Wel, well, well...
Mood:  cool
Topic: Inspiration

Not surprisingly, pregnancy and early mommyhood has curtailed most of my blogging.  I am limited to once weekly blog posts on the baby blog, most of those entries taking two or three days to write given the craziness that is my life.

However, its been 7 weeks since giving birth tomorrow, and its time to restart up my fitness program.  I've already lost about 27-8 pounds and need to lose at least 40 more to get to where I'd like to be.  That is going to take some hard work!

Rather than clutter up my baby blog, I'll continue posting fitness/misc. stuff on this blog and keep the baby blog just for baby stuff.

 That said, here are my goals for the next twelve weeks:

1. Fit into size 14 pants (important for going back to work)
2. Lose 25 pounds of fat- doable because I am breastfeeding
3. Comfortably run 2 miles (let's just say, its been a while)
4. Regain my flexibility
5. Do 45 min of cardio, and 25 "girl" pushups

In the past i would have scoffed at these goals, but now... now I am very very out of shape!

Here we go!

Going even further with it...
Mood:  bright
Topic: Inspiration

Rather than moan and groan at uninspiring performances on American Idol tonight, I spent my time watching a recap of "The Secret" on the Oprah Show.  I found my link while doing a random search on google, and found myself immediately clicking on the link to watch the first episode on February 9th. 

Awe-inspiring.  Amazing.  If you have a free hour, you simply must watch it.  Don't worry, the commercial breaks are all edited out, but the simple advice given is worth all the money in the world.  I guarantee it will change how you think.

I realized something important too, while watching a very brief clip from the same topic on the Ellen Degeneres show.  It's not simply enough to use the Law of Attraction and expect abundance to come to you.  There are two other laws that come into play that I hadn't even been considering.

The first law is the "Law of Gestation," or the law of time- basically, once you put your wish/desire out there, you have to wait patiently, knowing that your wish will be granted, not asking "when?" and "how?"  The Universe, or God, or Allah, or however you choose to think of it, needs time to bring about your desire!  Well, I'll be... I guess I should stop stressing the Mega Millions then :)  I'll still play, but I know in my heart and soul that whether I win or not, it makes no difference to who I am.

The second law is the "Law of Action," aka the Law of Get up off your ass and take action.  In other words, if your goal/desire is to have a healthy body, then own that!  Get your butt to the gym, go to your doctor's appointments, and appreciate every day the health that you do have.

Duh, right?  I guess it's easier for me to get that concept than it is to understand the money concept.  After all, I have much more experience focusing all of my attention on my weight and much less experience focusing my attention on getting rich.  I know I need to focus on abundance in all aspects of my life now.

My good friend Joana told me months ago that I needed to take my focus off my weight.  While I appreciated her advice, inside I was thinking, "yeah right... you are skinny!  What do you know about it?"  Well... duh.  She's thin and healthy for a reason, right?  She's attracting that into her life!

So, tonight I've been sitting here thinking about all this and how it applies to my BFL journey.  From what I've learned about the Law of Attraction, the following points hold true for those of us who would like to change the shape of our bodies:

1. We have to come to love how we are right now.  We have to love those hips and thighs that help us climb those flights of stairs with a toddler on one hip and an overstuffed bag on the other.  We have to appreciate those arms that can reach around our husbands/boyfriends/significant others bodies and give comfort.  We have to be grateful for our shape now to make it even better.  I think this has been key for me to stop all the negative self-talk.  If a negative thought pops into my mind, I simply put it aside and say the opposite aloud in my head.
2. Love yourself enough to feed it right.  We all deserve to feel only pleasure and happiness when eating.  Now, for me, natural, whole foods taste better both in the moment and four hours later when I'm NOT in the bathroom with gas and diarrhea.  Loving myself means feeding my body as best as I can, but allowing myself that cookie every now and then.   In the past I have had such an all-or-nothing philosophy about this, and I can't tell you what I relief it is to let it go.
3. Nurture your body with exercise.  Exercise is the action part of the goal of having a healthy body.  Good grief- you cannot expect to have a healthy body without exercise of some kind!  And we know from many years of research that weight-lifting combined with cardio is the best for maintaining optimal health.  So treat yourself right.  That time spent exercising is one of the few moments of your day that you are 100% giving to yourself.  Don't be afraid to take that time- we all deserve it.
4. Visualize yourself vividly as a person with perfect health, a great body, and lots of energy.  Find people in your life who exude these qualities and act as they do.  Tell yourself over and over how grateful you are to have such energy, such perfect health, such a lean and toned body.  And smile when you say it.  I have had lots of fun with this- especially imagining myself wearing cute shorts and skirts, which I have recently shied away from because I didn't like the way my legs looked.

