Getting SERIOUS!!!

I know I've said it before but I really AM getting serious.  I haven't updated the blog in a bit because I've been up to something.  Let me fill you in!  I joined a Boot Camp.  In particular I joined Studio Zumba's special 6 week program led by the owner, Tricia Truax.  This is Bikini Boot Camp 2.  Classes are 6 days a week, and most of them start at 5:15am (but will soon move to 5am).  After a few months of falling off the wagon I needed a jump start.  I became a Bokwa® instructor to help with that but I have also added this boot camp program.  This will be a shock to my system and will really get me back on track and maybe even help make up for lost ground.

A little under a month ago Tricia Truax and her troops completed Bikini Boot Camp 1, the original.  I was foolish enough to not take advantage this first time around.  Ya'll know me and how good I am at excuses.  I also love my sleep.  So needless to say I let a prime opportunity pass me by.  This time around I am taking the bull by the horn and joining boot camp.  I will be going to as many classes as possible.

In the time that followed the first boot camp I saw a lot of different things.  First and foremost, I saw the CHANGE that each and every member of the first boot camp achieved.  It has been outstanding to see the first group of ladies be so successful!  That boot camp worked!  Also, I saw the bond that they all created with each other.  I saw the support each and every one of them gave to each other.  The members are all so giving to each other.  They have created such a bond with each other that has been truly admirable.

Well to put things simply: I WANT THAT!  I want the accountability; I want the support; I want to be apart of a group of women who strengthen and support each other;  I want the fellowship; I want the results!  So I decided to take advantage of Boot Camp 2.  I should have for the first Boot Camp, but oh well.  This Boot Camp is not going to be without challenges for me.  As I mentioned most of the classes are at 5:15am, I work until 1am Monday-Friday.  By the time I get home from work it's close to 1:30am or  going on 2am.  I have 3 alarms set to wake me up in time to get to class.  I haven't missed a morning class yet!  My husband has been a real trooper.  He's been helping me a lot through this.  He understands how hungry I am for this and how the next 6 weeks might pose some strain on me because of the physical and mental battle I will be going through.  He's awesome though and he supports me 100%...his response to me "We'll push through it".  I'm also taking this course to improve myself as an instructor.  I've taught 5 Bokwa classes so far and they have gone well.  However, I need to work on my endurance!  This course will help improve that and not only make me a better and healthier person, it will help me as an instructor and in turn help my students! It's a win-win situation! 

This second boot camp timing is perfect.  It will be ending right before I go on vacation to see my family.  I will be in week five when I work a long 4-day weekend.  So hopefully some nice results will be in store before I operate a camera in front of thousands of people at Jamboree in the Hills, or before I visit my family for a week (and wear a bathing suit...eeh gad!!)

Wish me luck!  It's going to be a tough 6 weeks.  I'm excited to see what's to come.  I have taken my before pictures and I will be taking measurements.  I can't wait until week 6!  I'm so excited to see my before and after pictures!!! Thank you Tricia for this opportunity and the leadership you provide me and all of the other members of Boot Camp!

Visual Support

Today I came across two graphics that were posted on Social Media.  One in particular was from a friend who posted it with me in mind.  Sometimes it's the most simple picture that can help motivate you to accomplish your goals.  Thanks Laura for thinking of me!  I need to keep this in mind EVERYDAY!

Here's another graphic I came across on Facebook today.  It's from a fellow Bokwa Instructor.  These words ring sooooo true to me.  Unfortunately, I struggle with this.  I make excuses all the time.  I need to keep sight of what's really and truly is important.  No more excuses!!!

Why in the World am I doing this?

I wanted to write this post for my future and current Bokwa students.  I am also writing this for my Bokwa family.  As I've been writing this blog for the last year, I'm on a journey.  My weight was at an all-time high this time last year.  That's when I decided to really take myself seriously.  I had to take a good long hard look at myself and really understand what I was doing to myself by not being active and eating nothing but junk.  I decided to fix all of it.  So for the next 6 months I ate properly and I worked out religiously.  I lost almost 30 lbs. in roughly 6 months!  Amazing right?  Well here's the problem that followed.  I started to really like what I looked like, I had become complacent with myself.  I liked the changes but I lost sight of my goal.

