MOTIVATION. Let me share some of mine!

Motivation is sometimes hard to come by when you're facing a large amount of weight to lose. I equate it to what one of those people on the TV show Hoarders must surely feel. I can imagine their thoughts: “I know I need to clean this place up, but where do I start?” Sometimes, finding motivation is as simple as looking to your friends. I thought about some people that have been great motivation to me in the last few months of dedicated changes in my Steps to a Healthier Me journey. Here are their stories. 

Vickie Black is one of the sweetest people I have been blessed to meet in the recent years of my life. She is a giving person to her family, friends, community, and she is a nurse. She is so amazing, but is so humble about how much her willingness to share her journey is helping others! I at first was going to pull quotes from her response to my questions, but they are just so wonderful that I want to post them all for you to benefit from too. Be prepared…it is great!

What made you decide now is the time to work on your health? “I’ve been making small changes for a long time. I’m very weary of change. LOL. So I had to sneak it in, but I’m getting older, I don’t want to miss out on my life. So, now is the time to get it together for the rest of my life. 

What made you want to create a FB page like Fit & Fabulous? https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fit-and-Fabulous 

“The page was created because I wanted to share my life journey with others. Anyone can make a change, but you have to start somewhere. For me that was learning to accept myself, to love me for who I was and to stop judging myself according to what I weigh. I love me. If God loved me enough to let his Son die for me then how could I cheapen his love by demeaning my self worth based on someone else’s view of fat? I was not lazy. I didn’t eat all the time. As a matter of fact, I starved myself a lot. Yes, I binged. I battled depression. Then I decided I was not hiding from family portraits anymore because I am a good mom, a good wife and a real friend. My fat didn’t define that. I wanted to be remembered for that. God made me who I am. Who can argue with that? So I wanted people to have a place of acceptance, no matter how they achieve their healthier lifestyle. I also wanted them to have a place to learn to love themselves at 400 pounds or 100 pounds. We are all beautiful in His sight! We just need eyes of love…that creates acceptance…and when you remove all the self disgust then you can move forward!”

  

What is the best motivator you have when the slump days get you? “Sometimes nothing helps. I just crash and burn. LOL! But, I get back up a whole lot quicker now. If I blow it, I don’t wait until Monday, my birthday, New Year’s, etc., to start back. LOL! I can start eating right or moving in the middle of the day. Besides giving it to God, I’m a control freak you know!, I love how my friends on Fit and Fabulous support each other…it is an amazing thing!”

 Is there any one thing in your better health/fitness routine that you plan on never giving up if any way possible?  “I am not an exercise freak. LOL! I just want to keep moving, whether it is playing with the kids, walking, dancing, etc. I love social networking. It opens up so many doors. I never want to quit sharing it gives me the strength to keep on keeping one. Sharing success and failures…it is empowering to not be alone!  Oh, and I love me some Spark Leah! Sometimes it’s the little boost I need. It keeps me away from quick carbs! LOL!”

Power!!! Sharing!!! Motivating!!! I know that those of you who are seeking better health via weight loss got some encouragement from her words too!

The next person on my list is Christie Cooper Wallace pictured to the left with her husband in December 2011 and to the right with her Grandmother in December 2012. I've known Christie for years. Christie had worked hard to get weight off with success of her own via exercise and a better diet. Then she hit that hated PLATEAU! I asked her the same questions I asked of Vickie and here is what she had to say.

“I decided to take this journey to become a healthier me. I have let myself go for years, I have constantly been a yo-yo dieter and realized this is not working for me. I haven't always been in the greatest health having insulin problems and high blood pressure. I knew I was too young to let myself continue down this bad path having to take all kinds of medications. I knew I needed to lose at least 80 to 90 pounds and everything I was doing was not working. I was exercising but something just wasn't right. I wasn't losing the weight I needed and still lacked a lot of energy. I needed big time help and that's when Advocare entered my life and has changed it beyond words. The three products I can't live without, which are Spark, Thermoplus, and Omega Plex. When I am having slump days, I just think to myself “I have worked hard and if I don't continue to work hard, I will just go back to that no energy, 48 pound heavier lady who had lost her confidence and zest for a lot of things in life.”