I have taken all of these steps since watching The Secret, and am finding that I am losing weight almost effortlessly.  I have done very normal workouts, eaten fairly average for me (BFL style with a few cookies, a bite of chocolate, and this or that thrown in every day), but have lost inches and pounds faster than I ever have before.

My entire mental dialogue has changed.  I now say to myself, "I am in the process of getting an even better body.  I am in the process of reaching my goal weight.  I love eating healthy foods.  I love exercising!"

Okay, now you can all puke :)

Progress so far...
Mood:  energetic
Topic: Inspiration

So, thoughts...

I'm in a GREAT mental place.  I have been so happy and enthusiastic these past two weeks.  I feel full of energy!  I'm loving both cardio and weights every single time I go to the gym.  I am not temoted by junk food and am enjoying the energy I get from eating my usual BFL way. 

I'm also having a great time using my imagination- visualizing myself prancing around in heels and a cute skirt, swishing all over the dance floor with Walter to a salsa beat, calling up my sister and telling her I am going to finance her whole wedding and honeymoon.  I haven't had this much fun imagining how life could be since I was little.  Somewhere along the way I had lost the ability to dream my reality, but I've found it again, and it's a blast!

Strictly speaking, my progress in BFL has been steady.  From the start to now (6 weeks later), here are my stats:

week 0:  200 pounds  39" hips    33.5" waist   29" thigh

week 6:  194.5 lbs      37.25" hips  31.5" waist  28.25" thigh

Ironically, I'm not far off measurement wise from my best measurements from last year!

Someone tell this guy to get out of my car...
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Inspiration

I Can See It!
Mood:  energetic
Topic: Inspiration

I wake up one morning, totally refreshed from a great night of sleep.  I swing my long, lean legs over the edge of the bed and plant my feet on the soft carpet.  The sun is shining through the blinds on my face as I take a deep breath in and stretch my arms overhead.   I think about how grateful I am to be waking up on this beautiful morning.

I stand up, and run my hands over my face, wiping away the sleepiness.  I walk gracefully to the bathroom, peeling off my pajamas as I go.  Time for my weekly weigh-in, just to keep myself honest.  I grab my scale out of the cupboard, and place it on the cool tile floor.  Here goes, I think.

Tapping it with one perfectly pedicured toe, I step on.  The flashing digital readout says: 160.

I feel so happy and grateful now that I have reached my goal weight!

Can I tell you a Secret?
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: The Beauty in Ugly- Jason Mraz
Topic: Inspiration

I watched a video this week that really amazed me.  Along the lines of the metaphysical movie "What The Bleep Do You Know?", The Secret is a documentary filmed with the intention of teaching people to harness their own inner power to create for themselves the lives that they most desire.  An online friend of mine sent me the link to the free Youtube series (click the link above to watch it free yourself) and I spent a very enjoyable 90 minutes absorbing all the fascinating details.

Essentially, the movie talks about the Law of Attraction, which states that "you get what you think about, your thoughts determine your destiny."   This is a common New Age philosophy... nothing new, but I've never seen it presented like in this movie.  We have all heard the following statements many times in our lives:

1. Birds of a feather flock together
2. Like attracts like
3. Whatever you want, wants you
4. What you sow, you reap
5. What you put out you get back
6. What comes around goes around

But how deeply do we really think about it? Here's the Law of Attraction in more depth:

1. You get what you think about, whether wanted or unwanted.
2. All forms of matter and energy are attracted to that which is of a like vibration.
3. You are a living magnet.
4. You get what you put your energy and focus on, whether wanted or unwanted.
5. Energy attracts like energy
6. Everything draws to itself that which is like itself.

