and not to mention that I lost 5% body fat in 6 weeks. I can do man push-ups now.  Lets talk a little about a burpee. Not the kind that you burp when you eat but the kind that will make your whole body wake up. Imagine squatting down like a frog, jumping your legs out behind you, into a push up. Do the push up from the floor, jump your legs back into a squatting position and then burst up from a jump squat. Got that? Now do 15.