Let's think about this for a minute.  When's the last time you gave a encouragement to a friend - It's never to late to start over!  No, those jeans DO NOT make you look fat!  OF COURSE he's into you!  You never know until you try!  You could probably 5 times off the top of your head from just this week, right?

Now, let's think about this.  When's the last time you said any of these things to a friend - I know you really want this, but it just seems too hard... That outfit makes you look HUGE! ....Just resign yourself to the fact that this is your life and you're never going to change it....Girl, can't you see he's blowing you off?......

Of course, we don't say these things to our friends.  We build them up...make them feel like they can do anything they set their minds to. So, why is it  so damn hard to say the same encouraging things to ourselves?  Why is it that when the road gets rough, we tell ourselves that our life just sucks, instead of reminding ourselves that it's just a rough patch?  Why do we keep ourselves from starting new things, when you would push a friend until the job is done and they've accomplished greatness? 

I think of all the discouraging things I've said to myself on a daily basis over the years.  No wonder I haven't been living the life of my dreams!  I'm living the exact life I told myself I was good enough for.  When laying blame, there is only myself.  But I'm also the one who's going to get me out of this mess!

The word NO is just something I'm not telling myself anymore.  The words NOT YET, BUT BE PATIENT are coming up a lot.  The words JUST DO IT are in my head a hundred times a day. GET OUT OF YOUR WAY are words that I say when things seem too hard.  You WILL start anew!
You are AWESOME!  You LOOK GREAT!  You WILL accomplish your dreams!  I used to be my own worst enemy.  But I'm becoming my own best ally. 

QUOTE ME ON IT:  You are you're best friend...act accordingly.

This is usually my life:  Lose 25 pounds during the summer.  Fall comes, I keep working out, but I'm eating poorly.  Winter comes, I'm eating non-stop and sitting in front of the TV all day and drinking all night.  Spring comes, and I've gained 30 pounds.  June 1st comes, and BACK ON THE DIET!!!

If you'll notice, by the end of this cycle, I'm actually 5 pound HEAVIER than the year before.  This has been my process for the last, OH, 10 years or so??  Which really does add up, since over the past 10 years I've gained about 50 pounds.  This brought me to 206 lbs. last year.  That is a number that will be ingrained in my mind for the rest of my life.  The day I got of the scale and saw that number, I just stood and stared in the mirror, taking in everything I'd let myself become.  That's the number that changed my life, and ended this unhealthy cycle - FOREVER!
 
Last summer, I began with Les Mills Pump (which uses weight lifting), and I haven't been the same person since!  I lost 26 pounds in 90 Days...not too fast, not too slow - just right for a healthy process.  I trimmed down and gained a TON of muscle.  After Pump, I moved on to Les Mills Combat (which uses a lot of kickboxing moves).  By this time, it was getting into  winter, and I was afraid that I would start gaining weight again...but over the holiday season, I actually LOST 6 more pounds! 

On the left is a picture of me from January 6th of last year...after this  was taken, I actually gained 10 more pounds, but I refused to have my photo taken at that point. On the right...a pic I took after doing Les Mills Pump. I still have a long way to go, but I'm so proud of myself for how far I've come.  

January was a little rough for me...it was a bad month at work, and, going back to my habit of being an emotional eater, some old eating habits crept in.  And even though my workouts were being done, they were suffering because I wasn't  fueling my body in the right way.  But at the beginning of this month, I re-dedicated myself to the program.  I'm doing a hybrid I've made myself, of both Pump and Combat, and I'm feeling great again! 

In just a week, I'm back on track and starting to see results.  The great thing about losing weight in the right way and getting HEALTHY is that, if you fall off course a bit, it's so much easier to get back on track that  if you're starting over from scratch.  My goal is to lose 5 pounds this month.  If I can, I will be under 170 lbs for the first time in 5 years!  And that's before Spring is even here! 

I'm here to tell you, if I can do this, anyone can.  All you have to do is get up and get moving, and expect results in due time, not overnight.  If you need support, find a friend, find a great support group, or get into one of mine.  But DO IT - TODAY!   

**Find out more on Beachbody Challenge and support under the FREE COACHING option at the top of the page, or go to:

For most of my life, I've had feeling that I was meant to help others.  I wasn't necessarily made for a big life, or a family life, but I knew I wanted to help.  It's true, what they say - You can't change the world until you change yourself.  Even though I've always had the DESIRE to help others become better, I don't think I really knew HOW, until recently.

We're all meant for different roles in this life, and the true happiness comes when you find out what your role is.  I've gone through my life, trying to help where I could.  I've given money, and shelter to friends.  I've given shoulders to cry on, and laughter through tears.  In my last management role, I was tough, but fair, and I prided myself on being the person you could come to when you needed a wrong to be righted.  But lately, I haven't had that chance to be any of those things to anyone.  There has been a void in my life, and I've been looking for something to fill that void. 