The Secret tells you the basic process of achieving all that you desire, whether it be money, health, your dream home, or love.  There are three steps:

1. Determine what you want.  You have to ask for what you wish, and not fear that it is too big for you or impossible.  Nothing is impossible.
2. The universe will answer- perhaps you receive an unexpected check in the mail, new business connections, a lead on that dream house, you meet your soul mate, etc.
3. You must receive what the universe is giving... i.e., you have to bring yourself into alignment with what you are asking for.  For instance, if your dream is to be a millionaire, you have to take any opportunities that present themselves to make that fortune.  If you want to find true love, you have to have the courage to accept that request for the first date.

One of the tenets of the Law of Attraction is that you must make a daily habit of being grateful for all of the blessing that you already have.  Some people carry a stone in their pocket or wear a certain piece of jewelry that reminds them to say thanks.  Certainly not a bad idea.  Not a new one either :)

Another very important aspect of the Law of Attraction is visualization.  This part takes some practice.  What it is you desire, you have to visualize yourself already at that end result as vividly as possible.  If you want riches, imagine yourself lying in a pile of money or looking at your bank statement with many zeroes in the balance ($100,000,000 anyone?).

I have never practiced this aspect much before with the exception of running.  Several times when I have been struggling to prepare for a race, I have evoked a mental image of me crossing the finish line victoriously.  It did help me get through quite a few training runs.

Yesterday I decided to run an experiment on my way from work to the gym.  I knew I had a limited amount of time to get to the gym and workout because Walter and I were going out for dinner at 7:15.  It was 4:45 when I left work.  Driving out of the parking lot, I imagined myself hitting green light after green light on my way to the gym.  I also imagined the final light turning yellow just as I was going through it.  I imagined just where I wished to park at the Y, and even imagined that there wouldn't be that many cars in the lot.

Dang.. don't you know that it happened exactly as I had imagined it?  I mean EXACTLY.  It was kind of frightening, actually!  Once in the gym, everytime I had someone on a piece of equipment that I needed, I visualized them getting off of it just as I was in need of it.  Like if I was finishing up on the leg press and needed the leg extension, once I got up and finished wiping off the leg press, the leg extension machine immediately freed up!  It was too weird... my friend Nancy laughed at me when I told her this... but when she sees the movie and tries it on her own, maybe she'll see for herself :)

I got home with plenty of time to get ready, and we pulled into the restaurant parking lot at 7:17.

Next blog entry, I'm going to make a list of things I want in my life.  And then I'm going to get them :)

 

What we are capable of
Mood:  on fire
Topic: Inspiration
incredible feat!!!

Support systems
Mood:  energetic
Topic: Inspiration
Starting a "new" fitness program is an exhilarating task. Tons of people come out in support of you and offer help and encouragement. I have now started my BFL Bridal Challenge as of Monday, and have to thank the following people for throwing their lots in with mine for the long haul:

1. Byron- he's my old pal from the gym I used to work at. He's an all-or-nothing type guy, so I know I can count on him for consistency. He mentioned in an email that taking before photos would reveal him to look something like a Medusa, so we are dubbing this challenge "The Medusa Challenge."

2. Jess (aka Egg/blueruffian)- very good BFL friend of mine who had moved to my town, then sadly moved away again. Its a long-distance support situation, but as she said- its time to GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. We've named this challenge the GYST challenge.

3. Karen- the oldest of my workout buddies is Karen, whom I met in a "conditioning and tone" class in college, and we were either exercising diligently or in pizza roll bliss for the next three years. She's was a constant motivation- and someone who's clothes I loved to borrow. Now we are both a little bigger than college, but determined to take it off again before the wedding. So she is joining in on the "Bridal Challenge."

Okay...the Medusa/GYST/Bridal Challenge is proceeding well, and with such friends in my corner, I KNOW its going to be a banner year!

Pumped up!
Mood:  lazy
Topic: Inspiration
"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." -Jim Rohn

"The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!" -Marvin Phillips

"You have to stay in shape. My grandmother, she started walking five miles a day when she was 60. She's 97 today and we don't know where the hell she is."- Ellen Degeneres

I just like this....
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Inspiration
"Lots of people limit their possibilities by giving up easily. Never tell yourself this is too much for me. It's no use. I can't go on. If you do you're licked, and by your own thinking too. Keep believing and keep on keeping on."

