Intro...

I am an advocate for self improvement! I believe that everyone should want to live the fullest life possible and that no one should settle in anything. I however, had settled. I had become comfortable with life as it was.  Life as it was however was just mediocre and seemingly unimportant. Today I was talking with my personal trainer (whom I have been working with for about 10 weeks now) and just lighting up about how good life is becoming.  When I signed up to start working with her I was about 90lbs overweight, my acne was out of control, my eating was out of control, and my fast food spending outrageous. I also suffered with low self esteem, low energy levels, and constant fatigue.  I knew I could do better, be better, achieve more, but first I had to change something. I walked into my local fitness center and with out hesitation I signed right up for a personal trainer!  Yes, it was going to be expensive but it was the best place I had put my money in a long time.  And all I was giving up were things, that really, I needed to give up anyway. At first she told me to try to exercise 5 hours a week and she gave me an outlined eating plan that seemed simple. I must confess that I did not eat hardly anything like she said and I could not seem to get myself to the gym more then 3 times a week (3 hours). Every little thing I did made me sore! I felt like I was going to die on a regular basis. :)  I struggled and became impatient. However having the accountability of my personal trainer helped me continue. I mean, I was stuck paying for her for the next year, so I might as well keep trying! After the first month one of the things that I noticed almost immediately was a massive energy increase! Going to the gym started to become a way of life, it was planned into my day without a second thought.  After the first 6 weeks the eating started to set in.  It was becoming easy to eat right! I no longer craved the fast food, my grocery bill was going down drastically because the eating plan was so simple and required very simple foods. It is not a diet, it is an eating style that I will maintain the rest of my life. I was still frustrated though.  My weight was not dropping and my clothes were not becoming loose at all. I was having to work a lot harder to achieve the same effects which told me that I was improving and at a rapid speed! I just was not seeing the results on the outside though and I again became discouraged. Two days after I talked to my personal trainer about how I was feeling things started changing rapidly. To date I have lost 13lbs, about 5% body fat, and I have dropped from a 20 to a 16 in pants sizes! Now every day that I get up I check my weight and I have dropped at least 1/2 a lb to a full lb per day! Once my body got into the habit of burning the fat and growing the muscle, it won't stop! I am not perfect everyday.  Just this last week I didn't make it but only two times and I had a bad weekend when it came to eating lol. But I still did not gain the weight back, because it is really gone! I didn't lose any weight either though.  This week I will do better! Another change that has happened has been in my acne.  It was severe and now my face is completely clear! I have not had a break out in over a month! I have also seen over all changes in my general well being and spiritual nature. I like whom I see in the mirror and what I may still not fully like, I know, I am striving to change. It has also had a great spiritual impact because the better I feel about myself the more God can use me! I am not afraid to get out there and talk and interact with people like I used to be. I don't give off vibes that say "stay away" because I like who I am, I like where I am going, and I like what I am doing. Today, I am pushing myself, I am not settling, I am pursuing big dreams, I have big goals, and I invite you to join me. I may have questions that need answers, I will always want input, and I would love to share with you as I embark on my journey.