Day 17 & 18/21

FEEL GOOD!
I need to be honest. The last few days I have been forcing myself to think about my coantainers. Thinking I am making life fit into my containers and still doing my best to stay on track even with a crazy week and only 36 hours to get ready for a week away. I am on track. And I needed to make sure this is a place to share just how good I feel when I eat right. I just saw a picture of myself and said "WOW, I don't look as FAT as I feel." Remember all that talk about how we speak life or death over ourselves....yeah I said that and had to pause...I feel amazing right now.I have been eating right and looking at how to incorporate my workouts and stay "on track" even with vacation right here.

So it comes back to this, why don't I share it MORE. Why am I not inviting everyone to do this with me? I feel like I have been a lier for a while. But now as I hit day 18 and feel this good about myself, I am going to plug it.

If you have ever thought about doing this, or you have it and need a partner or a group to hold you accountable WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? There will never be a perfect time.

Here is what I want you to think about:

*Awesome portion control container system, makes nutrition EASY
*Workouts that are suitable for all fitness levels and you don't have to leave your house!
*Group and 1:1 accountability
*FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF.

Join Me.....here is the link. We all commit to it for 30 days.

Day 16/21: Take the TIME

WEEK. WEAKNESS.

Time gets away from me. I am not sure if I am just not paying attention to it or if I allow it to consume me most of the time.

Day 14. 15 . and 16 I worked twelve hour shifts. I have always struggled with these shifts. I love them because I only have to do 2 a week  and the rest of the week I can focus on myself and my TIME. But I also feel like even with 12 hour shifts I should be getting a work out in. Through exhaustion and doubt I usually don't. A good friend and my current Coach, pushing me through this round of 21 Day Fix, has had many amazing fitness experiences. One of which was long distance cycling. And the best tidbit of knowledge she could share was to just get over the fact that I want to workout on a 12. If I can, sure go ahead, but your body is taxed and tired and don't expect the best workout of your life. Thank you Dana, I am forgiving myself for the anger and frustration I have caused.

Aside from workouts....nutrition is my number one goal right now. I use my app religiously, but I am also incredibly amazed at the power of food preparation. I have to make time for it. I have to write it out. I have to know what I have on hand when I am faced with TIME restraints. With that said time to jump off, get ready for the day and make this one AMAZING.

Day 14/21

How is week 2 already DONE?

Here are my numbers:

Weight: 217.3 (-5.3 lbs)
Lost 2.5 inches

Went OFF: I ate pizza yesterday and I was totally OK with it.

I need to make sure I am checking in here. I committed to this blog, because I know I need it as much as someone else might. WEEK 3....here we go.

Day(s) 11 &12/21: Promise?

I ONLY work 2 days a week. Two 12 hour shifts, sometimes in a row, sometimes days apart. But still it is only 2 days. When I became a Coach it was mostly because I needed to make enough money to cover our kids private school tuition. I do that. I hit that goal, but really I saw Coaching as a way to stay consistent on my workouts and stay focused on the journey. If I "worked" more, I would have to use my time differently. I sometimes tell people, I started as a Coach for selfish reasons, little did I know, my WHOLE world would change.

This past Tuesday, I worked  a half shift, only 6 hours and I set my alarm and was up and at it at 4:30am. I was committed to my promise. I wanted to make sure I did the 30 minute workouts EVERYDAY this week. I wanted to see what this looked like working the plan BY THE BOOK. Let's talk about that for a minute. I honestly, can say that is when I feel like I have failed most and decide I can't finish. I missed my active recovery pilates workout yesterday. Sleep seemed more important after waking 3x in the night with my asthmatic kiddo, let's be honest....I got out of bed 3x but was awake all night listening to him struggle. An dafter a 12+ hour day (tack on commute 45 minutes both ways) I was spent. And well same goes with today. I am exhausted and sleep will most likely elude me tonight as I am over tired. I think about REAL PEOPLE, REAL 9 to 5ers. Most likely, you....and as I think about how difficult this is I am reminded that we have to be honest. We have to be realistic and set expectations that we can keep.