Norman Vincent Peale

Wow!
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Inspiration
I've been away for too long, folks! Work has been crazy, so my two little 15 minute breaks here and there to write on this blog have been fairly non-existent. Sorry :)

However, let me hit you with this fantastic article that my friend Jess sent me. I' really trying to work on my mental image of myself. Its too easy to get discouraged and give up on my running/weight loss/yoga/life goals, when the going gets tough. Its too easy to stuff a bag of popcorn, 8 cookies, and a thing of Twizzlers in your face after work (uh-hem...me last week!)

So check this article out and see if working on YOUR mental image helps you with your goals:

Mind Over the Body and Losing Weight

By Remez Sasson

It is a well-known fact that thoughts and feelings influence the body, its cells, hormones and shape. Their effects are clearly seen in the way one carries his/her body, in the expression of the face and of the eyes, and in the movements of the body. Happy and positive thoughts and feelings bring more health, whereas negative and unhappy thoughts and feelings weaken the body and the immune system.

This being so, just imagine what could happen if you consciously and intentionally program your mind with positive mental images and affirmations.

Everyone has a certain mental image of himself or herself, which they carry constantly in their minds. This image prompts the subconscious mind to act and shape the body according to this mental image. This action of the subconscious mind can be used advantageously. You can change or replace the mental image, and the mind will obey you and start shaping the body to conform to the new image.

Visualization, affirmations and other mental techniques are ways to program the subconscious mind. If you consciously and intentionally visualize yourself looking, as you would like to look, your mind will come to your assistance.

Visualize your body looking slim and weighing a particular weight, and your mind will send appropriate commands to your body and cells. It will influence the metabolism of your body, your eating habits and the quantity of food you eat. It might even increase your desire to exercise the body.

Food, eating, diets and calories have much to do with any weight loss program, but what goes in the mind is no less important. It might be even argued that the habitual mental images, thoughts and feelings are even more important.

It is not enough to follow a weight loss program. You also need to work on your mind too. If you follow a particular diet, but you still think about food and visualize yourself as fat, you are doing only half of the job. Programming your mind to believe that weight loss is possible, and visualizing your body, as you would like it to look, are of paramount importance.

Visualize in your mind a different image of yourself, and let your subconscious mind do the work for you. Visualize your body overweight, and the subconscious mind will find ways to make it so.
Visualize your body slim, and the subconscious mind will work in that direction.

The mind is a great tool. Use it correctly, and it will be your ally in making the body healthier and stronger. It will assist you in shaping it, losing weight, and gaining weight, if that is what you want.

Self-love, its a tough thing sometimes
Mood:  lyrical
Topic: Inspiration
My focus is somewhat changing day by day. I'm much less stressed about the scale, and much more interested in the daily changes in my body. The dent of a deltoid, the ripple in my lats, its all becoming more important than a number on the scale.

Still, having said that, I'm bringing my diet into focus over the next month. I have been in a wild swing of eating clean/eating junk/eating junk/eating clean for the past month, and am working on eating food that really fuels my workout. More yams, less jam, ya know?

I have developed two menus of roughly 1800 calories each to alternate between for the next month. Every day will be 1800 calories. This is in order to "reset" my metabolism, as suggested in the book Everything You Need To Know About Fat loss, by Chis Aceto. Plus, this is a healthy amount of calories, considering that I am doing so much exercise. Consider the following weekly workout schedule:

Mondays: 20 min Pilates in a.m., UBWO and 1 hour spinning class or recreational bike ride in p.m.

Tuesday: 30 moderate cardio in a.m., LBWO p.m. (modified- lots of squats, lunges, plyometrics, etc)

Wednesday: 20 min Pilates in a.m., intense interval cardio run in p.m. (goal 4-5 miles)

Thursday: 30 min cardio in a.m., UBWO then gentle yoga class in p.m.

Friday: 20 min Pilates in a.m., LBWO in p.m.

Saturday: intense intervals (running) for 30-35 min

Sunday: all rest, or recreational bike ride only

It sounds daunting, but splitting it up actually makes it much easier!

So, on the road to a healthy, fit, and energetic body I am, keeping in mind that I am already lovely. Here is a beautiful poem I found online:

Joules is a women living in Washington state who loves and accepts her body the way it is. The following verses are from her poem published in We'Moon '95 -Gaia Rhythms for womym.

