What is happiness?

What is happiness? This can be a very loaded question. When I think about happiness, I think...what truly makes one happy? Is it money, power, a job, looking a certain way, love? I believe that we all have our own definitions of what makes us happy, however I also know that we also think about what we 'think' will make us happy (a trap that I fall into often).

So many times you hear someone say: Oh, if I can lose 20 pounds, then I'll be happy. Or. If we get married, then everything will be perfect and I'll be happy. Or, if I can just make $30K more than what I'm making now, I won't have to worry so much about making ends meet and I'll be happy. Or if we can have a baby, then life would be complete and we'll be happy. And the list goes on. But the truth is, 9 times out of 10 if you're thinking that if one of these things occurs that you'll instantly no longer be unhappy...you better think again and start looking at the root of your unhappiness. In other words, what's holding you back from being happy.

On the reality show, The Biggest Loser, contestants compete to see who can lose the most weight. And if you've ever watched the show, you know that the contestants' transformations are much more than losing weight and getting healthy. Many, if not all, of them are dealing with demons that they may or may not be consciously aware of at first, but once the realization hits it's time to go to work to remove those demons. Sure, they can take the pounds off, but in order to really transform and heal they need to remove the emotional weight as well.

Going back to my previous post, where I said that I've done a lot of personal inspection into who I am (who I've become), I painfully became aware that for me to be happy then I need to do some cleansing on the inside. Because I'm learning that as the emotional weight (baggage) gets lifted, the happier I become. Now I'm not saying that within a few short weeks that I've found all of the answers and am doing cartwheels because I found my happiness. However, step-by-step I'm finding my inner peace and I know that once I'm able to be rid of the emotional weight that everything else will fall into place. I've put my faith in God that He will guide me throughout this process and won't let me fail.

Where to Begin

I've been away for quite sometime. We all know the cliche, life gets in the way. And yes, life has definitely gotten in the way recently. Over the past several weeks, I've done a tremendous amount of introspection. What triggered this sudden need to take a closer look? A few weeks ago, something rocked me to my core...funny how that works, but that experience is what took me to snap out of my current haze and open my eyes. And to be honest, as much as I didn't want the outcome to be what it is (and don't want it) and as much as I wish I could have realized it sooner to prevent said outcome...I don't think I would have made the realizations I have without it happening. And I know what I'm saying is quite vague, but the experience is not something that I'm ready to openly share just yet (and for those that know me and are aware, I trust that you will respect my privacy).

The funny thing is, that not too long ago I knew that something was wrong. In a conversation with my best friend and love of my life, I said to him that I don't know who I am anymore. We talked about it for a bit and then moved on to the next topic of conversation. And oddly enough, by saying out loud that I didn't know who I was anymore wasn't enough to make me pause and figure out what was going on and what I needed to do to address it. Why? Maybe I was scared, or wasn't ready to truly admit it or know where to start or wasn't ready to face it head on. All I do know is by trying to sweep it under the rug completely blew up in my face.

So what did I do? What am I doing? I started to dive deep into the person I had become...and let me tell you, I didn't like a lot of what I saw. Sure, there's still a lot of good qualities and while no one is perfect, some of my imperfections had taken such a strong-hold over me that it was hard to see the good. Those suffocating imperfections include: stubbornness, pride, selfishness, jealousy and insecurity. Not easy to see or admit either.

How do I fix this? How do I heal? I turned back to my faith. I turned to the One that no matter what I do, no matter how bad it is He will be there to embrace me and give me all of His love, patience, kindness, strength and forgiveness. By placing my faith and trust with God, I know He will help me through. God has a plan for all of us and through this I'm hoping I can understand His plan for me.

More to come, so stay tuned...it's going to be a voyage of discovery.

Shakeology!

It's Labor Day the end of Summer and also the end of my first 60 days with PiYo. Yes, I said FIRST 60 Days. I started Day 1 again, but for the next two months, I'm changing it up a little and doing a hybrid program with PiYo and Focus T25. I'm away from the scale and my measuring tape, so I'll post my 60 day results tomorrow or later this week.

So I've never done the full Focus T25 program, just a couple of workouts with my friend Jess who had the program. But now I have my very own version thanks to Chris ordering the Focus T25 Challenge Pack last month! He wanted to start using Shakeology and also became the first coach that I signed on my team! I asked him if he would mind purchasing the T25 Challenge Pack as it works out better for him not having to pay the Coach start-up fee. Now Chris decided to become a Coach, not because he wants to Coach himself, but he wanted the monthly discount on Shakeology and also help me continue to build my business.

I was so excited when he first asked me to tell him about Shakeology. He's tried it several times from my stash and enjoyed it, but also noticed that I continue to enjoy it and am seeing great benefits from drinking it daily.

What is Shakeology?

• It’s more than a protein shake
• More than a meal replacement
• More than an antioxidant drink
• It’s the smartest calories you can put in your body!
• It can help increase energy, improve digestion, reduce cravings and may help you lose weight.
• It’s nutritious like a salad but tastes like a dessert!

If you'd like to learn more about Shakeology or if you'd like to try it, go to my Shakeology website (link in blog), comment below or find me on Facebook (link in blog).

