Ready! Get Set! Go (on Jan 3)!

It's go time.

Well, almost.

There's some post-Christmas prep that needs to happen before the start of my 90 day journey through the body and mind of Tony Horton.

I indulge during holidays.  No doubt about it.  No trying to make it sound like I don't.  I do.

Only NOW, due to the consistency with exercise/nutrition that I've built into the dailiness of life, I can actually afford to jump in to the deep end of the holiday fixins table every so often.  See, this January, for the first time in years, I'm not starting the new year from the bottom of the pool. I have had my fill of a ton of dishes found in the crappy box of the food pyramid, and now I'm returning to the surface rather than starting a new year in a defeated position. I know what needs to happen.  I know what works.  I'm ready.

I'm in.

My mind is now set on P90X, but my body will need a bit of a jump-start after fueling it with Christmas goodness.

So, here's the plan:

1. Cleanse:  Shakeology cleanse for three days
2. Sweat: 5 days of workouts
3. Clean:  Overhaul the fridge and cabinets

Several of you are joining me on P90X.  Others are prepping to begin ChaLEAN Extreme, Body Gospel and TurboJam.

Keep your eyes peeled this week for COMPLETE DETAILS about the 2011 90 Day Challenge, for it is literally one week away.

One week.

Take it from me, your 90 days will be just as much a mental challenge as a physical one, so use this week to fuel your mind with positive self-talk.

"NO" becomes "GO" in 7 days.

CONTEST!

11 PEOPLE, 11 JOURNEYS, 11 TESTIMONIES...ALL WINNERS!

Are you ready to make 2011 different??  

Are you ready to make a change in your life? 

Then be one of 11contest participants in my 2011 Challenge:

11 PEOPLE, 11 JOURNEYS, 11 TESTIMONIES...ALL WINNERS!

Here Are The Rules:

• Each participant must sign up to be a coach with me on my BeachBody Team. (This will give you a 25% off your program and Shakeology! + the sign up fee is waived until Dec.31st!)
• Each participant must purchase and commit to a Beachbody program for 90 days (Power 90, P90X, TurboFire, Rev-Abs, Chalean Extreme,  Body Gospel, Brazil Butt Lift, Turbo Jam, Hip-Hop Abs, etc.)
• Each participant must commit to 90 days (3 consecutive  monthly orders) of Shakeology Home Direct.
• Each participant  must send me a Before picture and After picture with date as well as certain measurements and weight.
  
  
  Some contest, right?  Maybe you're thinking, "I don't just fill out my name on some card and hope my name is called?"
  
  
  NOPE.
  
  
  I am asking you to do NO LESS than what I did to make a change in my life.

Why Do This?

• You have decided you are ready for change.  You are committed to make it happen. You have wanted to succeed in this area for a long time.  Now is the time!
• You want to wear a smaller clothes size, or be able to play with the kids w/out getting winded, or lower your chances of heart disease and diabetes.
• You want to Win Fantastic Prizes!! There will be a FIRST and SECOND place prize that will make it all worth while!! :)
• You will inspire others to do something as well, and maybe even want to help someone in their own journey!

If you are serious about this, and want to be a part in this challenge, please message me on Facebook or email me at joline.atkins@gmail.com and we will set up an interview. 

Sign up Dead-line : December 21st , 11:30 pm. (so you know you will be guaranteed to get your program and shakeology by Jan. 1st!)

I did it.

You can too.

Think of it this way:  It's not easy to change your habits to get fit.  In fact, it's actually really hard. But "hard" doesn't mean impossible.

I'm Not a Natural Pollyanna.

Those who know me well, can recall that last year was a bit, well, dark.  No, no, I'm not referring to our move from Chicago to Beaver - although, I'm not gonna lie, that process was pretty darn tough.

I'm referring to our first year in Beaver, which while glorious, was also a year of great emotional pain for my husband. And thus, me.

Those of you who REALLY know me, prayed with me, cried with me, rushed to our aid, watched our children, loved on me, spoiled me, and allowed me to vocalized every ounce of anger, worry, doubt, frustration, and sadness that was necessary.

Those of you who REALLY know me, also spoke truth to me, even placing a gentle hand on my shoulder to say, without actually speaking, "Perhaps you need to stop talking about it for a bit."

While we've left the frightening part of the forest behind, we have not left the forest entirely.  It will always reside with us.

Thus, the need for a personal challenge of enormous proportions.  Enter Beachbody.  Yada, yada, yada.  Stuff I've already said.  Words you've already read.

I realize now, however, that in my quest to make a change, I may come across a bit "Pollyanna"ish.  My new outlook has me looking for the "glad" in all circumstances - even those times when I can only see crap through those trees.  I'm normal.  I see the crap.  I don't ignore it, make light of it, or act as if it doesn't exist.

I also don't let it master me.

Regular, intentional exercise has been one discipline that has helped me develop a drive to push on, find a way, and spot and hang on to even a hint of joy that may present itself.  There's even medical evidence to back up what I've experienced first-hand.  But I actually had to START in order to initiate that drive.  Think about it.  Sit in a car.  Wait for it to start/drive.  Surprise!  It's not going to start itself.  Or drive itself.  You must turn the key and handle the vehicle, or you'll never leave the driveway.

A second discipline I've adopted is to make every attempt to remove the word "can't" from my vocabulary - especially when it comes to tackling something new.  Admittedly, this came AFTER getting the exercise thing down - but, having read the medical research, I now understand how closely linked physical activity and emotions are.  A little sweatin' helps curb the frettin'.

Did I believe I would remain committed to ChaLEAN Extreme and finish it?  Honestly.  I didn't.  Did I constantly talk about how I "couldn't" do it?  No. Instead, I kept the talk positive - to the point of annoying some people.