My belly's rounded room, holds the full and glowing moon

My hips so soft and wide hold the universe inside

Oh what a lucky chance to be blessed with such expanse

To take my womanly stance in this universal dance!



Now some would try to strip and starve me

Some would try to mold and carve me

But nothing is more belittling

Than that narrow-minded whittling!



It is not my bound duty to befit the little beauty

My thighs are thick and thunderous!

my waist is wide and wondrous!

This body that was sent to me,

Is the form that it is meant to be!

Aho!

Really inspirational....
Mood:  bright
Topic: Inspiration
Today I Will Make A Difference

Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It's OK to stumble...I will get up. It's OK to fail...I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

Max Lucado
From "On The Anvil"
Copyright (Tyndale Publishing, 1985) Max Lucado, Used by Permission

A gift from a yoga instructor
Mood:  special
Topic: Inspiration
The past few days have been full of temptations; some of which I have successfully avoided, some of which I have not. I am waffling between feeling on top of the world, and being frustrated that things aren't happening faster. Everything... weight loss, marriage proposals, personal wealth :) In times like these, it helps me to read or hear this poem that was read to me during a yoga workshop at my studio. In case any of you are feeling the same, here it is:


Let It Be What It Is

Let go of that which is gone.
Let go of that which is lost.
Let go that which is not yet happening.
What has happened in the past and what will happen
in the future exist only in your mind.
What is happening now is the infinite caress of the universe.
What is happening now is the perfect outcome, of all
you have been, and all you have done.
It is all here to teach you.
It is all here to love you.
It is all here to liberate you.
And it is all perfect.
Release that which is going out.
Embrace that which is coming in.
Want nothing, and embrace everything.
Relax into what is, and what is will take care of you.
Let it be what it is.

Author unknown

Letters from a Champion
Mood:  bright
Topic: Inspiration
On the Body for Life Women's Club yahoo group, Skwigg reposted some of Mina Hobbi's emails to the group. I found them so inspirational, that I decided to repost them in an edited for yet again here, so that I could reference them easily in a time of need.

Here's her first post on Motivation:

When I first started the Challenge last year, I had my boyfriend (literally) cover ALL of our mirrors to just above my eye level so I wouldn't have to see myself.That's how much I loathed my body (myself). It took months of "coaching" from my boyfriend to make the shift from loathing to LOVING my body and I feel THAT shift was the MOST necesary for My transformation to take place.

Looking back, I now realize that changing my body truly was 80 plus percent a Mental exercise...and 20 percent or LESS was physical...On an average day, I'd spend 1-2 hours working out...The REST OF MY DAY was spent "THINKING". And my THINKING determined whether I WORKED out or not in the first place, what I ate, what kind of workout I'd have (intensity) that day, etc...

Just like I did 12 months ago, people ask me ALL the time, "Mina, what do you eat? What supplements do you use? Tell me Exactly how you work out..."

Those things ARE important, but for ME, the most important ingredient is Mindset. Get your mindset right and your body WILL follow.

My boyfriend gave me his "fence" analogy. "Mina" he said. "You have to decide once and for all what side of the fence you TRULY want to be on. One side of the fence supports all the things you've done up until now to get your body into the overweight condition you find yourself today." "The other side of the fence is a new way of life. That healthy, FULL OF ENERGY body that you want is there. On that side of the fence,food is Fuel! Exercise = ENERGY!"

He'd tell me after I cheated, "Hon, I'll love you no matter what side of the fence YOU choose to live, but it's time to get OFF the fence."

Once I'd made the choice and Committed to living on the Healthy" side, it became easy (easier) to make decisions about what to eat,etc... Today, I constantly ask myself, "Is this thought supporting my decision to have an Awesome body. If it doesn't, I check again..."What side of the fence do I want to live..."

If I were asked, "What was the key to my transformation", I'd say without hesitation, "Mindset!" Decide what side of the fence you want to live then put Every ounce of energy you have into supporting that decision!

Yet another on motivation, mindset, and transformation:


I'd like to preface what I have to say with a little "confession"... The last few months have been so UNBELIEVABLE for me!

But, up until a few months ago I was carrying around a lot of Extra weight. And many times I felt invisible to the world around me. A store clerk, or an auto mechanic may have walked right by me to help someone else as if I weren't even there. Although I lived in a Big Body,I felt small and insignificant.