Time went by and I stopped being so strict.  My talent of making excuses started to rear its ugly head.  This whole time I had a great opportunity that I never took advantage of.  I made every excuse in the book the avoid working out and eating right.  Instead I kept pushing it to the side and as I result I lost focus.  I never gave up though; it was always in the back of my mind to get back on track.  It just took me a really long time to get back on track…longer than it should have taken me.

I knew that something had to change.  I had to up my game.  I obviously wasn't strong enough to push myself.  I figured that out quickly.  I never listened to myself when I knew I needed to work out.  Sometimes my husband would try to push me to work out but that just ended up annoying me…sorry babe.  So I had to do something different.  Then I got an idea.

I went to a Master Class at the studio I always go to.  The class was led by my friend Tricia and Zumba ZES Kelly Bullard.  It was a 2 hour class of fun and inspiration.  During the entire class I kept thinking to myself how much fun I was having and how inspiring an instructor is.  I also made note of how much an instructor pushes themselves for their students.  This got me thinking.  I thought “maybe I should become an instructor”. 

I had my reservations though.  I didn't want to become an instructor for attention.  I wanted to become an instructor so that I would push myself and be pushed by others.  If I made working out a job then it would happen.  I've always had a good work ethic.  I know that when somebody is depending on me to show up, there is not a doubt in my mind that I can succeed in doing my job and doing it well.

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So I am refocusing and re-charging.  Saturday marked my 1^st day back.  I have taught 2 classes so far and I am loving it.  It’s such an amazing feeling being able to share my knowledge with people who are hungry for it.  I hope to inspire people to become happy and healthy.  I am going through the same thing as everyone else in class.  I am fighting hard to get to a better version of me.  I hope that I can be the inspiration or the help that someone needs….I hope that I can be the inspiration and help that I need.  I’m forever grateful to the people who gave me a chance and came to my first few classes.  I can only hope and pray that you all continue to have faith in me.  I’m working hard to get better for my family, for my students, for my fellow Bokwa instructors, and most importantly for myself. 

So here we go!  We’re going to “Sweat the Alphabet, and Dance the Digits” together one our way to a better life!  Come join me on my continued journey but down a different path…I think I just had a Pocahontas moment…woah!

In the words of the Paul Mavi, the creator of Bokwa, "...it's all about making someone feel better about themselves and feel better period...Motion creates Better Emotion”.  I hope that I can do just that for myself and for the people of The Ohio Valley.

Bounce Bounce!!! It's time!!!

This is my first time teaching and I'm so excited!! I hope a lot of people turn out.  Let me help you and in turn help myself to a happier and healthier life!!!!  Love Bokwa!!! I hope to share it with you!!!

It's Bokwa® Baby!

I mentioned in a previous post that I have a plan to help me stay on track this time around.  Well it's called Bokwa® Fitness.  For a while I have been contemplating a new way to help keep myself accountable.  I thought what better way than to become a fitness instructor.  I thought of becoming a fitness instructor for quite a few different reasons.

I'm on a journey to a healthier life.  I've been feeling wonderful about myself.  My self-esteem has skyrocketed and I'm starting to really like the way I look.  It's a wonderful feeling to have...Loving yourself that is.  All the people in the world can tell me how great I look, or what have you, but if I'm not convinced the kind words from people won't work.  I'm starting to see what other people are seeing.  I want to help other people feel this way as well.  I know what it's like to not like yourself.  I also know what it's like to start enjoying life and how you look.  I want to help show people that it's possible.  If I can do it, anyone can do it.  I think that it might also help others struggling like me.  It's like "I'm your teacher but you're helping me because I'm going through the exact same thing as you"...does that make sense?

We all know how I struggle with accountability.  I've been on and off this weight loss thing for many many years.  I had to look at myself and try to figure out what in my life am I actually good at sticking to?  What quality/ability do I have that helps me accomplish something well.  I figured it out.  I have a really good work ethic.  I've had a job since I was 15.  I have always taken every job seriously and professionally. So I decided to apply this strength to my healthy lifestyle.  I'm going to make this my job.  Literally. I've decided to get certified to teach Group Fitness Exercise.