My most trusted advisor, Dani Johnson teaches "Under promise, over deliver." What do you KNOW you can commit to? Promise to do that and then when you go over by a day you over deliver and can feel personally successful. Example: I know I can commit to 4 workouts per week.  And when I get that 5th one in, I am feeling like I did more and feel better about the outcome. This week I promised 7 workouts and I did 4. I feel like I failed. But it is recognizing what I know I can do that I am starting to get over that failure feeling and instead LEARN the lesson.

Day 11: at work drank water, ate all my containers.
Day 12: at work drank water, ate all my containers.
Tomorrow: WORTH FIGHTING FOR 5k, swimming and meal prep (I will work 33 hours between Sunday and Tuesday!)

Day 10/21: GO. DO. BE.

Feeling like I got my MOJO back, a little. I think I shared this yesterday, but I am recognizing that I am in a very fragile place. I can slip up at any moment and with that I have to be completely aware of my surroundings, my emotions, and my food. I use the 21 Day Fix App to track my containers, which I am using as religiously as I used to count calories almost 5 years ago.

FIVE YEARS AGO?! How is it that I have been on this journey for almost 5 years? And I am talking about tools I used a long time ago and here I am still in the same place, different tools. Misha (IG: @mamamishafitness) and I got together today. We are preparing for the Ultimate Reset at the end of the month, we will save that for another post. But today she said something that hit home, because ultimately it is something I am also thinking....what is the end goal in doing this? Why do we need to be trying new tools, checking out new workouts, completely resetting the pH of our bodies, thinking about our next workout and when we will drink Shakeology tomorrow. And although I have struggled with the WHY so many times and I think about who I am doing this for...it clicked when I heard her say that she has no idea what her end goal is.

Dear Cara,

There is no END. There will never be a day that we don't think about our health and wellness and fitness. This has become your passion, because this is LIFE. As soon as you stop thinking about it, it will lose its importance. It is not about a diet or the number on the scale it is about being healthy and strong. And sometimes that might include pizza and donuts, but when you really stop to think about how important your physical health and mental wellbeing are, it becomes less of a goal and more of a vision. What does this life mean to you and what do you want it to look like? Go. Do and Be that.

Love,
Me

Tomorrow: DRINK WATER LIKE IT IS YOUR MOTHER FUCKING JOB. Shakeology for breakfast and dinner. 4:25am wake up!!! 

Day 9/21: FOCUS

I learned this lesson in February of 2012. Eleven weeks into my journey as I was starting to see results, I started to change my mindset. I started to wake up and everyday would say, "I can feel myself losing weight. I can feel myself getting lighter." I truly believe with every ounce of me that I was changing. And guess what....I was. 

I have been recommitting myself to this journey, not because I need to look a certain way, but because I know exactly what it felt like to visualize who and where I wanted to be and I was not stopping until I did. I feel amazing right now. My vision of how this journey will go is taking over....SHIT I got up at 4:25am today to WORKOUT. Do you know how many times in the last 2 years I have set the alarm and then snoozed it for 40 minutes. I didn't have the desire. I didn't have the vision of who I was anymore. Or the WHY? I have been struggling with that too. I started doing this because I didn't want to gain the weight back, selfish reasons but valid. I now LOVE this, not because of the accountability, but because it is WAY bigger than that. 

If you want something different, you've got to do something different. It rings true again and again. We have so much power with how we speak to ourselves. We can speak life or death. When we speak negatively to ourselves silently in the mirror or even under our breath as we pull on our pants, we have the power to believe or to shoot down. When you want more of something I keep saying do more of that....this applies to everything. So choose wisely, will it be positive or negative. 

I ate on point today. I went over by 1 yellow, 1 blue and 1/2 a fruit. I also got up at 4:25am.....

Tomorrow: water, lower fix and 1 mi run, plan my Ultimate Reset.

Day 8/21: Transparency

TODAY FEELS GOOD. 

No other way to talk about it. I was on track. I even saved containers to enjoy homemade strawberry shortcake with the boys for dessert. 

It is all a mindset. I have said mind over matter a million times before. I am now reminding myself of everything I have ever pulled from my own tool kit to share with someone else. I know whats right and whats wrong, it all starts with the decision to make a change. It all has to do with the VISION. I can set the goal, but it might just sit there and I might change my path to it a million and a half times. What keeps me from getting there is the vision. If there is no vision there is no way. 