Another person that has had a very powerful impact on my life in the last few months is Eric Tate pictured here with his sweet wife Meredith. He is another one of those people I have known my whole life. 
Eric at one time had a big soda habit. Four or five Mountain Dews or Dr. Peppers a day.  He said, “I had tried to stop before only to feel drained and have headaches. Spark solved all that. Just by replacing the drinks I dropped 15 lbs. in the first month.” Yes, just by making one change he dropped 15 pounds!!! (The amount of weight sugar drinks can add to you is staggering!)  Talk about a motivating experience! 
This caused Eric and his family to  look into changing more to get healthier and that is exactly what he did.  Eric said, “I was excited about the initial weight loss. So when I discovered the 24 Day Challenge I was even more excited. It motivated me to think I could possibly lose another 15 lbs in the coming month. And I did, I lost 16 more on that first 24 Day Challenge.”
Once again, Eric had found a source of motivation via products that worked to help him reach his health goals. He also states that, “My oldest daughter and my wife did that 1st Challenge with me. It was a lot of fun for us to start a healthier lifestyle change together.” And that my friends, is one of the biggest motivators of all…a family on a journey to better health. Encouragement in the HOUSE!!! 

There are many forms of motivation. Your life and your successes may motivate others, the same way the lives and successes of others motivate you. When we open ourselves up to share our journeys, it is amazing to see how people are willing to share with you their journeys. Traveling the hills and valleys in life with people that inspire you to keep one, keeping one as Vickie said, is where the real motivation is found.


This week has been tough for me as I nurse a foot injury. However, my detailed plan that I WROTE down and determined in my head that I WOULD FOLLOW NO EXCUSES, motivated me to modify exercise to keep this body on my path to Steps to a Healthier Me. I have found the new DVD of exercise videos AdvoCare came out with this year to be very helpful. The 24 minute work outs, and the ability to modify them to accommodate Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced was very helpful to me. I can happily report that I am 6 pounds down since last Friday’s post!

It does not matter what the number on the scale is. Your life matters because God made you. If you need encouragement please contact me anytime. I truly understand the trials of weight loss, emotional eating, yo-yo dieting, etc., etc., etc. One of the worst feelings is to feel alone while coping with a serious problem. I hope you will take a look at Fit and Fabulous. It is a very positive place for me. I will post links below to Fit and Fabulous and to a link about the Can You 24 video.

Please visit Steps to a Healthier Me and leave encouraging posts, tips, etc., for me to enjoy as well as others. I will be trying to post on that site daily with a word of encouragement and any health tips that I may find. We are all one bad day away from failure, and one great day away from success. And sometimes it is the boost we get from a motivating word, picture, product, etc., which pushes us from failure to success!

I thank you as always for your encouragement on this journey. Today in a very special way I thank Vickie, Christie and Eric. The three of you have been great encouragement to me this week for sure.

God bless all of you, and may you do well on your own journey to better health!

Contact information: stepstoahealthierme@gmail.com

Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Steps-to-a-Healthier-Me/277083562304037?fref=ts and www.facebook.com/leahmorris

Visit AdvoCare at: www.advocare.com/120819680

Can You 24 DVD information site: advocare.com/canyou24

Things that just go together.

I have been trying to exercises, eat right, study my Bible, do my job, try to get smocking done, and try to figure out to be in two places at one time. So, I feel like I am OUT of CONTROL!!!

So tonight as I prepare for bed I thought I would jot down some thoughts to share with you.





1. When it comes to our meals we need to get a healthy balance in throughout the day. If you are doing exercise you need to remember that your body needs protein to build and repair your muscles. You also must have carbs to provide fuel. Yes, your body will burn "fat" for fuel too, that is the plan, however we want to trick our metabolism into weight loss mode! So, make sure your smaller meals and your healthy snacks contain both carbs and protein.
Here are some examples of what I do. For breakfast I make some of my multi-grain "oatmeal" and will mix in a 1/2 cup of any flavor yogurt OR chop up 7 almonds and mix in with it. Snacks may consist of measured/counted almonds, walnuts, or cheese with a veggie or fruit. Lunch & supper will contain chicken or fish most times with veggies. Sometimes I will have beans of some sort instead of a meat that substitutes for protein.

2. When it comes to exercise we need to remember that STRETCHING definitely goes with exercise! I have been looking up information about this and am really trying to stretch more than ever. It helps you to limber up for exercise and makes you more flexible throughout the day too. It also prepares your muscles for the strain of the exercise you are going to put them through. When you stretch after you work out it helps relax muscles, helps to cool you down, and will help with cramping of muscles later I personally have found!

3. Prayer & Bible study. Do you know how many times I get so busy I FORGET to pray! It is just awful. I usually figure it out when I realize that my day is just spinning like a crazy top with nothing going right! Sometimes I find myself in my prayers and my crazy busy mind just splinters off onto a tangent, and I have to reel myself back in and get right with the Lord - again. I find trouble sometimes "being still" and remembering that God "is GOD"! And, when we study our Bibles we need to be seeking the Lord in prayer asking Him to help us understand His word as HE wants us to.



