Master Of My Thoughts

Has your mind ever been caught on the Hamster Wheel?

The same thought racing through your mind over and over to the point of making you almost mad?

Have you ever wanted something but just not been able to focus on the task at hand?

Well here is your cure all, let me know what happens.

Repeat after me: "I Am The Master Of My Thoughts."

I AM THE MASTER OF MY THOUGHTS

When you are laying in bed at night unable to jump off the Hamster Wheel,

When you are driving your car and the thoughts of your ex-boyfriend are driving you crazy,

When you are trying to stay on a healthy eating plan but the Pint of Ben & Jerry's won't stop calling your name,

Say It.

I AM THE MASTER OF MY THOUGHTS

Repeat it to yourself over and over until you believe it.

Then focus your mind on what you REALLY want to think about.

Focus on things you can affect.

Things that bring you joy.

Thoughts that get you closer to your goals.

And if that Hamster Wheel starts to creek again,

Say it:

I AM THE MASTER OF MY THOUGHTS

I have been using this technique quite a bit lately,

And I can personally attest to it's power in my life.

You CAN have anything you want in life,

Be the Master of your thoughts,

And you will not stop until you reach your goal.

Dog Days of Summer

As I was in local park training a client this morning, we were accosted!

It was an over zealous, pure bred Viszla carrying a Frisbee and looking for a new playmate.

The culprit left us covered in Frisbee dog slime and grinning ear to ear as we went about our morning workout.

If you have been looking for an eager, always ready workout partner, here is a perfect companion.

Dogs are dying to be your new motivation. Literally.

The local shelters are often overflowing with amazing, loving pooches.

I know, I have two and came close to housing a third this weekend.

But he found his owner, who was offering a reward for his return.

We found that flyer attached to a tree this morning while we were walking to the park.

A dog will motivate you to get up early in the morning and go for that walk or jog.

A dog can inspire an evening stroll to help digest dinner.

A dog can protect your family. They can also motivate your children to run outside, away from you, more often. Another mark in the plus column.

A dog can clean up after a Peanut Butter Wrestling Match among your family members....

Really, you mean your family doesn't have Peanut Butter Wrestling....

You don't know what you are missing. (See the pictures at the bottom....we love them!)

Seriously, I adopted my first dog as an adult because I wanted a reason to go for more walks during the day, and I have always owned at least one pooch for the past 18 years.

If you are looking to be more social or meet people of the opposite sex, just try taking a puppy to the park and not have everyone stop you, both male and female.

(The Viszla's owner is very cute and friendly. You don't mind being slimed by the dog when the owner is attractive. Next time we are carrying bacon in our pockets! LOL! )

Dogs are an amazing addition to your life, if you are up for the commitment.

They give the unconditional love and attention we are all looking for,

And they will never tell you you look fat in those jeans.

Wolf

Lost On A Desert Island

When you are facing something difficult, are you the type of person to reach out to others or do you go it alone?

I am the type of person who reaches out.

I call a friend or family member.

Not even to rehash the issue, but to sometimes not feel so alone.

We are not islands.

When you are making changes in your life and life style, it helps to have support around you.

Someone you can talk to.

Someone to draw support from.

Someone to reassure you or refocus you when you have gotten off track.

We reach out for support, because there is a synergistic affect in numbers, especially among people on the same path.

Take advantage of those around you who are already working out and eating healthy.

Talk to your friends and family members who have been expressing a desire to exercise more and eat healthier.

When you draw on the strength of others you can be stronger for yourself.

And you can also help them when they need your support.

I once wrote to a dear friend of mine that I had felt like an island for so long.

But that he had become the sea around me,

a reflecting pool that both protected me

And connected me to the shore.

That he was as gentle as the rolling tide

But carried the impact of a tidal wave.

I will never forget how important his friendship was to me,

And how I stopped being a castaway because of him.

Reach out to those you love, and those who love you

When you need support along this journey

Because there can be no island without the sea.

Thank You :-)

Everyday I am blessed to wake up and live the life I love.



Have the career I love.



And it is time to say Thank You!



Thank You to all of those who inspire me.


Thank You to my clients.



Thank you for asking me questions. Thank you for making me think. Thank You for showing me what true strength and dedication to a goal are.



I don't always get to say how your strength and fortitude give me reasons to teach, create and write. So much of what I pursue is driven by your inspiration. By you being there and needing my guidance, you challenge me to constantly think and adapt.



You inspire me to be a better trainer. You inspire me to think and learn so you can achieve. Without you I would not be so moved to create and dream.



And you know I love to dream.



I hope you see this blog, every entry into this blog, as my gift back to you.



I hope it answers your questions, gives you ideas, and continues to inspire you to believe in yourself and your dreams.



This blog is where I get to share all of the info I want to tell you, each of you, everyday.



Whether you have trained with me for a week or a decade, my hope is that you always remain a client and know I will always cheer for your success...



