It's got to be more than numbers on the scale or you will never stick with it!!!! A few life lessons that have helped me keep the weight off!!!

Health and fitness for me is not really about pounds lost or ripped abs, or only eating chicken and protein shakes and never enjoying my life. smile emoticon Exercise is a priority for me because of the energy it gives me for my family and my life! For the sense of empowerment I get as a healthy fit women, to teach my family and my children how to feel good and experience life, not just sit on the couch and watch it go by, It's about Living a LONG life where I can be active, well into my later years, instead of dealing with chronic health problems and having poor quality of life as I age... I want to run around with my grandchildren as well!!!! I plan on being the "coolest grandma around!" It's about feeling good about myself so, I as a women make smart empowered choices for my life, not poor ones because I feel bad about myself, poor decisions such as staying in bad relationships, or sticking with a job that I am wayyyy over qualified for, that I hate etc. When I feel good about myself, I know what I deserve and I don't take less!!!! This is what EXERCISE IS TO ME!

Now for healthy eating! Healthy eating to me is NOT about never being able to enjoy foods I love! It's about balance, but more importantly, that balance shifts in the favor of healthy foods because of the way the healthy foods make me feel and what I know they are doing for my body to improve my health for that LONG life I plan on living!!!! The more healthy foods I eat, the more I want to eat them, and the less I want to eat poorly! Healthy food means more energy!!! No bloating and digestive problems!!! (unless you have a food allergy, and in that case, get tested) No more, or at least MUCH less.. blood pressure medications, diabetes meds... heck.... ive found most people are off most all medications in general if they take care of there body!!!! Better sleep, less sickness and disease, and the list go's on and on!!!! NOTICE HOW I DID NOT SAY PERFECT RESTRICTIVE NO FUN EATING!!! Take the time to find healthy recipes that you like, eat those most of the time but, If you're dying for some fries, have them (In a reasonable amount of course) ENJOY THEM!!!! Don't feel guilty!!! It's this ALL-OR-NOTHING mentality that gets us in trouble!!!! NOONE affects there weight loss for the week with 1 slice of pizza, or 1 order of fries, or 1 slice of cake... It's when we say to ourselves, "NOW I'VE BLOWN IT!!!! I'M JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TO EAT ALL THE CRAP I HAVE IN MY HOUSE!!!" That's when we get in trouble!!!!

Health and fitness is about creating the LIFE I want, not just the body! One day I had to sit down and really decide, "What do I want my life to be Like?" Is what I am doing with all my time every day getting me closer to that? Or farther away?" Start saying NO to stuff that is not getting you where you want to go! We may not be able to do EVERYTHING we want to do just the way we want to do it TODAY, But there is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS something you can change, or do TODAY to get you a little closer to the life you want! Sit down and figure out what that is, start making baby steps toward the life you want! Life is to short!!!!! It is sooooo not worth it to spend time unhappy and living a life the way you do not want to live it!" xoxo