Then, through the process of eating right and working out, my body began to change. With Rob's help and by Just DOing IT, or what I like to call... I "Forrest Gumped" it. Meaning I just did what I believed was right and thought would work, and I did it, and I did it, and I did it...Until one day,my body was Transformed!

Suddenly, people began stopping me on my morning runs asking me, "Hey, how much weight have you lost?" "WOW, I can't believe it!" they'd say. Then, EAS called and told me I'd won [ed note: winner of BFL 12 week Challenge Competition]. WOW! Mind Blower! Mark, the gentleman that interviewed by phone for EAS asked me, "Hey, What did you do to develop THOSE abs?"

Now, people see my transformation pics and immediately they'll say, "Great job!" or "AMAZING!", or something similar.

The fact is,I've Never won ANYTHING before In My Life!!! and I've been around for FORTY SIX YEARS NOW!(Laughing) You have no idea what EVERYONE'S words of praise and adulation means to me. (Tears are streaming down my face as I type this. Tears of Great Joy!) My life will Never be the same!

Now, for the Great news for Everyone reading this now who hasn't won or attained their transformation yet... I was reading a message left by someone, pleading to know What I did to achieve such a transformation? What did I eat? How did I work out?...The same questions many people ask. The difference was "Uncle Steve's" reply to her questions...WOW! HE BLEW ME AWAY. It's so true. The Most Profound Truths are so simple. But, Steve captured my whole philosphy in less than a paragraph.

He said, "The tone of that post, plus others.... seems to carry the implicit belief that she(Mina)MUST be doing something radically different than what the rest of us are doing. I'll betcha dollars to donuts, she ISN'T! It always works that way with champions. The difference is mental and mindset, nothing else. That's why Bill Phillips devotes SO much of the book to that subject. The body is a dumb beast; the mind is in charge! Trust me on this.....Uncle Steve"

WOW! I'm still blown away when I read that. Steve, if you're reading this,I am bowing in admiration to your genious!!!

Now, my confession...A part of me, the Very selfish part, would love for everyone to think, "Wow, that Mina is REALLY something! Did you see HER pics? She's Incredible!

I don't think I'll Ever tire of reading those Wonderful things... But the Truth is, I have done NOTHING that ANYONE reading these words can't do themselves!

Let me be Specific...I lost 85 pounds in about 11 months. That breaks down to about 7-8 pounds per month and fewer than 2 pounds per week.I think we'd all agree that less than 2 pounds per week is healthy, but Not extraordinary, right? The beauty of this is, even if I lost only a pound per week, or had twice as much weight to lose...I'd still get to where I am today...it would just be 11 months later.

I guess the message I'm trying to convey is that I AM SPECIAL!, but so are WE ALL! I did achieve a beautiful transformation. But so can we ALL!

Just do what I did. Forrest Gump it!

My feelings about what worked for me can be summed up in one word: CONSISTENCY! If you read what Bill Phillips has to say about Food and Working out and follow what you learn for AS LONG AS IT TAKES to reach your goals,Guess what...You WILL reach your goals. The key is to Do it UNTIL... and then you WILL!

I used to get on the scale after working out like a crazy person for a month and find that I'd actually GAINED weight and all Rob had to say was,"I know hon. Now go eat a clean meal and get ready to go to the gym." PROFOUND!!!

I'd have an Awful day at work and be on the verge of tears and ready to dull the pain with "FOOD" and Rob would hold me for a lil bit then gently tell me to get dressed for the gym.

Today, and for months now, MY ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING is: "Eat clean and work out!"

"OMG, the IRS wants to audit us and the car just fell apart"..."Great! Let's eat clean and work out!" (laughing)

You get the idea.

I used to watch the BFL Champions on the video's and think, "Wow, they're so lucky and they're 'special'" Now that I've been named a Champion, I can tell you with Absolute certainty that Uncle Steve is right, we're ALL capable of
Remarkable Transformations! And it doesn't take "super-human" effort.

Get it in your mind that You Will Achieve an Incredible transformation! Don't just believe it. KNOW IT! Eliminate ALL the doubt! Whether you lose weight this week or gain weight the next is INCONSEQUENTIAL! You WILL WIN! Then, just Eat Clean and Work out, and do THAT over and over and over until you reach your goal!