In fitness and in life!



Thank You :-)

I Like To Move It Move It

I am very blessed in my career.

Everyday I get to wake up and workout. I get to move with my clients, they get in shape and I have additional doses of fitness all day long.

I like to move, I like to stand, and I like to take the stairs.

Which came first, the movement or the fitness?

I know for a fact that I have lived periods in my life when fitness was not a priority. Just ask anyone who knew me my first few years in college. I was not a model of physical activity, and it showed.

So if I have been able to transform my life to where I actually enjoy moving more, then you can too. Believe me, it's true. I am sure my college room mate can attest to my marathon naps and pizza eating.

So what happened? What changed?

I started. I took the first steps and joined a gym. That was January 2, 1990, and I am learning more about fitness and living a healthy lifestyle everyday.

For example: I really believe if you move more you will look and feel better. Period.

If you start to walk more, dance, climb the stairs, stand instead of sit, you will be burning more calories and creating more energy. Participating in greater amounts of exercise will become easier, if you start moving more.

It is basic physics: it takes energy to create energy. Once you start moving there will be more energy available so you can move more.

The same goes for staying still. If you sit still, the longer you sit the less energy is available to you, so you sit.

And sit,

And sit.

Get up! Move. Even if you are at your desk right now, did you know by being aware of sitting up straight you are in action to improve your posture and feel better?

It is the little things through out the course of the day that make all the difference.

Those little things add up.

Like dropping spare change in a piggy bank, before you know you can buy a new pair of shoes.

But if you never start putting it in there, it will never happen.

Move more. Move more. Move more.

You WILL begin to look and feel better....and that is what we all want, right?

Two "B's" or not Two "B's"

Everyone has heard the phrase "sex sells." But what is sexy?

How is it defined?

Is it a look, an attitude, a body part?

And at what price to be sexy?

I was watching an International Fitness Competition on TV this weekend and something BIG caught my attention: all of the competitors had breast implants. ALL of the competitors.

This is an international competition which stressed physique, fitness and spokesmanship....and it was the spokesmanship piece that caught my attention.

Here were 20 of the top fitness women in the world, all of whom had dieted down for this competition and the outlines of their implants were obvious.

No big deal right?

I am not saying anything against plastic surgery, because my honest opinion is if it makes you feel better about yourself then that is your individual choice. And yes, there may be a day when I choose a surgical option....years from now. I don't know, but I know never to say never.

My point is that out of all the top fitness competitors, not one of them was chosen WITHOUT implants.

These are the women who are going to be role models and spokespeople for fitness products. These are the women who are going to influence our ideas of what our bodies should look like...and not one of them was a true representative of living a natural lifestyle.

These women were beautiful, talented and worked their butts off (or on) to get to where they are today, and I commend them for that dedication and love of the sport. What was obvious is if they WANT a career as a fitness spokesperson they HAVE TO have breast enhancements or they would not be chosen to compete in the highest levels of the competition.

That is what I learned, and that is what all the previous rounds of competition had shown.

So, WHAT IS SEXY? And WHAT SELLS?

I truly believe that sexy comes from the inside out. It is in your attitude. It is in your confidence. It is in everyone of us, but when we are shown that the only way to get ahead is through artificial means of enhancement, then there is an emotional price to be paid.

Curvy Girl Fitness stands dedicated to helping women discover that it is not about trying to look like anyone else, but it is trying to be uniquely you...that is where your true sexiness lies.

How ever you choose to show it, know it is already there, and be proud of whatever you choose.

I like my B's, just as they are.

Because I Said SO

We all have things we want to accomplish in life. For myself, it is developing Curvy Girl Fitness into a program that will reach millions of people and help them attain their health and fitness goals.

If you are like so many men and women I talk to, you have a fitness or weight loss goal.

There are two very important factors to know before beginning your fitness journey:
1. Know your goal. Is it weight, a clothing size, a date to achieve it by? Knowing where you are heading before you begin will help keep you focused and your eye on the prize.

2. Know your WHY. Knowing why you want to achieve your goal is so important, because life gets in the way. WHY do you want your goal?

See, once you know WHY and WHAT you will always find a WAY!

That is the story of my life this week, so I am preaching from personal experience.

I know my WHAT: Curvy Girl Fitness. I know my WHY: because helping others feel amazing is like a drug to me. My WAY>>>>there is another story.

See, we all get off track sometimes, and as long as we keep our sites on the goal, the way will work itself out.

To make a long story short, I am restructuring my website. I know for sure my website will be finished, just not in the way I had originally intended. I will achieve my goal, I just need alter the way first.

How often does this happen to you and your fitness and weight loss goals?

You lose your way with your workouts and nutrition and simply give up instead of finding a new way to reach your goal.

Remember, all you need are 2 things: your goal and your why, the way will take care of its self.

Oh, and why am I going to achieve my goal? BECAUSE I SAID SO!