Be Your OWN Action Figure

Today was my "after" day. I completed my first full round of the 21Day Fix from Beachbody. I workout out every day in front of a camera some days and documented my days as they passed. I didn't follow the diet plan exactly but I tried to avoid those extra sweet and stick close to a smart eating plan. Overall, this was an awesome program to run through for a couple of weeks and Autumn’s style of training makes it fun to do every day.  There wasn’t a day that went by that I dreaded working out (well, except for Pilates Fix, because it's hard, haha). Interested in joining my upcoming 21 Day Fix Challenge so you can get these same results!?  Leave a note in the comments or hit me up on Facebook I left the in-laws house and headed back to KC today - in the rain.....I stopped and shopped for a couple of things and then since it was my in between day for the 21day fox. I chose to "Cize, Crazy 8's" from BB on Demand and sweat out the holiday ...

It's the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The one Saturday that gets overlooked because it's not "Black Friday" & not the Sunday after Thanksgiving labeled "the worst travel day". Saturday November 28th, 2015 had its own identity for me- day 20 of my 21Day Fix & that means I'm almost finished with this challenge!  Dirty 30 !!! Amidst sabotage by dinner out with friends I survived. Hubs & I went out with pals in Springfield  & I tried to stay on track with my food &  so on.... Full transparency - I indulged in 2 more drinks than the programmed allows. 21day fix does allow wine but only max of 2 glasses per week to get results. We were out from 4p until 9p & dinner didn't start until 730p so there was a long social hour beforehand. I might get dingged! Yoga tomorrow & weigh in Monday! Oh, & Rocky marathon on SpikeTv boo yeah!

Can someone create their own career? Fifty years ago the answer would be no. In this day and age and with the cyber opportunities afforded to share your  time and talent it is absolutely possible. A Perfect example is  Gwen Lawrence . She had a vision of something more than being a massage therapist and something more than mastering yoga and saw what was possible if she pursued helping professional athletes. She married her two visions and produced a program that fell into place for the NY Giants and blew up her career and appeal and opportunities ten fold. She had an idea and worked for it- and it worked for her. Why not me. What is my vision? I have passion for health and wellness and my mind juggles what possibilities that could mean for me. I am pursuing a new venture beginning in 2016 as I retire from a career I've spent years cultivating and learning from. The opportunity presented itself to do anything else and It felt like the time. I know I want to helps other get f...

November 26th, 2015 - the 610 Stompers were the hit of Macy's Day Parade, The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Carolina Panthers, and midday naps were taken by most Americans as expected. Day 18 of my 21Day Fix and I'm THANKFUL for so many things and my good health being one of them! Thankful for Hubs & family and my sweet kitty & my new little sweet grand baby that I hope to see again soon! Thankful for dear friends and my job and the rewards it brings as well as the lessons it teaches me each day. Thankful to God & all the beauty in this world and the perseverance to overcome whatever lies ahead Today I woke up to chilly temps and rain against my window and started my days the same as the last 17 days…..coffee, facebook, email, workout, then heading into work - today I broke loose early and drove down for my family Thanksgiving 4 hours south. I had my shake & my audible book to keep me company. Getting here and seeing everyone and smelling the good...

Wednesday, Hump Day and day 17 of  my 21Day Fix Yesterday was my Lower Fix and I was feeling my lat pulls from the day before since I went up in hand weights. I indulged in Quick Trip chicken salad wrap for lunch but I took it apart and ditched the extra flour tortilla using just enough to cradle my chicken salad goodness - it's delicious....I gotta say my QT fav! I enjoyed some of my choco shako energy snacks and then some hummus and veggies before calling it a night. Instead of eating as often I'm condensing my meals into a smaller time frame and fasting until at least noon.....I like the results and it's nice to not have to fill in my day all day long with foods since I have a full day on the go work schedule. I've got Pilates Fix on my schedule for today, Thanksgiving - stay tuned!

