You Will Stumble

There will be days where you will not only want the doughnut but you'll eat the doughnut. You'll not only want the cake, but you'll eat TWO slices. 'Just one of them days that a girl goes through...' Yes this will happen.

The key to a stumble or a fumble is how you recover. What do you do after you eat the cake? After the doughnuts have traveled down your esophagus what is your next decision?

This next step will clearly show you where you are in your weight loss journey. Many stumble and then become frustrated and choose to continue to stumble the remainder day. The key is to excuse yourself the stumble and pick yourself back up again. Allow yourself a cheat meal or a cheat snack once a week. But a cheat day is not beneficial for you or your journey.

But what about holidays?  Some of you are thinking, 'but what the crap Tiffany? I just ate all day for Mother's Day'. Excuse yourself. It is ok, do not be so hard on yourself. It happens for all of us, even the most healthy of eaters have their days. I blew it on Mother's Day this year. However, I am also aware that it would've been so much worse a few month ago. I began my day with scrambled egg whites on a whole wheat English muffin and turkey bacon. Lunch was a disaster with red velvet cake, pound cake, vegetable fried rice, steamed broccoli, cranberry sauce and rotisserie chicken. Completely out of control! Never do I eat like this anymore. However, I share this with you so that you know that I am not perfect. For dinner, I had a bowl of fruit. Why? Because I totally bombed out for one meal and ate enough for several meals, but I was not gonna let it ruin my entire meal plan for the day. I picked myself back up and kept it moving, You can to!

Recognize your success in the midst of your stumble. It is not failure! Failure means you've given up. You have not given up! You are in this to win this. You won't stop until you've reached your goal. Believe that,  believe in yourself.

Move Your Body!

I believe the fear of failure is what holds many of us back from achieving our goals, particularly with weight loss. This was absolutely the case with me, I had already tried so many times to lose weight. How could I guarantee that this time would be different? Often times finding someone or something you can emotionally connect to will help to keep your focus in this weight loss journey.

For me dance is the most effective workout because I am motivated to move. You should know this about me -- I absolutely positively love to dance! Therefore early in my fitness journey, I began looking up dance workouts on YouTube. At the time I did not have a gym membership and wasn't ready to make that commitment again. However, I thought I could start my fitness journey with some free dance workouts.

In my YouTube search, I found two ladies who made me laugh and feel as though they were in the room with me was and that part of my success. Keaira Lashe and CLUB FITz are energetic, modern, and upbeat. They were absolutely instrumental in keeping me moving. I'd do a video in the morning, after work, and even when visiting my family during holiday seasons. My sisters and I would have Keaira Lashe workout parties in my parent's living room! If you love zumba, these videos are close to that experience. If possible, I'd recommend inviting a friend over to do them with you; but, if not, go ahead and have fun burning calories while feeling hot and sexy on your own too.

Another beneficial jump start to my fitness journey was one of my good friends, Marisa LaBoy. She is a zumba instructor and has now become a Beachbody Coach. At this point in my journey Marisa was an online fitness instructor who created a challenge group entitled the "21-Day F-AB-ULOUS FALL Challenge" for the month of November. She would provide daily workouts via a Facebook group and we had to post there when we completed the workouts. Marisa taught me about strength exercises and I learned to love them. Nothing makes me feel more powerful and strong than lifting some weights!

Between my online dance cardio workouts and the ab and strength exercises from Marisa, by December 9th I had lost 10 pounds!!!! The best part about that date is that it shows that what she taught me during this time stuck with me. I was able to make a lifestyle change, continuing to workout, make healthier choices, and lose weight despite the Thanksgiving holiday and even after the challenge group had ended.

It is important to find your groove, so to speak. Find the workout that best works for you. What makes you want to move? For my sister, it is running. For one of my friends, it is kickboxing. For others, it is yoga. Everyone is different and there are plenty of options out there in the world. today. Do your research, visit gyms, take classes, and ask your friends. Don't be ashamed and don't hesitate. If you want to try something new but don't want to invest too much into it yet, look for free introductory or trial classes. Whatever you decide to do, get your body moving!

The hardest part is getting up but, once you start moving, the rewards are so worth it. The key is finding activities that will keep you motivated.

An Example workout from Marisa LaBoy

Feeling motivated after a workout that Marisa had provided our challenge group

Begin a workout today! Move your body!