And finally, here is a post on her approach towards food and temptation:

FOOD!!! As you can see in my Jan. 2000 (Before pics) food USED TO BE one of my favorite topics! My perspective about food has changed a little since then. It had to before I could ever change my body in a significant way.

A couple things before I get started.

I know some people look at my pictures and they think, "WOW! This woman made such a change...she must really KNOW how to transform a body...!" The truth is, I've learned through trial and error how to change My Body. And when I look back at my transformation it was really a Very simple process.

The simple secret to my transformation (if there is one) is that I took a look at the things that would help support my physical transformation...Things like food, working out, Mindset,etc... and I set a Minimum Standard for myself. I said, " I know if I eat 'this' food and workout 'this way' everyday for 1 year... then in 1 year I'll be where I want to be. I found a MINIMUM STANDARD for myself that I would not breach...and I "lived" that standard for one year.

I didn't have Free Days, because I've had an eating disorder (bingeing) for decades now and my "mind" says, "if I eat certain foods, my 'diet' is OVER!" and I may not get back on track for days/weeks/months or even years. Sad, but true.

Again, let me Emphasize...My way is NOT the right way....It's just my way. OK? ;-)

I didn't have Free Days...but I "Cheated" many times throughout my Transformation Year. MANY TIMES! If it weren't for my boyfriend (whose name is "Rob" by the way), who hammered unrelentlessly the idea of forgiveness and self love into me constantly, the changes I made would've been impossible.

Before last year,I didn't know I could "fall" (cheat-I know it's a harsh word, but it's the only one that 'fits' for me) and still win... But I did fall, almost monthly, sometimes for a few days in one month... but I got up, brushed off, and got back on... The Key is getting back up as often as it takes until you reach your goal!

Okay, back to food... Rob "painted a picture" for me once that really hit home for me. He said, "Hon, imagine we go down to the Car Dealership and pick up that Brand New B'mer you want. We drive it off the lot, and in a day or two the car needs gas. So we pull into the gas station,I go to the back of the car, and pull out a shovel. I find a nice hill of sand and begin shoveling the sand into the Gas Tank of the car! Sounds Crazy, Right? But isn't that what you do to your Body everytime you eat "certain" foods? And how much MORE VALUABLE IS YOUR BODY THAN ANY CAR???"

OK, point made...So today, "Food is Fuel" for me. That's it!

What do I eat/drink? (again, this is what I've learned works for Me...People have asked...so I'm telling.)

I drink only water. A minimum of one gallon per day.

I eat at least four meals per day. I'd love to eat six, but I rarely do. I believe if I ate six, my body would make changes faster...but I believed if I consistently ate 4 "clean" meals a day, in one year I'd be where I want to be and it proved right. I recommend 6...

Every meal I eat has Protein, Carbs, and fat without Fail!

Each meal had one of the following: 4 ounces of lean meat or chicken, or 6 ounces of fish, or 1 cup of Cottage Cheese (4%). I didn't add any oil (fat). Usually, I assumed the animal proteins contained enough fat already.

My carbs: I can eat as much lettuce, brocolli, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber as I want, usually around 2-3 cups. I also enjoy HUGE frozen red or green grapes adding 25 or so to a given meal.

I avoided "processed foods" (with the exception of Cottage Cheese and SALSA, which I often made myself)

Sometimes I'd eat pop corn (3-4 oz), yes with 4 oz. of protein.

In a typical meal, I may mix salsa into 6 oz. of tuna.

A common meal for me is: 1 cup cottage cheese, 2 Hot House Cucumbers, 1 large Tomato, 1 white onion, Dice everything, mix them together and eat. Followed by
25 frozen grapes.

Above, I've listed the only foods I allowed myself. A small amount of added salt sometimes...that's it. For me ,it's simple. And simplicity works for me.

I want to reiterate, the way I eat may be Totally wrong for someone else. It's the "way" that's worked for me. If I were starting out,I'd follow the suggestions of a Bill Phillips or a Barry Sears, someone with YEARS of expertise before I'd follow someone who is still "experimenting". OK?

For me today, "Food is Fuel". and after leaving much of my body's (previous) fat in the past, I can say without hesitation that, "Thin truly does TASTE BETTER!"

Keep Getting UP! :-)

Pretty damn inspiring, isn't it?