What's The Definition of Insanity?

We all know the definition of insanity...repeatedly doing the same thing, but expecting different results.

Let me ask you a few questions:

• Did you start off the year by making a New Year's resolution to "get in shape"or "lose weight"?
• How many diets have you already been on this year alone?
• How many weeks have you promised yourself that you're going to "eat good" and exercise every day?

If you're like over 40% of Americans, you begin each year by making at least one New Year's resolution.  ...and, if you're like over 88% of those same people...you fail at reaching your goal.  The vast majority of New Year's resolutions stem from lifestyle changes (eating healthy, exercising, getting in shape, quitting smoking, etc.)

If you're like over 45 million Americans, you've been on AT LEAST one diet this year, and have contributed to the over $33 million spent annually on the quest to lose weight and get in shape.  With 2/3's of the American adult population being overweight, the weight loss industry is booming, and raking in the cash as this growing group continues to try to find the "magic pill".

Sadly, and despite the growing girth of Americans, only 5% are actively pursuing ways to get moderate-to-vigerous bouts of exercise into their daily routines.  ...AND in a recent study, 90% (yes 90%) of Americans stated that they "eat healthy"!!!  Ok, we've got to be honest with ourselves here...if 90% of Americans were eating healthy, do you think that 2/3's of the adult population would be considered obese or overweight?

Here's where the insanity part comes in...EVERY SINGLE DAY someone tells me that they want to lose weight, get fit, eat healthy, yet those same people are unwilling to make an investment in their lives to take the necessary steps to bring the desired changes into place.  I hear excuse, after excuse, after excuse.  "Eating healthy is too expensive"...oh yeah...have you tried being ill because of the crap that you're filling your body with???  "I just don't have time for exercise"...really...but you have time for TV, and Facebook, and Candy Crush???  "I can't find it in my budget to afford a Personal Trainer"...hmmmmm...but you can find it in your budget to go through the drive-thru at McDonalds, order that Venti Cafe Mocha every morning, and keep buying new clothes because the one's you have no longer fit you!!!

Come on people...how much is your health worth to you?

• How much is it worth to you to be able to see your children grow up and have children of their own?  
• How much is it worth to you to be able to play with your kids (or grandkids) and not be gasping for breath?  
• How much is it worth to you to be able to look and feel amazing in your wedding dress, and see his eyes tear up at that first glance of his beautiful, fit bride walking down the isle? 
• How much is it worth to you to be able to go to your class reunion and wear the SAME size that you wore in high school?  
• How much is it worth to you to be able to feel confident and sexy in your bathing suit...or naked?  
• How much is it worth to you to not have to sit on the sidelines of life, and watch it pass you by because you're too out of shape to be an active participant in your own life?

How long will you continue doing the same things that you've been doing...for years...to lose weight and get in shape...with NO results?  What's it going to take to really motivate you...a heart attack...diabetes...a stroke...high blood pressure...cancer?  When will you decide that you're going to do whatever it takes...no matter the cost in time or money...BECAUSE YOUR LIFE IS WORTH IT?!?!

Here's my suggestion to you...IF, and only IF, you're sick and tired of spinning your wheels...wasting your time and money...and not getting the results you want:

(1) Clean out your pantry and refrigerator...if it's not in your house, you can't eat it.
(2) Restock your pantry and refrigerator with: lean, low-fat proteins, vegetables, and fruits.
(3) STOP eating fast foods...the drive thru is NOT your friend!
(4) Hire a Personal Trainer (at least for a month or two) to get you going in the right direction

***Don't read past this point if you're not interested in stopping the insanity***
This is NOT a sales pitch!  I don't care what Personal Trainer you find, but find one!  I train clients in-person - a package costs $490 for 10 sessions (in "Personal Training world" that's pretty inexpensive).  But, because so many people told me that they either couldn't afford that, lived too far away to train with me in person, travel too much to see a trainer on a regular basis, or would just rather exercise at home (for whatever reason), I created my Online Personal Trainer.  It's the same service that I provide in-person, except it's online (or via an app on your smart phone).  My online plan is 12 weeks, and costs LESS THAN $20 A WEEK (ummmm your drive-thru runs and lattes cost more than THAT...and where are they getting you?!?!)  http://www.fitinyourpants.com

Back To The Basics

A whole month has passed since my last blog...shame on me!  To be honest though, so much stuff rattles around in my head on a daily basis that I tend to dismiss most of it as unimportant.  My husband always tells me that the stuff that I tell him about weight/fat loss, nutrition, clean eating, health, and fitness are important...I just assume that everyone else already knows the stuff I know.  So, I've decided to take some of the topics back to the basics, and if I get questions about them, then I'll use a future blog to expand on them.