My mentor shared a video today, it has to do with EVERY aspect of life. And it talked on this very thing. There is no way that I will have you join me if I am not real about how hard this process is. If I was perfect, if I lost 100 lbs and kept it off with out the battle, no one would do this with me. Because we all know that life happens. That brings me to the transparency. I have to start here, where I am at and have a vision and every single day I have to get up and do it. Prosper where you are planted, and that is what I hope to do with every single person that does this with me. 

When you can look in the mirror and admit that you are not giving 120%, then you can make change. It is YOU vs YOU. You need to ask why you aren't giving 120%, get rid of the excuses. What did you NOT do. I started to think about the saying, "Be the person, you want to be." GUT check, want to know what that really means? LOVE MORE, give more, be kind, EAT RIGHT, TRAIN HARDER, sweat, clean up after yourself, put shit away right away, GIVE MORE. 

Transparency means that I am going to share the fact that I messed up. And I had excuses, SHIT I still do. I was more concerned about the people I was helping...BULLSHIT. I would have done more if that statement was true. So I called bullshit on myself, recognizing that I was not doing the basics and now I am back to mastering the basics. Day 8 was successful and I feel great. 

If you have some time, watch this...EVERYDAY. 

Day 7/21: Week in Review

I try to do this every week, as I have gotten further and further away from caring abut my own journey I have not been doing it. So I will do this every Sunday, here to share my thoughts about the week and my progress, both scale and non-scale. Let's review:

Monday (1) Ate on plan, but skipped a few containers. Turbo Fire HIIT 20
Tuesday (2) Ate all my containers. Upper Fix
Wednesday (3) Containers were all over the place, not enough protein or veggies and went over on fruits and carbs. No Workout
Thursday (4) Containers were on point. Turbo Fire HIIT 25
Friday (5) Ate out 2x, went over by 2 on carbs. Playground workout 3 rounds of squats, lunges, and an abs series
Saturday (6) Almost all containers accounted for. Said no to pizza and cake at a kid party! Dirty 30.
Sunday (7) Containers went great. I might have had 2 blues. but I am OK with that. I did not get to my yoga workout. Could I have done it, YES. Could I still do it, YES. Will I, maybe.

Results: I lost 2 lbs. this week.

My Business Coach, posted tonight about getting REAL. Talking about consistency and how when you want something bad enough you want it as badly as you want to breathe. And when you want it that bad NOTHING...NOTHING should stand in your way. A lot of my excuses are around time, I just don't use it right. And then I am reminded that that is way more precious than money. So as I DELETE Candy Fucking Crush from my phone I am committed to time better spent. As I write out my workouts for the whole week, I give them a time slot in my schedule, even on the days I will work 12 hours, I am committing to being CONSISTENT and spending my time better. I am my top priority. If I don't take care of me how on earth can I take care of anyone else.

WEEK TWO LETS DO THIS. 

Day 6/21: The Blame Game

I have been working closely with a friend and Coach. I always say the right people come into our lives at the right time. Sometimes not sure why and then the reason is clear. Right now I am going through all the reasons for my weight gain. Looking...BLAMING...everything. Travel and celebrations, the rewards cruise that this amazing business sent me on back in March, stress, emotion, illness, hormones, the Biggest Loser study about weight loss effects on metabolism. You name it I want to find a reason to say, "Yep, that has got to be it."

EXCUSES ARE WELL PLANNED LIES. 

So let's come clean....

I have not been eating right and I have not been working out. There I said it. I have not been doing it. That is why. There is nothing else that is causing it. I know exactly WHY.

And so these last six days I refocused on nutrition and started to say that would be my only focus, no workouts...but I am trying to follow the 21 Day Fix plan EXACTLY (because it works) and that means 30 minutes every single day.

Today, I pushed play. And I will every single day. That will be part of my check in here.

Tomorrow: Meal prep, WATER, Yoga Fix 

Day 5/21 VALUE

I am a morning late on yesterdays post. Here is why. I want to move through my 21 days with honesty and with accountability, but I also want to provide VALUE to anyone following my journey. I was so focused on helping so many people, I know what I am doing, I can tell anyone and everyone how to do this plan. How to follow it successfully and the top tips to make this work. I just haven't been doing it.

