{It’s Time to Turn Up the Heat.}

The CEO of the hospital I work in taught a leadership lecture today that I had the honor of being present for. The CEO is a classy woman with a southern accent that draws me in every time I hear her speak. She has this way about her that I hope to see in myself some day. I think people adore her, but hope to never be on her naughty list. I love that. She talked about leadership and hard work and change. It takes a lot of courage to push through struggle. Doing what’s right, whether at work, in school or at the gym, takes courage. Courage, in the face of adversity and change can seem near impossible.

I feel like I have been working really hard on fitness. Burning thousands of calories every day, double days at boot camp with Body By JHeb, getting ready for my 5K challenge (thanks to Michael) this Sunday, lots of water and I have started Shakeology as a meal replacement for breakfast, yet my weight seems to be plateauing for longer than I am willing to deal with patiently. I haven’t gained, but for the last 2 weeks, I have only lost 2.6 pounds.  I know what it is…I am not on my food game. I am not eating bad, but I am not as sharp as I need to be. I have either eaten far too few or a couple too many calories on an inconsistent basis for the last 2 weeks. Instead of beating myself up and completely binging on some kind of salty, sugary fast food, I am trying to see where and why I went ‘wrong’. I say ‘wrong’ because I have not binged, nor have I eaten anything disgustingly bad in the last 8 months. On the days where I have gone over my 1400 calorie budget, it’s not on bad food. But nonetheless, calories are calories are calories. If you eat more than you burn, you gain. If you eat less than you burn, you lose. And if you eat about the same, you roughly maintain. Clearly, I am not an expert, but what I love about this journey is that it’s easy. 1+1=2. Though I am burning more than I am eating, it’s not enough. My sister and I have been on this journey for a little while now and many of you started with us at the beginning, and it’s not over. And after 32 years, it’s just the beginning for me. I have a long way to go. One hundred and twenty-five pounds, to be exact. That’s more than a lot of people weigh. Now is not the time to lose sight of all the work, all the sweat, all the 72 pounds I have already lost.  Now is the time to turn up the heat.

Shout outs:

To everyone on a journey…no matter what journey…and especially to Nan, Cara, Nicole, Ryan, Victor, Heather, Potate, Meg, Keith, Amanda, Haley, Michael, Mike, JHeb, and Kian, should you ever feel the need to reset, I dedicate this short video to you compliments of my CEO. 

Tips:

Believe in yourself. Trust the process. Change forever. One degree and pound at a time.