It came up in conversation between myself and another fitness coach.... Why do you think people think it's a OPTION to exercise? Man used to work the land and not need to do anything extra to tone up or keep fit enough to keep up with daily life demands but as the desk jobs came along, society pushed for easier ways of doing things and slacked off on the manual labor that was probably doing us good. You will never be able to convince everyone that exercise is actually living day to day - it's like brushing teeth. You don't have to brush your teeth. If you choose not to, you'll experience severe consequences down the road but it's completely your choice....yet we have been led to believe that brushing our teeth is a daily task and exercise is optional. If one chooses not to exercise, You can bet there will be consequences down the road, as well. It's frustrating a s a coach. Yes, I can impact one person's life, for sure, but I also can’t expect to belie...

So if you don't know me I started my fitness journey during my final years of high school -  I always struggled with my weight. I can remember my sophomore & junior years getting more active in sports but still about 10 to 15 lbs heavier than my teammates and girlfriends. Fast forward to end of senior year  -  that when I was losing weight because I drastically cut my calories and increased my physical activity in the school musical - rehearsals each day and no time to lay around doing teenage nothings. My dinner consisted of diet coke and a slimfast bar….that took the weight off alright. In the first years of college my diet was horrible because I would eat pizza one day and canned green beans the next and I would exercise excessively to Gilad and Denise Austin on the VHS. I remember the treadmill, stairclimber, & rowing machine at Jim Botin’s Fitness in Conway,AR…. Exercise was an addiction for me because when I would want to lose the college weight that...

Sunday is the day of rest…or is it? The new Sunday is the day of preparation and get it done! The demands of work and the lifestyles we typically lead mean we edge towards convenience. But is convenience the answer? Heck no. Sunday is the day that you should get ‘er done’. If you’re serious about your lifestyle, making positive changes and advancing your career or goal then use Sunday properly. Now don’t get me wrong - i’m not telling you to start your day job work on a Sunday but what I am saying is prepare yourself for the week ahead. This is about getting your mind set correct for what is ahead and making the necessary arrangements so that you start with your working week with a bang. ‘But Sunday is my day off’ I hear you shout. I completely agree and some of the preparation is helping you get your lifestyle on the right track which In turn gives you a great start to the working week. How to prepare? It’s a mindset: Make a list of what lies ahead for you this week Use your c...

Wowza it turned cold today in Kansas City- It's fall and soup weather for sure. I was fantasizing about a steaming hot bowl of minestrone today but it just wasn't in my cards.....I'll have to whip that up this weekend, after the Turkey is gone! I am all about intense 30 minute get-it-done workouts these days. I’m finding shorter, more intense workouts are not only more effective for me but more appealing because I am able to go hard in a shorter amount of time, and my time is short right now. I need variety and consistency that 21Day Fix 30 minute workouts offer. Do you feel this way? I doesn’t have to be perfect to make progress. Fee free to follow along to this Dirty 30 workout.  10 exercises, 60 seconds, repeat each twice: Warm up: Run in place Jumping Jacks Windmills forward then backwards Side stretch right then left Toe touches straddle position alternating left the right Workout: Side lunge with weights Renegade row Sumo R...

Friday was hard. It wasn't just hard for me but for my team as well.  It's frustrating to not have solutions to problems at the point they are needed and you just want to make it through the day. That was today and will probably be Saturday, as well. Chin up and do it with Gusto! Friday was day 12 of my 21Day Fix and Cardio Fix was the plan - Cross Jacks and High knees...not my favorite but it's only 60 seconds and It's getting easier.... There really wasn't anytime for a real meal today - I snacked on a small salad I tossed and then got by on cold pizza from Casey's when I was still at the office late. The struggle is real!  Still.....pretty cool sunrise this morning.... A few questions sent to me this week - Q: What if I don't have time to workout? A: Everyone has 30 minutes for something and you have to choose what you do with it. If you can't change clothes for a traditional workout, Dance in your room! Go for a walk on ...

Throwing back to the past is a fun trip down memory lane each Thursday - What memory did you flash back to today? I went back 5 years to a great trip to Sedona with Hubs and his folks and the week we spent communing with desert beauty. Nov 2011, Sedona, AZ Today marked Day 11 of my 21Day Fix and Pilates Fix was the workout scheduled. I had to get in to work early so I put off my workout until tonight - the later I wait in the day, the harder it is to motivate myself to get it done.....how about you?  Once it was over, I was able to relax and get ready for bed knowing I was all stretched out and accomplished.  The toughest part of Pilates Fix for me tonight was leg lowers in the Ab Series. My lower back has really been bothering me and I had to take it with bent knees tonight. Sometimes you have to listen to your body!