Until now...day 5. First official, day of summer for my kiddos. I wanted to enjoy the sunshine with a trip to the northbay to swim, unfortunately the youngest is having asthma issues and I was not sure that we should go too far. So we stuck around the city and made fun happen here. But it meant that we were treated out to lunch with my dad. I have this tip I use when going out, I will share it here:

Look at the menu, pick the best healthiest thing for you, then close the menu and do not look at it again. When we pick it back up and start reading all the things on the menu again, we typically change our mind to something that is not good for us or not as good as that first thing. 

So I did that yesterday. We were at an amazing burger spot where I typically will get fried veggies with ranch and a burger or a veggie sandwich that has 3 slices of bread because it is so stacked. I looked at the menu knowing I would have a salad and I found that their signature salad was listed at the top and it said SMALLER SIZE. I went with that with grilled chicken and sweet potato fries to share! IT WAS PERFECT AND FIT ALL MY CONTAINERS!!! (I did not bring them with me, but I have practiced at home to be able to know what I should be eating that is portion control appropriate)
I left feeling satisfied and happy! WIN.

Eating out does not have to be terrifying when we are being mindful of our eating. Although I would like to do it less and have more control of my food, I felt like this was the perfect lesson.

OK aside from that, I just have not felt like working out. I am not inspired by any thing right now to get my butt moving, I am doing the minimum. Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to do a video chat with my friend, Coach-mate, and a serious inspiration when it comes to doing this program right. Misha from IG: @mamamishafitness (go follow her!)  has stayed consistent for 1 WHOLE year using the container system and having a program to move into as soon as she finishes the one before. She asked me what I was doing for my fitness. The container eating system works with ANY workout plan. You can be a gym rat and use this container system and see success or you can do the 21 Day Fix in its entirety with the container system and provided workouts and be incredibly successful.

So as she says this to me I recognize that I want to follow this plan exactly, that means containers and workouts. So here I go pushing play on the 21 Day Fix workouts. EVERYDAY. Thank you, Misha!!

#CoachAndBeCoached

Day 4/21: Peanut Butter

It is so good. WHY? Why does peanut butter have to be so good?
Everything in moderation, if it fits your container count for the day....right?!

So I just ate 3 small peanut better cookies. I didn't need the cookies and I did not want the cookies, but they were there. And I ate them. I stopped half way through the first cookie and said NOPE, but then hmmmm...somehow I ate THREE!!! This right here is what happens to me. I think about it and I still do it. It is all in the action, which I have been sharing a lot about. So why was the action to continue even when I thought I shouldn't....its like complete opposite of what I am trying to learn and do. I want to speak life over everything I do, positive affirmations, positive thinking, no negative allowed. And yet, I think STOP and I don't.

With that said, I am going to start sharing my food and fitness journal here, it helps me to write it out, and think about where I need to improve my eating. The afternoons are the hardest, hence the early post for today...keep my mind out of the kitchen and on track:

B: Shakeology with blueberries and spinach (I blend it all together and can't taste the spinach!!)
S: 2 hardboiled eggs and a banana
WO: 20 minute HIIT workout from Turbo Fire
L: shrimp, black beans and peppers and 8 tortilla chips and a 1/4 smashed avocado (yep I counted!)
S: rice cake with 5 teaspoons peanut butter....and THEN 3 peanut butter cookies
D: 2C spaghetti squash, 1C homemade turkey marinara and 2 turkey meatballs and a small salad

I am working on my 3rd-32 oz water for the day and will try to have one more. Hot tea before bed.

NO COOKIES TOMORROW.

Day 3/21

DAY ONE....AGAIN.

I love that I have a few people reading this that I would never expect, and when they ask me how day one is going, I smile and thank them. Being reminded that I am doing this publicly is helping. I know I have people in my corner and watching my back. I give FULL permission to people I know to gut check me, ask me how I am doing and offering me the veggie tray instead of the chip bag.

So what am I doing as I go through these 21 days?
I am following a program I believe in 100%, I see success, I have lived the success again and again, but I have not been following it for the last 8 months. And I am living the consequences of that. See I preach it, I know it works, but I have not been doing it myself. I have to forgive myself for not doing as I said I would. Because we all know ACTIONS speak louder than words.

So here I am making change and doing it the way I know is best. I am taking action for the bad eating I have done, more so recently. 21 Day Fix is a program that teaches balanced nutrition with correct portion control by providing a meal plan and containers to measure the amount of each food. It is so simple. And I have recommitted to my containers. That is my first step. So I am taking the time to apologize to myself, accept that I messed up and move forward in the right direction. It also feels so good to be kicking off June like this, a refreshed focus, a clear mind and a set goal. 