Week 7 is Off to a Great Start

Let's start off with the fact that it's now Week 7 out of 8! How did that happen?! It has gone by so fast! In almost 2 months time, I have gotten so much stronger, flexible and have done things that I never thought possible! I've started noticing some nice definition in my legs and arms and overall feeling amazing. But my noticing the changes is not as incredible as others noticing. I've had co-workers tell me that I look thinner and then this weekend, Chris said a couple of things that just made me feel beautiful and that all of this has been worth it. We were talking about how the khakis I had on Friday were baggy and he said "Your legs are thinner." He also walked behind me as I was finishing getting ready on Saturday and said "Your butt is getting smaller, you know that right?" Wait, what? I pretty much said that I didn't notice. It made me smile and also blush. It means so much when someone you care about not only notices the positive changes you've made, but also tells how great they think you're doing and how good you look.

So, if you need further proof that this incredible low-impact workout can't deliver results, here are the results I found when I took updated measurements this morning:

Since July 14 (a couple of weeks into the program) - I've lost a little over 3 lbs and 4 inches! I am so thrilled about those 4 inches, because as you know while 1 lb of muscle weighs the same as 1 lb of fat...the difference is that 1 lb of muscle takes up less room than 1 lb of fat! I've learned to not focus so much on what the scale says, but how I feel, how my clothes fit and those important inches gone!

That's enough for today, but there are a couple of other reasons that I'll leave for another post as to why this week have started off on the right foot!

The Power of Positivity

Have you ever noticed that your attitude, thoughts, and emotions reflect very similarly to those around you? For instance, how many times have you seen someone who's always told that they can't do something and constantly get knocked down have a horribly low self-esteem? Or the impact of those that always have a smile on their face or try to see the good in every situation, people tend to gravitate toward them.

Over the last year, I've started examining my relationships and found there are some that are really good and others, not so much. I found that those 'toxic' relationships with all the negativity and drama are not what I want in my life. And by removing those elements, I've become a happier person. And for those that you can't completely remove due to extenuating circumstances, don't get sucked into their negativity...instead try to bring them up to your positive drama-free attitude.

Recently someone I look to for inspiration and keeps me accountable, tagged me in the following post. It truly says it all and I couldn't have said it any better. Thanks Mandy! :-) XOXO

"Surround yourself with people who lift you up, and make you feel loved and inspired.... It's amazing how being with other people who are positive and like-minded really motivate you to keep going, keep on improving yourself, and keep on moving forward toward reaching your goals. When you hang around with "Debbie Downers" it can really have a toll on your frame of mind... Yes, sometimes those people need you in their lives, and yes, there is a time and place for them... but I am talking about 'on a regular basis'... Stick with people who want to be with you; people who inspire you to do more, and people who look for the good in every situation."

Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Remember the old saying "you are what you eat"? It's definitely true, because your body is a reflection of your lifestyle. For the longest time, I never really thought about what I ate, ignorance was bliss. Besides, I wasn't eating McDonald's everyday and thought I was doing okay. But then again I didn't have a desk job, I was outside the majority of my work weeks...haha, see where I'm going with this? Then I settled for the desk job and the activity lessened, my eating habits stayed the same and the pounds started coming on. I blamed it on metabolism, getting old, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Over the past year, I've made some serious changes when it comes to my eating habits. I started taking a real hard look at what I was eating and was surprised by how much CRAP (Carbonated drinks - Refined sugars - Artificial food - Processed food). OMG the amount of processed food that was supposedly 'healthy' that I was consuming was alarming. I would purchase the easy pop in the microwave meals because I didn't have time to cook. Those of you who eat the process food just take a gander at the Nutritional Facts...what got me was the amount of sugar and sodium in some of these meals. Well, no wonder why I'm so bloated. Then I started noticing how I felt when I would eat processed food and junk...yeah, it might have tasted good at the moment, but I was lethargic and just meh all the time.

When I first started clean eating, it was hard. But the reason it was hard was because I was going through withdrawal, craving sugary and salty snacks...fried food, etc. But a few days in and I started noticing differences. I didn't need to snack a lot, because I was giving my body the needed nutrients it needed to be satisfied. The bloat had reduced, I had more energy and just overall felt better. Not to mention I lost about 4 lbs in a week...love seeing those kind of results! I don't eat clean 100% of the time, but try at least 75-80% of the time. I am human and if you know me, you know I'm a self-proclaimed chocoholic. :-)

I'll leave with this, eating healthy doesn't mean boring. I've made some really tasty meals that are really good for you too. And even Chris enjoys them, although he still wants his burger with a fried egg on top when we go out. :-)

Last night's dinner was Chinese Chicken served over brown rice. Super good and super easy!

Adjust the measurements for the number of portions. Below is for 1 serving (300 calories per serving)

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup of broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (I left these out....not a fan of the fungus)
• 1/2 cup of snow peas
• 2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2-3 tbsp low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tsp peanut oil or sesame oil
• 1/2 c quinoa, cooked or brown rice

1. In a large skillet, lightly coat with cooking spray, cook chicken over medium heat until cooked thoroughly, about 7-10 minutes
2. Remove chicken from pan and add broccoli, mushrooms, and snow peas. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Add chicken back to pan with vegetables and season with soy sauce, broth and oil.
4. Serve over quinoa or brown rice