I'm not apologizing.

It's proven.  Exercise will help you emotionally.  Which, in turn, may help you curb the negative tongue.

Even though you may not feel like Pollyanna on the inside, I can guarantee that what flows from your mouth will influence how you act and respond to challenges.

Verbalize "can't" and you won't.

I'm not going all "name it and claim it" on you.  I'm not into that.

However, I do know that our words our powerful.  The one's we speak to others and the one's we speak to ourselves have the power to heal or hurt.

Do you need a physical and emotional adjustment?  I did.

I don't need to tell you how I accomplished it.

Ready?

Tryptophan Ain't Got Nothing On Me

I gave myself a challenge 9 days ago.

In case you were tracking me, or taking on the challenge yourself, I am here to announce that I was successful - only missing one day of the 9.

I think THAT deserves me some turkey.

This was the first Thanksgiving in quite a long time that found me exercising ON the actual holiday.  This morning, I slept in, had a nice kolache breakfast, got the soup going (a wonderful Butternut Squash/Apple soup recipe from the Beachbody cookbook), and then disappeared into my sister's bedroom with my laptop, ChaLEAN Extreme dvd's and two resistance bands for a 40 minute preparation.

Preparation?

For the rest of the day.  Soup, turkey, stuffing, freshly made cranberry sauce, ham, broccoli.  Pie.  Pie.  Pie.

I do indulge at times.

However, it's even more fun to indulge when you know you've not neglected exercise for the days leading up to the food orgy.

Will I workout tomorrow?

You know it.  There's really nothing stopping me. I wasn't able to come up with even ONE excuse to stop me from doing Burn Circuit 2 today.

It's nice to have come to that point where I can always find "me" time.  Even if it's just 40 minutes.

So from now until December 31, I'll continue to issue short term challenges.  I'd love to have you join me as we prepare to usher in a new year.

But for now, shhhh.  Lay back on that couch and take a snooze.

See you at the gym tomorrow!

Exercise Makes Me A Nicer Person

Drop a few pounds.

Lose inches.

Lower cholesterol.

Experience energy.

Increase muscle mass.

Burn fat.

Sure, we all know THESE reasons as to why we should choose INTENTIONAL regular exercise as a personal discipline.  But really, I think the best reason for exercise came out of the mouths of my babes after I reappeared upstairs following my 40 minute workout in the basement.

"Mom, you are nicer when you exercise."

It's true.  My mental state is more clear.  I am better able to manage my emotions.  I feel powerful.  Confident.  Clear-headed.

This isn't a new scientific discovery.  

Unfortunately, exercise seems to be the last "go to" when one feels down, angry, foggy, or stressed.  Most, when faced with these feelings, turn to TV, food, alcohol, or even a cigarette or two.  Or twelve.  The problem?  Both exercise and the "go to's" I've listed here have lasting effects on our bodies.

You're a smart person.  I'll let you figure out which option provides a healthier and happier long term lifestyle.

So, yeah, my kids are brilliant.

Mom is a better Mom when she exercises.

If you have been focusing solely on the physical benefits of exercise, let me encourage you consider the emotional benefits as well.

Your kids will thank you.

On the Heels of "Excuses, Excuses": Setback

I got my regularly scheduled fall cold last week.

Had a great workout on Monday - CRUSHED the pushups.

Tuesdays are my off days.

And then, Wednesday, it arrived.  Right on schedule for November.

Chain-smoking throat.

Congestion.

Headache.

The gang was all there.

I still worked out with my Fit Club Wednesday night, but Th, F, and Saturday were a bust.  Add that to a tough week prior to this one, and I'm just feeling a wee bit off.

Since I've been doing Burn Circuit 1 of ChaLEAN every Monday, and I've not missed any Monday workouts for a while now, I'm going to vary things up and do RevAbs tomorrow and perhaps a Turbofire HIIT.  I need a jump start - something unexpected.  A program where I don't know the routine.  A program I've not conquered.  Having never done RevAbs, I figured I'd throw it in tomorrow to push myself.

My goal from now until Thanksgiving is to workout EVERY DAY (except for Sunday).  That means 9 workouts (10 with Fit Club) leading up to Thanksgiving Day.

After feeling wonky (that's a made up word that my daughter and I use for almost everything - in this case it means inconsistent) these last few weeks, it is super important that I do this from now until the holiday.  Whereas in the past I just gave up between Halloween and New Year's, this year I'm taking back the field.  This season is MINE and I'm taking an offensive strategy rather than accepting the holiday defeat.

Do you have a plan for these next few weeks?

Excuses, Excuses. I'll Show You Mine, If You Show Me Yours

I made them for years.

Excuses.

I am GREAT at making excuses.

For years, my excuse always started with, "I'll start when . . ."

Do you know that one?

"When life slows down."

"When my kids are older."

When, when, when.

WHEN?!!!!

What are your excuses when it comes to starting an exercise program and sticking with it?

Mine are:

• I'll get to it later in the day
• I've got to get the rest of the house clean first
• I can't with the kids needing my attention
• I don't have equipment
• I'm not in the right "season" to make that a priority
• I can't workout alone
• I'll start at the New Year

I used to always have a reason as to why I couldn't exercise.  Now, I always have a reason as to why I CAN. 

I had to RETRAIN my head.  RETRAIN my thinking.

Once again, I'd rather hear someone be straight up and truthful about a lack of consistent exercise, "I hate it.  I don't want to do it.  It is not a priority" rather than using excuses as a cover for disinterest.

What are your excuses?

If you are willing to have me help you stuff those excuses in a steamer trunk, lock it, and then chuck that trunk in the river to swim with the fishes, I'd be glad to help.

PLEASE don't wait until New Year's - that's a sure fire set-up for failure.