For a long time I've been wanting to be a Zumba instructor.  I looked into becoming an instructor but it just never seemed like the right fit for me.  With Zumba you need to choreograph everything and honestly I don't feel I'm that creative.  I also didn't know if I would have enough time to put into choreography.  I have always loved Zumba and I owe a great deal to Zumba.  I've never had a passion to exercise and become healthier because I hated working out.  Zumba however was totally different.  It's so much fun and the passion that comes from the instructors is addicting!  I love it, but like I said I'm intimidated by it.  So I did some researching and I saw something on Facebook called "Bokwa".  It was a an event to a local instructor certification.  I had no idea what this Bokwa thing was and I looked into it.  I fell in love.

BOKWA® is Different.  It is not really a dance workout - there is no choreography and no counting steps.  Participants draw letters and numbers with their feet, while moving together to music in free form rythm.

Everyone is doing it.  If you can move and you can spell, you can do Bokwa®.  From 4 year old kids, to men and women in their seventies, to guys with "2 left feet", to world champion dancers, Bokwa® engages participants of all ages in the same class and to the same music.

What I love about Bokwa® is that I don't have to chorerograph.  It's also a non-stop workout.  Sometimes in a Zumba class you go song to song, which means there's a break in between songs as the instructor searches or cues up the next song to play.  In Bokwa the music is constant so you are non-stop moving.  I did only a half hour the other day and I was DRIPPING with sweat. Gross right? WRONG! It's awesome!!

So after much discussion, research, prayer, and the whole nine yards I decided to get certified to teach Bokwa®.  So in short this is my new plan.  I'm going to teach fitness! I'm now a Bokwa® Level 1 Certified Fitness Instructor!! Wish me luck, I start teaching in June!! More to come of course about this new adventure!!

Strategic Planning.

I've been gone for a while.  I'm back and I'm ready to get serious once and for all.  I've been surrounded by many ladies who committed to a boot camp that started 3 weeks ago,  These women have committed a lot of time and the results are showing.  One woman just reached her 40 lbs. loss mile marker today.  I'm so proud of them and I'm so very impressed.  It really got me thinking.  One woman lost 40 lbs. in less than 4 months.  I lost 30 lbs. in over 6 months last year and I did not keep it all off.  I gained some of it back.  I was proud of the progress though.  I'm rethinking that now.  I am lucky enough to have a good metabolism.  For me losing weight isn't too hard.  The weight comes off as long as I eat properly and stay active.  There are a lot of women who would kill to have the kind of metabolism that I do.  So why don't I utilize this gift better?  I've been kicking myself for a while.  I should have committed to this boot camp 3 weeks ago along with all the other women who are working so hard.  My excuse has been that I'm tired.  Well that's just stupid.  I see all these other women who are just as busy as I am who manage to find the time.  They're tired too but they know it's worth it and they fight through the fatigue.  These women may or may not know it but they are an inspiration to me and to others I'm sure.  If they can do it surely I can.  One member has even attended classes while sick! That's how committed these ladies are.  They are so impressive!!! I need to be more like them!

So in order for myself to be successful, I need to have a plan.  Not just any plan like I used to do.  I need a plan that requires more strategy.  I know what my weaknesses are.  I know my excuses are.  I know what/who my nemeses are.  While coming up with a plan I came across these three questions:

1. "What do I do?"
2. "For whom do I do it?"
3. "How do I excel?"

So let me answer those three questions. 

1. I am eating clean and being active.  I am going to be staying on a low-carb Atkins regime of food.  Lot's of protein, good fats, and YES veggies.  I WILL eat the proper vegetable intake.  Whenever I have done Atkins previously my vegetable intake was never what it should have been.  Which then results in me not doing Atkins properly, not eating properly, and not losing weight or being healthy to my full potential.  I know I'm being just a baby but I really hate vegetables.  I need to grow up and do it right!  I will also be active.  I will start going to classes more often.  My excuse was always I couldn't afford it, but ever since I started managing the Studio I have been blessed to have the option of not paying for my classes.  So now what's my excuse?  I have also become certified to teach Bokwa®.  This is an amazing dance fitness program that I love!  I'm hoping to start teaching in June (I'm going to write a separate post about Bokwa®).  The weather is nice again as well.  I will start doing my walks at work during my lunch breaks again.
2. I do it for myself.  I know what potential I have.  I know that I can get to goal.  I just need to stop listening to my demons.  I do this so that I can be able to kneel down to talk to my children at eye level without my knees screaming in pain.  I do this so that the next time I have a baby my back pains won't be as bad or hopefully eliminated.  I do this so that I can sleep well at night.  I do this so I have energy to work 40 hours a week, raise 3 children, be a wife, and keep a clean home.  I do this for me.
3. I can excel by knowing that it's possible.  I see so many other women succeeding in the same journey that I am on.  These women are breathtaking!  There is a glow about them.  They have so much confidence!  I want that.  I can get there if I do what I know I can do.  I've mentioned before that I'm the queen of excuses.  Well I have to fight that.  Instead of hitting snooze for 3 more minutes, just stand up right away!