So let's talk about exercise:

Why do we do it, and what are the benefits?

Well, simply put, motion is lotion for your body.  Movement does several important things:

• It keeps your joints from getting stiff
• It burns calories
• It releases endorphins to improve your mood
• It has been proven to be as effective as taking an anti-depressant
• It keeps your body flexible as you age, so you won't be dependent on someone else to care for you
• It keeps your heart strong (cardiac endurance) so you can actively participate in your own life
• It promotes balance which assists in daily activities as we age
• It builds attractive, lean muscle which gives your body an overall toned look

Now on to our eating habits:

Our modern diet is so filled with processed junk!  If you read a nutrition label on food packaging, the vast majority of the ingredients you can't even pronounce!  We eat what's fast...we eat what tastes good...we eat what's convenient.  We have been programmed by food manufacturers, who by the way, have scientists working for them to create foods that will cause you to crave more of them...just so they can sell more of them!  We have a food supply that is laden with antibiotics, chemicals, pesticides, and toxins...yet we just continue to fill our bodies with them...AND EXPECT THEM TO BE HEALTHY AND NOT GET SICK!  Am I the only one who thinks this is CRAZY!

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT...Period.

If you want to be healthy...eat healthy.  If you want energy...eat nature's energy.  If you want to feel good...eat good.  It's not rocket science.  The vast majority of food that you consume on a daily basis is, to be quite blunt, a chemical shit storm!  I know that may sound harsh, but if I can wake just one person up, to see the light, then my words haven't fallen on deaf ears.  If you don't want to change your eating habits, go ahead and put the junk in your body and make your body sick, but for cryin' out loud, don't your children deserve better????

We ALL have a choice to eat healthy, or not.  The foods you eat will be directly reflected in the way your body looks and feels.  If you're obese or over-weight, don't tell me you eat healthy!  Your body tells the story about exactly what is put into it...

Here's what I'm suggesting if you want to start eating healthier (don't try to change everything at once - you'll be miserable, and you're family will revolt)

• If you can't pronounce it...don't put it in your mouth
• Cut back on your sugar consumption (it's the largest toxin that we consume on a daily basis)
• Absolutely eliminate artificial sweeteners (I could go on all day about the side effects)
• Buy organic for the "Dirty Dozen" (this will reduce the amounts of pesticides that you ingest from vegetables and fruits)
• Buy meats, eggs, and dairy that are organic (this will cut down on the amount of antibiotics and hormones that you ingest) 
• Cut back on the amount of wheat, corn, and soy (largely GMO's and have been found to be upsetting to most digestive tracts)
• Avoid fast food (one of the worst calorie culprits...and it's the cheapest of cheap products, only animal food is of lower quality)
• Avoid calorie dense, nutrient deficient, processed, packaged sweets (candy, pastries, cookies, pies, cakes, etc.)
• Increase your water consumption
• Increase your high-quality protein and produce consumption

So...long and short of it is, you need BOTH a clean diet and exercise to lose weight and be healthy.  My goal is not to help people get skinny, but to help people become more healthy and fit.  I want to help people make the rest of their lives, the best of their life...I want people to feel sexy in their own skin...I want people to achieve a fitness level that will allow them to actively participate in their own life, and not sit on the side lines and watch.

I just started a new Online Personal Trainer program, and if you need additional guidance, motivation, education, I can help. *** FOR LESS THAN $20 A WEEK, I will design a workout program SPECIFICALLY for you...for your fitness level...for your fitness goals, and we will talk weekly about your eating habits, successes, and challenges.***  You are worth the investment of $20 a week...heck, you waste that much (or more) a week on junk food!

If you have any questions about any of the topics covered today, leave a comment...let's get some dialog going, other people may have the same questions/concerns.

Be well!  Be blessed!  Be fit!