BFL in Hampton Roads

January 2, 2011. When I rebooted the weight loss program….

Have ordered my Fitbit to help me figure out how many calories I’ve been burning a day, and then we’ll see how the weight loss continues from this point forward. When I get home tonight, I’ll post photos of where I started (On January 2, 2011) and every Sunday since then.

I’ll also try to get back into sharing insights, and such.

Here we go again. How much weight did I put back on?
Six pounds.
Six pounds in two years.
Body For Life is an incredible journey, a plan that even when you don’t realize you’re working it, helps out in little ways.

Between being sick and being busier than a normal person should be, I’ve been neglecting the BFL blog.

Here’s a post (and a photo) taken today.

Anyone else on this wonderful, crazy, inspiring journey?

Life is about CREATING yourself.

You have the power to shape yourself into anything you so desire. Keep the end goal in sight — a fitter, healthier you.

It’s inevitable, if you REALLY believe.

and that’s okay. There are going to be days that you have to really REALLY push yourself to eat right, to exercise, and to try to keep a positive outlook.

This week has been one of them for me. I’ve tried being positive, but with being sick and then being down on myself for letting myself get SO out of shape, I’ve managed to miss only one workout, and only a couple meals. Which, all things considered, isn’t too terrible.

The important thing is that I haven’t thrown in the towel and given up. I’m seeing progress (albeit not as fast as I would like — of course, my body wouldn’t be able to successfully respond to the changes I want to make if they occurred as quickly as I wanted), and so I’m still inspired.

….and get back in the game.

I was sick yesterday — so sick, that I actually missed my lower-body workout. Sure, I could have pushed myself, but I would have probably only ended up making myself more ill.

So, I took the day off, still eating right. Tonight is my treadmill workout. I don’t feel guilty about missing a workout, because I didn’t do it thoughtlessly, or carelessly. When your health is at stake, your body tells you what it can and cannot take.

Remember to focus on progress, not perfection. We all stumble along the way. The important thing is to pick yourself up and get back at it — don’t give up, and don’t get discouraged.

“Start driving and stop just going along for the ride.”

Face it, in order to make a change in your life, you need to be in control of your life; that means you can’t let your bad habits (eating poorly, not working out, low self esteem, etc) rule your condition. You have to have a purpose, and that purpose will help you undo the things that happened in the past.

It’s like taking yourself off cruise control.

Step away from the buffet. Step back into your life. Relish the moments you have — enjoy how fit you are beginning to feel. See your body changing, even though you may not see it — others will, and sooner (rather than later) so will you!

I am sorry for the lack of posts recently. I’ve been cleaning house — literally. Removing the clutter that is preventing me from becoming a better person, letting go of some of my past, and moving into the present, if not the future.

As such, I’ve also been battling a touch of depression as the ghosts from my past are exorcised.

While it’s cathartic, it’s also painful at times.

Still, I’ve managed to get my workouts in, and my nutrition plan remains on target, so life is still good there.

It’s Day 15 of my first 84 days…and your thought for the day is “The more we work together, the more we can all succeed.” Remember to offer someone a word of encouragement, a helping hand, or even just an ear to listen.

You can’t cause change in someone else’s life. You can give them the tools, you can provide the example of what can be done, but you can’t force them to do something their heart really isn’t into.

If that were the case, my father would be on this journey with me; he isn’t, and I am coming to terms that all I can hope and pray for is that he sees me getting healthy and fit, and it stirs a passion inside him.

Believe me, the last thing I wanted to do this afternoon was work out. In fact, when Tink was driving home, I even fell asleep in the car. But go and do my workout I did. I pushed myself. I strained. I gave it everything I had. When I finally stepped off that elliptical machine this evening, I knew I’d won the battle. This time. But there’s always another battle to be fought. Always another round to go. Life is a never ending cycle of ups and downs.

Life will throw every temptation in the book at you. Depending on how firm you are in your resolve to make a change depends on how you react to those temptations.

Remember what I posted about reason WHY you wanted to do Body For Life? If your convictions are strong enough, you will make it. You’ll keep in your mind’s eye that you are getting fit, you are getting healthy, you are losing weight and toning up. You will remember that your clothes are fitting looser, that the person you see in the mirror is fuller of life and joy. All these things are possible, but only if you do them for yourself. No one else can do them for you, just as you cannot do them for anyone else.

Bonnie Raitt sang a song back some time ago saying “I can’t make you love me, if you don’t….”

The same can be said about sticking to “the plan.” You’re the only one who has the power to make it a reality for yourself.

Do yourself proud.