Every day has to be day one. The excitement, the energy, the determination to do my very best every single day. I am not looking to drag anyone into this with me, you have to be ready, clearly I wasn't the last few months, but I am now. If you want something different you have to do something different. If you want something new and want to walk this journey with me you can grab your tools right here and we can stay accountable together. 

Goal for tomorrow: Plan food TODAY, pack snacks, DRINK ALL THE WATER.

Day 2/21

"Knowing the facts is easy. Knowing how to act based on the facts is difficult."
-Han Feizi

Day 2 of 21.

It is day two. It was a success.

I am treating everyday like DAY ONE. The energy and the focus. Every step needs to be in the right direction. It is not easy, I don't want it to be. Because it is in the struggle that I find my true north, the path I need to stay the course.

Things to remember:

-Everyone has shit.
-We might impress people with our strengths, but we connect with people through our weakness.

Let's Get Real

I am gaining weight..... not just a few pounds. I have packed on 40 lbs and I need to be real and honest about how that is making me feel. My lowest weight was 190 and it remains my goal weight. Last summer and until December I was only about 20 lbs away from that. Now I am 40. This is the cycle that most people who have weight issues fall into. We fall into this I need to lose 5 lbs and then it turns into 40.

I am going to share my own struggle, but my hope is that someone can relate. It is in sharing our story and struggle that we can have those "ME TOO" moments that connect us. Here is what I attribute to my weight gain:

-complaceny
-allowing a small bump in routine to throw it all off
-"one bad meal, means a bad day"
-"I will refocus on Monday." AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN
- I don't feel good
- I have to work (2 DAYS A WEEK)
- procrastination; sometimes later becomes never

Excuses are well planned lies. Let's be honest.
So here I am feeling like a busted can of biscuits, reminding myself that I need to be kind to myself, but also GETTING PISSED OFF. I know what I did, I know what I am doing, heck even as I am stuffing my face with a million Trader Joes peanut butter pretzels, the perfect combination of sugar and salt, I am messaging my clients about their goals and meal plans.....I KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DO and I AM NOT DOING IT!

So the question has to be asked, do I even know WHY I have this issue? And then I pour myself into personal development and I pray about it and I find my answer, my life is so full, my stomach doesn't have to be. See I have an eating disorder, that most people don't think exists, I am an Overeater and I eat when I am not hungry and when I am full and I will sometimes eat until I am physically sick. I thought I had a good handle on this until recently. And now I have been seeing it happen almost daily. I eat when I am happy, sad, stressed, board, and FULL. It is affecting my workouts because I am tired, sluggisha nd well, I don't feel good about who I am.

I have to share this and be vulnerable, because that is what Phat Chances is built on...acountability to do what I said I would. I will be sharing what I do over the next 21 days. Thisis my journal of sorts to myself and to anyone who needs the same kind of help. I am not a professional but I am a person and there have been so many times that I speak with my clients (who really are my Coaches, because they help me more than they will ever know) and we both stop to say "ME TOO".

So here we are DAY ONE, back to BASICS:

-21 Day Fix Eating Plan
-21 Day Fix WORKOUTS
-Accountability here and in my online focus group
-and Shakeology EVERYDAY

SW: 231.9 I hope you will stick around to see how it goes.

PHAT TUESDAY: Millionaire Motivation

by Cara
excerpts from SUCCESS Blog by Jordan Fried

Personal development is more than reading books,  listening to audio or taking this Wellness Coaching course. It is taking what I am learning and putting it into ACTION. It is so easy to learn something and then forget it, or set it to the back burner for when you might need to use that skill or demonstrate the thinking. I have had to put into practice EVERYDAY my ability to maintain and improve my health and fitness. It was a learned behavior that came over time and now is a regular action and mind set.

What makes me different from YOU? This is my greatest question right now. I want to help so many people and yet there is this huge disconnect from what we say we WANT or what we say we will DO and what we actually DO. It is critical to make ourselves do things everyday that we do not want to do, because it is in that that we will find success.