Wednesday started out cold and rainy – not pleasant for any outside extracurricular activity and making for unfavorable flying conditions, according to our flight crews landing in high winds. Wednesday meant day 10 of my 21Day fix and Lower Fix was on deck – I love and hate leg day….I feel like they are my strongest muscle but when legs are sore and tired, it’s tough to get much else done. Each exercise in Lower Fix is 1 minute long…..and it seems to last FOREVER…. I actually forgot to take any pics or video for my accountability until after I started to get ready for work. I quickly dropped and filmed one of the last few moves called Seated inner Thigh Lift and it may look easy but it takes place near the end of the workout and your legs are already quivering. I made my healthy lunch (salmon Burger w/ leftover roasted veggies) and a salad later on….then rounded up my chocolate craving with chocolate PB & oatmeal bites (like a chocolate pb brownie with oat...

Everyone loves a Tuesday  - It's better than Monday and not as dramatic as Friday. It's a Monday do-over and a popular choice for election days. For me, Tuesday means Upper Fix from my 21day fix and I rocked it today- I'm not a push ups kind of gal but I do feel accomplished when I work my upper body and abs. It helps with my posture and the way I carry myself afterwards. My favorite move is the lat pullover and then the  forearm plank. Man, holding that forearm plank for 6o seconds looks easy but my whole body shakes after 40seconds.... I drove back to Kansas City today - Back to work tomorrow and one less day before I retire 1/1..... I lunched at Subway and  beat the storm front by riding along behind  it for most of the 8 hours drive.... Day 9 in the bag!!

It was a drizzly day in Dallas and not too tough to stay under the covers. Hubs let me sleep in until 10a and it was heavenly. I only have today to unpack my car, launder and sort, and repack for the trip back to Kansas City tomorrow. I felt overwhelmed around 7pm when I was sitting in a mess of winter and summer clothes an had no idea what to do or where to put them since I don't stay here full time yet. Today was day 8 of my 21 day fix and the workout was total body cardio- It sweat like a $2 you know what in church......but I made it through! I booked a massage this evening and then made baked chicken and roasted veggies for dinner....we LOVE oven roasted broccoli, cauliflower, & carrots! I'm sticking to my clean eats whenever I can! I was thinking back to what motivates me.... I get inspired by seeing others succeed. I am motivated by success and pleasing people.....I like  a good quote just like anyone. The one thing that motivates me more that anything is being ...

Day 6 and 7 posts....I was up early Saturday and managed to complete Cardio Fix.....my LEAST favorite of the 21 day workouts (because there are sumo burpees.....) and I worked all day Saturday, driving from KC to Joplin after work....late evening and road tired! I woke up early (early for me, anyway) and hit the road for the drive home to Dallas.......Lots of Spotify, Audible and some podcasting......I taste tested McDonalds coffee against a truck stop just south of Miami, OK.....McDonald won, hands down. I had Dirty 30 to look forward to at the end of my drive  - it's my favorite of the 21day fix workouts  - 4 rounds of fat-burning exercises help carve out a leaner, stronger physique. .....but I have to admit I wasn't feeling it today- it was raining and chilly and a nap on the sofa was so much more my speed. BUT I made a commitment. I will finish the 21 days with my scheduled  as planned. I just want everyone to know I'm human and not a MACHINE! If you follow...

The word for fear of Friday the 13th is "paraskavedekatriaphobia." The word for fear of the number 13 is "triskaidekaphobia." Located near Philadelphia is the Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Center, an organization that hosts parties centered on confronting common phobias like walking under a ladder and opening an umbrella indoors. Don’t you feel better about yourself now? Today was day 5 of my 21day fix journey – I had to work as usual and had an appt before work so my “Pilates Fix” would have to wait until after work tonight. I put it on my calendar and set my notification because it was important to me to squeeze this in! I relied on a soup and salad for an early lunch, a chipotle chicken burrito and strawberry shakeology to round out my day…… I was really sore this morning! I can totally tell that these workouts are stirring up some muscles I haven’t worked in a while – do you remember that feeling? It’s a good, rewarding feeling and so painful ...