4. Motivation and encouragement they go to together too. Sometimes it is so hard to stay motivated by yourself. Sometimes you get motivated just by encouraging others. This blog provides me with a source of motivation with the hopes that something I am trying to do and learn to help myself, can be shared and help you. Sometimes, on down days or weak moments I can come to my computer and read your encouraging comments and find instant motivation. Sometimes, I can reach out to others that I know get what I am going through and we encourage one another, and we both get motivated! Never underestimate the power of an encouraging word. If you are feeling down think about others that may be feeling the same and you reach out. Who knows you may start an ENCOURAGEMENT REVOLUTION that gets a MOTIVATIONAL train going!

We all need to slow down and focus on our inner man each day. The soul will be with us for eternity and this old physical body for a short while. We need to take care of both that is for sure, but our SOULS are the most important.

I hope you all have a very good day. May you achieve your goals. Keep God the main thing. And as always thank you for your encouragement! Love and hugs! Leah

Dealing with Grief



Grief. We all know it whether first hand or by association. It is a sad and painful thing. It can also be a train wreck for healthy living too. Many of us want to curl up in our beds with the covers over our heads as we go through grief. Sometimes those of us with food addictions can't seem to keep food out of our mouths!

If you are dealing with grief in your life and are trying to find balance once again I hope you find your way soon. These are some things that help me deal with grief and all of its accompanying emotions.

 
I just like this little made up story. It really is a good summation of what God does for us. He is our shelter in a storm, the anchor that holds us fast, the comfort that we need, the strength that allows us to go on, and He truly understands our pain in any form.

 
I am grateful for the compassion I see displayed in times of grief as I see this verse carried out. I would not want to imagine coping with a loss without the love and support of my fellow Christians. Even if it is only a kind word left via Facebook, or a card mailed from places near or far, that support is oh so up lifting.
We need support groups in life. God has always understood this. He provided Adam with Eve. He commanded Noah and his sons to procreate to create more life on earth after the flood. Today He still promotes marriage and children in New Testament teachings, and in the New Testament He encourages us to fellowship with other Christians.

When it comes to a healthy lifestyle we must learn to deal with all emotions in a healthy way. So if you are dealing with grief please seek the Lord via prayer and His Holy Word. Let your fellow Christians know that you need them. Sometimes we don't know when someone is grieving, or hurting, or feeling sad or lonely. As a Christian, if you came to me needing comfort, support, uplifting, a hug, prayer, or just company I would have a very hard time saying no. If I could turn you away with no show of sympathy or concern, then my heart would definitely need some self examination.

Today's post is written with a heavy heart. September 17, 2009. It will forever remain as one of the saddest days of my life. Margaret "Maggie" Elizabeth - RIP dear niece. To her dear parents, my love and prayers go out during this sad time. My thanks too. They are such a true demonstration of how a marriage should be as they lean on, support, love, and deal with life as it comes their way. I have deep love and appreciation for a dear friend of theirs too, Lisa Ponder. She was always there. Answering questions, giving support, providing advice, and getting us all through that hard day. More than a friend, such a dear Sister in Christ!

Grief can overwhelm you. However, please let God in, and let the love of those around you who love you in too. And remember, there will be no tears in heaven. No sorrow there. Even painful memories will be erased for eternity.

http://helpguide.org/mental/grief_loss.htm I found a lot of good information about grief and suggestions for getting through it.

Stay focused on your goals. Reach out for help when you need. Keep God the main thing. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! Thank you always for the encouragement. Leah

Looking for Motivation in the Right Place!

Today finds me a little less motivated than I would like to be. I have been nursing a sore foot and this has kept me from being able to get my daily walk in as I would like to! There are a few things going on in my personal life that have got me a little bummed out too. So today I think I need to turn to Scripture and get some of His Words in my soul. I hope you find them helpful.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." Psalm 23

This passage reminds me that God is my protector, He is provider, and He is my hope!

The Lord will guide you always, he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land. You will be like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

God will give me all I need no matter what is going on in the world around me.


For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
I need to stop being afraid I'll fail. When I have an off day, miss my stride, or fall on my face, I need to get up, face the problem and move on with God around me as my shield!

Okay, I feel better. Just knowing that God is in control and is looking over me makes me feel safe, and very comforted.

I can not control others, only myself. Sometimes my biggest enemy IS myself and I struggle with this inner me. That is when I need to pray the hardest, seek the Word of God for guidance, and seek trusted Christian friends/accountability partners/sponsors to help me through the tough times.

NO ONE has it all together every day! If you are having a down day, a bad day, a goal defeating day, or a just feel bummed in general, remember you are not alone. Reach up, and reach out, but please take action and don't stay where you are,

Stay motivated. Stay focused. Thank you for all the encouragement. In Christian Love, Leah