I share a quote often, "If running is hard, run MORE. This applies to everything." So here I am on this quiet morning, starting off my planned personal development, logging in to read from my favorite mentor, Darren Hardy. This includes SUCCESS Blog, and I find that I am reading about Millionaires. Do I want to be a millionaire? Who doesn't?! Do I believe I can be one? No, but that is changing, quickly.

The lessons that are being shared in this short article are things that I have read about before (did I mention Personal Development is something I am doing DAILY) but here are the 9 Lessons from 9 Millionaires, all in one article. And I am FIRED UP. I am ready to do all of these things and more. You can read more in depth from the article, "9 Things I Learned from Talking to 9 Millionaire" by Jordan Fried. (Number 7 is my favorite!)

Lesson 1.You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. Make sure they are the right ones.
Lesson 2. Money in itself will not make you happy. But money can buy you the freedom to do the things that do make you happy. Whether you have $20 or $20 million you can be happy right now.
Lesson 3. Tony Robins said "It's not about the goal. It's about becoming the person that can accomplish the goal." The journey is far more valuable than the destination.
Lesson 4. Get a mentor so you can start growing.  With their advice--you will learn best practices, you'll be challenged, you'll be better prepared to succeed.
Lesson 5. Like to learn. Stay teachable.
Lesson 6. Two (or three or four) income sources are better than one. Be laser focused on one source and once you reach a level of stability then you can diversify.
Lesson 7. Hate the gym? Well, learn to hate it a little less. There is a correlation between breaking down barriers in the gym and breaking them down in your business and in your mind!

Lesson 8. Read--a lot. 
Lesson 9. Write down your experiences. If it moves you in anyway write it down.

There is so much to look at in life and in how we look at our goals. What I have found is the harder I workout the harder I work outside of that. The more confident I am and the harder I push in so many other goals. I will be honest I took last week OFF, like way OFF. No workouts, poor nutrition. And I am feeling it. I feel it on my body and on my mind. As I now try to refocus this week, I am struggling because my mind is not in it. But I just finished 2 workouts and I can feel my head getting back into it.

"If someone was attacking your life, would you be ready?" 

-Shaun T.

Phat Tuesday: PASSION

PASSION.

PASSION: an intense desire or enthusiasm for something

How did I stumble upon that while losing 100 lbs, running half marathons, and eating my weight in chicken? 

One day I just made the decision to change. I don't know how I made that happen, if I did I would share it with everyone. What I did learn is that we all yearn to make a difference. To make an impact on even just one person. After making that difference in myself and sharing it with everyone I knew, there was something that came over me to keep sharing, keep inspiring and motivating. What I didn't realize is that lasting change is actually really freaking hard. I knew this whole journey was the toughest thing I had ever done, there are still days that the battle happening in my head abut what I put in my mouth is the toughest battle I fight. But what is it about me that keeps me going and WHY, WHY can't I help MORE people? 

I once learned from a very good friend that the average woman never accomplishes the things she wants to accomplish. She might talk about it (a lot) she might research it, write out a plan, buy a few things to inspire her to DO it. And then fail to achieve it. More than not she will not do what she said she wanted to do. WHAT?! How is that possible? All that planning, thinking and even preparation and then....nothing. What is it that holds us back? 

"Don't let planning and preparation delay PROGRESS."

My biggest challenge and one I am taking head on to figure out. How do I help the 9-5ers? How do I create a lasting sense of PASSION in people who I know are tired. In the hard working people that really don't have time or energy to meal prep, heck, to even workout. These are the people that I care so very much about and the people I BELIEVE in. I know it is not easy and I know that time is critical. So to the people who are making the steps to change, to trust, and to move forward, I am right here with you. No matter what: KEEP GOING.

Phat Tuesday

Here it is my inaugural Phat Tuesday post.
I have been wanting to do this now for 4 weeks, you know since Fat Tuesday. I found the pun interesting and have had about a thousand thoughts on blogging since. Time on the other hand...

So here I am (reading for my Wellcoaches assignment) and BLOGGING my heart out. Because I have something heavy, so heavy on my heart. REAL. Vulnerable. And I need to share. Because this journey is all about truth.

I feel great. I feel amazing actually. I feel like I just hit a really good stride in my fitness and in my nutrition. I feel like my health issues that are currently being identified as EXCELLENT Cardiovascular Health should not be taken with a grain of salt, but rather celebrated. I was thinking the worst of the worst and here I am in the best cardiovascular health of my life. We will save that for a later post.