Making myself better has afforded me a great opportunity.  By becoming a Beachbody motivational coach, I have the opportunity to pay it forward - to help people HELP THEMSELVES into a better life.  That is a wonderful feeling.  My hope is, that one day I will be able to make a living doing this.  I'm very new to this business, and I'm getting used to all the excuses people give, and all the NO's I'm getting when I offer my support.  It's frustrating to know that they are the same excuses I used to give myself for not being healthy.  It's like looking in a mirror at the old me.  But 20 NO's are worth that one YES, and every day someone makes the decision to be healthier in some way, it's a victory for me, and it fills me with the desire to do more.

I've finally taken the time to give to MYSELF first.  It's true what they say - that you change the world by changing yourself.  It feels nice to feel like I have a calling in life.  Some may say it's silly...that I'm just "selling workout stuff".  And those people just don't get it.  But I do.

YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON IT:  To find out who you are is amazing.  To find out why you're here is priceless.

Let me tell you, the workout I did today had WAY MORE BURPEES than anyone should ever have to do!  And if you don't know what a burpee is, google it and then do about 20 of them.  Then you'll know EXACTLY what I'm talking about! 

So, I sat down last week and really recommitted myself to my fitness.  I was definitely starting to slip, and I had to take a serious look at the road I was starting to go down.  It's so easy to get off course with goals.  That's why I think checking in with myself at the end of each month is really going to benefit me.  I'm getting some great workouts in this week and I'm back to eating like I'm supposed to.  Within just a few days, I'm sleeping better, being more productive with my time, and feeling great again!  Why do I ever slack off when being healthy feels so great??

If you're not working out...start.  It doesn't matter WHAT you do, just put the Doritos down and DO SOMETHING!

I'm here to tell you, the last year or so has been ROUGH for me in the money department - the worst I've had in my life. FINALLY, this month, I'm starting off on a pretty good note.  Of course, it's tax time, and I won't be getting a great deal of money back, but enough to catch me up on a few bills (and finally get new INTERNET SERVICE!).  And this month at work has started off nicely.  It IS February, so it may not STAY great, but at least I'm starting this month off on a good note. 

It is very true that money doesn't buy happiness.  In fact, I'm happier now than I've probably been in 10 years, and I'm also poorer than I've ever been in my life.  But what money does do is ease your mind.  When the bills are paid and you have some money in the bank, everything else in your life is just a great deal easier to handle...

It's easier to travel to see friends and relatives.  You can go grocery shopping like an adult and not buy things $5.00 at a time...the same goes for putting gas in your car (I know we've all had to do it one time or another, but paying for your gas with handful of change is just embarrassing).  You can buy new clothes once in a while and you don't have to cut your own hair!  And when your car breaks down, you don't have to borrow money from your parents to pay for it.  I am blessed to have parents who are able and want to help me out.  But there's not a worse feeling for me, at 36 years old, than when I have to ask for money from my parents.  It hurts right down to the core of me.  BUT....... 

I feel as though all the hard work I'm putting in is about to really start paying off, and things are about to start falling into place for me.  And that is just about the best feeling in the world!  

I get so distracted in my everyday life, that it's easy to get off course from the goals I'm setting for myself.  I want to lose weight and get healthier, but instead I focus all my energy on a few bad nights at work, or the rent that has yet to be paid.  I let those things consume me, and then all of a sudden I'm shoving a cheeseburger in my face.  Or, I'm focused on getting my website done, which IS a good thing.  But I let this focus consume my time so that I'm not working as hard building my Beachbody team.  

This happens to me all the time.  This is why so many of my goals stay half completed.  I was doing a great job of focusing on one thing at a time, and I was finding that - not only were things getting done in a timely manner - but I was happy.  Having a bad day at work shouldn't follow me home - once I've gone for the night, there's nothing more to be done - I work in a restaurant, after all.  Paying the bills shouldn't consume my thoughts - if I don't have the money right now, I'll work hard and get it soon, and that's really all I can ask of myself.  I need to get my website done, but the end game is to find people to add to my team, and there are more ways than just a website to do that....

So, now that it's a new month, I feel it is a great time to re-focus my energies, and recommit to my goals.  And the best way I can do that is to really try to give my all in each area of my life WHILE I'M DOING IT.  When I'm in my workout, REALLY FOCUS on that workout, and what else I'm going to do that day to fuel my body.  When I'm working on my Beachbody business, that is ALL that matters...not bills, not the restaurant, not anything else.  And the same while I'm at the restaurant - I need to block out the bills I need to pay and anything else that might be weighing on me, and just focus on working hard and having fun at my job.  "The Giant Within" taught me a lot of great tools for focusing my energy on what is really important in order to feel the things I want to feel in my life, and accomplishing the things I want to accomplish.   