I have re-stocked my fridge and will start portioning and cooking today to be prepared for the week.  I'm quitting soda pop cold turkey.  I'm going to start being active EVERYDAY again, whether it be an hour of Zumba or Bokwa, a walk during my lunch break, or weight lifting...I will do something everyday that will raise my heart rate and kick my metabolism back into gear.  I will start utilizing my friends, family, and this blog to help hold me accountable again.  

I started this journey almost a year ago.  When I started I want to be close to my goal in a year.  Unfortunately that's not the case.  I fell off the wagon big time.  I'm almost starting all over again but that's my own fault.  Coulda, shoulda, woulda.  I just have to brush myself off again, put my blinders on, and keep focus of my goal.

So this is me today (5/12/13).  I'm starting over again about 20 lbs. less than when I started last year.  I'm taking this very seriously.  Even more so now than last year.  I know what can lead me off the path.  I will fight it and I will win!!!!!  Thank you all so much for standing by me even when I fall.  Life is a journey full of ups and downs.  I'm at the bottom of the mountain again due to my own excuses and weaknesses.  It's time to put my big girl pants on and start climbing to the top of that mountain again.  Stayed tuned everyone, things can only go up from here!!!  

Happy Mother's Day to all! Especially my mom who always holds me accountable and calls me out when I need it!! I love you mom!

Aaaand I'm Back!

Well as you all know I haven't been posting.  I've had a couple of people call me out on it (thanks Mom and Steph!) reminding me of the whole reason why I started this blog.   I started this for accountability.  I wanted to hold myself accountable as well as have other people, you, hold me accountable.  It took me a long time to write this post because I don't want to write it.  I don't want to admit in public that I've messed up.  Nobody likes to admit in public that they've messed up.  So this post is hard to write for me.  I've had to swallow my pride.  I owe myself this much.  I owe the people who read this blog this much.  Like I said...I messed up.  For some reason the I cannot remember I stopped being healthy.  I don't know if it's because I became happy with where I was at, or because I lost site of my goal, or because I let my usual vices take over.  I don't know what the reason or excuse is.  As we all know I'm very good at talking myself out of working out and eating properly.

So if you check my archives of this blog you can see that the last time I posted anything was in January.  I'm ashamed to admit what I've been doing to myself since then... In short, I stopped working out everyday and the word "Atkins" had left my vocabulary.  My days were full of laziness and a lot of fast food and sugar.  I spent the last 4 months telling myself "I'll start again tomorrow".  Yeah, tomorrow turned into a week and then into months.  Now we're almost near summer and not only have a lot of my old symptoms come back (bad sleep, achy knees, etc) I've gained back a lot of what I lost in the last year. Ugh, I hate writing this.  It stinks to admit it but at the same time I have to.  I can't move forward until I get this out in the open.

So yeah...That's what's been going on.  I've been the opposite of what I'm striving to be for the last few months.  I've undone a lot of the hard work I put into this.  So what's my next step?  Get off my bum and get back in the game.  I've written before all about the mental game.  Well, it's more of a war with me.  I've won a few battles but I've definitely lost quite of few of my recent battles.  All I can do now is brush myself off and start over again.  I know I've messed up.  I really appreciate my mom and my sister calling me out.  It got me back into it.  I also really appreciate my friend and mentor, Tricia, for pretty much giving me the swift kick in the rear that I needed.

I'm ready to get back into it.  Believe me!  I've noticed the differences in myself and I do NOT like it.  I have to change it.  I have a plan.  Stay tuned, and thanks for sticking with me!