Saturday.
I was off to a baby shower. An afternoon with some of the most beautiful women I know and very influential to me as a mother. I consult my dearest friend (Pretty. Funny. Smart) and ask her what I should wear, we decide on a pink tank, black pants and my neon patent sandals that I would wear everywhere if I could. I do myself up, hair, make up, and sandals. And then I look in the mirror..... I over analyze. I look side to side. Front to back. Again and again and again. My arms are so flabby. I shouldn't have ate cheese, I am bloated. And then it hit me like a fucking brick.....will I ever be happy with this body? Will I ever look at it and be proud?

I just finished telling you not only am I apparently medically in excellent shape, but I feel like I am. So WHY AM I DOING THIS? My excess skin will sag. My arms that feel stronger than ever before will have extra skin. Will I ever remove it? NO. Do I want a wrap? Not really.

I want to not think about it. I want to cherish it and love it and never speak badly about it ever again. This journey starts and ends with a single thought. Yes, action is critical, but you have to believe it. You have to want it. So, I shed a tear or two about being so mean to myself and I moved on. With the intentions of never being mean again.

A Million Things

Lately it seems that I have a million little things running around in my head. I want to write here, but words really do escape me. I never feel like I can write my feelings the way Betty can. She is funny and man she hits it on point every time. We have been sharing Instgram photos and messages daily. They are our way of getting our message across, but they are also our own personal motivation. Look for our hashtag #phatchances for even more. 

I decided to share my favorite motivations from IG:

In a nutshell here is what we are talking about through pictures. 

Endurance: the ability to exert oneself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, and fatigue.  Right now I am more engaged and committed to my INSANITY MAX:30 than any workout I have been committed to in a very long time. This program is not only transforming my body, but I can feel it transforming my mind.

"Don't let preparation delay progress" - Jeff Hill

Planning and prep is critical to a good future or to changing your current state, but the only thing that will actually create change is ACTION. 

OUR MINDS HAVE SO MUCH CONTROL. 

Our minds can change on a dime. They can change for better or for worse. We take in so much information through out the day. It can be so easy to look at something or someone and decide right there that what we are doing is not good enough or strong enough. Truth is you are your worst enemy and you need to train your mind as hard as you train your body. 

And with that if you want to #beALion you must train with Lions. If you want to be better at ANYTHING you need to do MORE of that. 

And my favorite message from Betty 

"You can put the drugs and the alcohol away, but people still gotta eat. #food #addictions require a significant amount of present #mindfulness every second of the day. It's exhausting, feels daunting and I'm tired. But I am reminded of my worth, how good it feels to weigh less and workout hard and how blessed I am to live this fortunate life. #Shitcouldbeworse."

Everyday is a chance to get it right. 

Ever tried.

Ever failed.

NO MATTER.

Try again.

Fail again.
Fail better. 

Taking ACTION

by Cara

**HONESTY ALERT**

I have to take today, the second day of 2015, to get a few things off my chest. Let's be honest to move forward I need to get out of my comfort zone. I have been really comfortable and I have been hiding a little. I try hard to stay motivated, to stay positive and to keep pushing myself, but when we start getting real I missed a few key BASICS this past year.

So with the start of 2015 we get back to BASICS. This is my favorite step on my journey and I encourage you to do the same. You might not be getting "back" to BASICS, you might be creating them for the first time. 

OK here is my HONESTY MOMENT: I gained. Not during this past holiday season (I made it a point to commit to MAINTENANCE) but I have gained in the last 2 years. I look at my top performance as November 2012. I ran my second half marathon, I had a trainer and I was hyper focused on my nutrition. I got to my lowest weight since high school, 190 lbs. Maybe it was the running, maybe it was the nutrition, maybe it was the trainer and SPIN. Either way I was FOCUSED.

Today, I weigh 211lbs. And although some of that can be muscle, which we all would love to believe, it is not all muscle. There is something to say that my pant size hasn't changed, in fact it has gone down, but I don't feel good. But I am not focused. I am not committed to my journey and I need to be. COMPLACENCY= FAILURE. It is not just about the number, although that is a tool I use to gauge my own accountability. What I found this holiday season, is that my addiction to chocolate is still a problem, that I eat when I am frustrated, and that my body does not respond well to rich, salty and cheesey foods. My body actually hates me. I have pain in places I forgot about, I broke out so badly I looked like I had chicken pox, and I am exhausted.