Okay, it's the last day of the month, so I'm going to do a recap of how I'm doing on my goals.  Here were my Goals for January:

#1 Run a mile without stopping.  Honestly, that one I just completely dropped the ball on.  I did go out a few times, but my fitness has honestly taken a little bit of a backseat this month.  So I am making it a PRIORITY in February.  My goal by the end of February was to run 2 miles without stopping.  I'm keeping that goal.  So I am really going to be focusing on my jogging this month.  Monday I will go to the rec center in town and get my membership so I can use the treadmill.  Obviously, getting outside to jog is just not going to work for me until spring gets here.  

#2 Follow at-home work schedule.  I WAS doing great on my at-home work schedule, and I'm still getting plenty of time in, but I've been working for hours and hours at a time trying to get this website together, that I haven't been following my schedule the way I had planned.  I have to refocus this month on making contact with people and work on the website at times other than when I'm supposed to be working on business.

#3 Finish reading The Giant Within.  I'm ALMOST DONE, I PROMISE!  Like I said, this website is taking up a lot of my time.  I have just a few chapters left, so I'm going to try to get them done this weekend.  I want to start a new book next week, for sure.

#4  Adhere to my monthly budget.  This one I've done as much as humanly possible.  I kept my extra spending down to a minimum, and did the most with what I could with the money I'm making right now.  I should be getting some money back for my taxes this month, and with the money, I'm going to catch up on a couple bills and put the money away that I'll need to take some days off in March for my friend's wedding.  So this goal is one that I've stuck to!

#5  Sell $500 on Ebay.  WHAT HAPPENED?!  I really dropped the ball on this one.  I did sell a few things, but because I was trying to keep up with my monthly budget, I had to use the money I made.  And that IS a good thing, I know.  I got a couple of bills paid that weren't going to get paid by my job. But if I can't keep some of that money in my Ebay account, I won't be able to build it into anything.  I need to work on that this month. 

#6  Keep the house clean.  This goal has been accomplished and become habit.  I'm happy to at least REALLY accomplished something this month. 

So, some of my goals I'm still working on.  But this is a great way to evaluate how I'm doing and refresh my commitment to my goals.  So in February, I'll be working on the following:

1.  Run 2 miles without stopping.
2.  Run my own Beachbody Challenge group/stick to my workout program          COMPLETELY.
3.  Read a book on budgeting my money better.
4.  Follow my at-home work schedule.
5.  Sell $500 on Ebay
6.  Pay up phone/internet bill - change providers
7.  Keep up with blog DAILY.

There are a few things I tell myself when I don't want to workout - I'm too busy.  I'm tired.  I have a headache.  I don't want to take another shower. I've already eaten crappy today, so what's the point?  I'm sad.  I'm mad.  I'm too big.  People are going to judge me.  I could go on, but you get the point....

So, it's not that I forgot that I had to do my blog yesterday.  It's not that I procrastinated.  It's just that I had something better to do.  WHAT??  Ridiculous!  I've been working for the last couple of days on my health and fitness website and I just sort of got lost in it, which I tend to do from time to time.  By the time I was at a stopping point yesterday, I just did NOT want to look at the computer screen any longer, so I skipped yesterday's entry.

Now, here in the light of day, it seems to me that successful people don't just SKIP things because they were wrapped up in something else. Successful people don't break promises to themselves just because they have a little headache, or in order to get to get a little more sleep.  RIGHT?? So, from now on, neither do I!  

I mean, I knew I was just going to have to get up in the morning and do yesterday's entry and put myself behind for today, anyway.  Now admittedly, I didn't really know what I was getting into when I started this blog.  I thought it would be just a simple thing I could do each morning in order to give myself a little more motivation with my goals.  But it really is a big part of my day.  To find the right quote is one thing...I have them all in front of me, but what to use for each day?  The writing doesn't take long, but then, I really hash out in my mind what each quote means.  If there's a project to do, I organize plans on how to accomplish it.  If it's something I've experienced, like today's quote, I really take time to figure out why I'm doing these things and dig down and make a promise to myself that I'm going to change....

What turned started out as something I thought would be small, has turned out to be a big focus in my life.  The task is small, but what it represents is larger than I had imagined.  I am no longer someone who is living like the "faint-hearted".  The small things are the foundation on which the big things in your life are built.  You cannot have one without the other.

I ended yesterday a little down.  We all have days when we feel a little defeated...when we just want to go home and pull the covers up over our heads and be done with the day already.  But the wonderful thing about a good night's sleep, and waking up nice and early in this morning is, before my feet even hit the floor this morning, I made the choice to shake off yesterday and have a great day!

Everyday, we have the choice to wallow in the things that bring us down, and push forward in our goals and dreams.  The old Stacey may have stayed in bed a little too late today, thinking nothing is ever going to change in my life.  But this new Stacey is telling me that it's time to get up, get going, and make the very best of the day that lies ahead of me.  So that's what I'm going to do...  I hope you choose to do the same!