I have shared my BASICS strategy before, and I have decided that I need to do this 3-4x a year to make sure that I am gut checking myself every quarter. You can hold me to this. OK here they are:

1. Share my INSANITY Max:30 progression and experience PUBLICLY. This will hold me far more accountable. I will be starting on MONDAY.
2. Start my day with Shakeology EVERYDAY and to kick my chocolate addiction have a second Shakeology by 4pm most days.
3. Drink 1 GALLON of water EVERYDAY.

I will also continue to track my daily calorie intake with My Fitness Pal, but this has become a habit and I didn't feel the need to make it one of the 3 basics, because I am already committed to it. You can follow me there:  @that1momma.  And lastly, I am making my priorities a PRIORITY! OK your TURN. I would love to hear about your BASICS. If you are willing and able post your BASICS in the comments below. Every single person that shares their journey motivates me to work hard to maintain mine. INSPIRE to be INSPIRED. 

HAPPY and HEALTHY 2015!

Blog-aversary: 3 Years

Here we are 3 years in. Let's do a recap:

November 2011: our journey began with 2 weeks at The Biggest Loser Resort in Malibu. You can read all about those 2 weeks by clicking here. Those 2 weeks laid down a foundation for our journey which we knew would not be easy. We were over weight, sedentary and had no idea how hard this would actually be. 

2012: was the year we would face all of this and would really need to change everything at home. Losing at home including finding support, making support, and staying focused in the reality that caused the weight in the first place. 

2013: was maintenance year. The statistics of a large weight loss over long periods is not very favorable. It is actually terrifyingly low. 2013 included changes in trainers, upping the workouts and making a HUGE conscious effort in nutrition. And we found Team Beachbody. This process relies heavily on accountability and motivation. It is very easy to eat something, because "no one will know", but it is true that what you eat in private will show in public. As we started to lose focus on training and nutrition, our Coach and Team Beachbody Challenges helped us stay accountable to what we say we were going to do. 

www.beachbodycoach.com/CaraGarcia

2014: Has been a challenge. All of those things in 2013 that we thought we had a good handle on have been on going challenges to maintain. The accountability with Team Beachbody remains and is a constant aspect of our days, but the issue that remains is CONSISTENCY.  With real life it can be hard to stay consistent. Schedules change, work expectations change, as do goals. So here we are at the end of year 3, we have made some success because we have not gained it all back, but the battle continues. Everyday is a fight to be better than the day before. Every meal needs to be a reminder to fuel our bodies not our emotions. Every person we meet is a chance to INSPIRE to be INSPIRED. Because seeing others succeed fuels the fire to be stronger, better and more consistent. 

We want to encourage as many people as possible to be healthy (not skinny) HEALTHY. So we are doing a GIVEAWAY of a few of our favorite things! 

1. FitBit ONE. This new tool allows you to track your activity and your sleep. It also is a source of accountability because we will be "friends" on the FitBit App. (this GIVEAWAY is the clip on version in BLACK)

2. FIVE DAY SHAKEOLOGY CHALLENGE Starting December 8. Shakeology is a daily dose of dense superfood nutrition, in one delicious shake that honestly tastes like a treat. Packed with micronutrients you didn't even know your body needed it is a great meal replacement that is clinically proven to help with weight loss. With this prize you will be a part of a FREE accountability group on facebook with Cara as your Coach. 

3. The 21 Day Fix home workout and nutrition plan. This has become our SOUL workout. Truly a life changing plan that incorporates simple to follow 30 minute workouts with a proven nutrition plan that uses color coded pre-portioned containers. With this you will be part of the next FIX accountability group that focuses on support and success. A great tool to kick off the New Year right. 

OK here are the ways to WIN. 

-SHARE this BLOG on your facebook page #PhatChances
-SHARE PhatChances Page on your Facebook page #PhatChances
-#PhatChances on InstaGram with a Picture of WHY you should win 
(we have to be friends on Facebook and on Insta, @that1momma @bettyandthecity)

Do all three and you will be entered 3x. 

GOOD LUCK!