Enter the Dragon Lady...

You see that dragon?? Yeah, that's me today. I cleaned my kids' room and over the course of a few weeks have watched it become progressively worse. I mean it is a horrid mess. The clothes I washed and put in baskets to put away later found their way to the floor, there is trash of all kinds including food, and toys EVERYWHERE! So, I have decided I had enough. 

Yesterday I told my kids to go clean their room. They did a decent job. But it wasn't "MY" kind of clean. But it was clean enough for them to see the floor. Today, you can't even see the floor. What were they doing in there??? Only God knows. 

So today... I became the dragon lady. Originally I went into their room to find their karate belts because they have class today. In order to find them I had to start cleaning. I found them and became angry which lead to a decision... Today, they will clean this room. No television, no playing, no music, no nothing! And so it is. The Dragon Lady has awakened and she will not rest until that room is clean. Not kid clean... MOM CLEAN.  I don't care how long it takes them to clean it. The silence will continue until it is done. 

I know this is a fitness blog so let me explain why I am writing about this...

I have been feeling disorganized and overwhelmed for quite some time.  I felt like I couldn't keep up with the house work, cooking dinner, watching my children, preparing my toddler for preschool, potty training my son, keeping the dog walked, church obligations (which I enjoy), and my own health and wellness as well as my husbands. What a run-on sentence, right? Well that's how I felt. Like a run-on sentence. Out of place and out of sorts. 

I preached one thing and lived another entirely. So, I had to stop. I began with getting my workouts in consistently. Now, I am working on my eating habits and getting my home to reflect the woman I am and the family I have. We are not slobs. We are not spoiled brats incapable of keeping house. We are proud, clean, and courteous. And that's what my house needs to reflect. 

Besides, what good is it to reach bikini season, reveal my bikini, and still have a house in disorder? That doesn't match. So, I am cleaning all areas of my life not just my physical health and well being. Children are fully capable of cleaning up after themselves. It is not too much to ask that they play with their toys without destroying the room. So, the tide has turned here in my home. And I must say... I am loving it. 

I encourage you to examine your life. What areas need special attention? What are the underlying reasons for those things being out of sync with the way you want to be? How do you fix it? 

For me I was over weight, my house was a mess, and I had checked out of everything including being a parent. I felt terrible about the way I looked and that lead to depression and feeling like I didn't deserve the basic things in life: a clean home, clean car, organization, nice clothes, and mindful children. But thank God All Mighty for friends and family that wouldn't let me fall through the cracks. I know now that i had to do better by Starla and then take control of everything else systematically. And you can do the same! 

Until next time...

#StayFocused 

**************** COMING TO A LIVINGROOM NEAR YOU*****************

Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!!

So this week I simply didn't try. I have to be honest. Life didn't happen. To say that would be a cop out. I just didn't try. I thought about working out. But didn't. I didn't eat badly but I didn't drink much water either. Another weekend is upon us and I have not lost any weight. As a matter of fact I may have gained a quarter pound or so. I have to get back on track a.s.a.p. if I fully intend to wear a bikini this year with any confidence. I am dangerously close to reliving years past where I started but did not finish. So what will I do? The correct answer is get busy. Workout. Hit the gym. But the honest answer is: I don't know.
To be continued...

Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.

"Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear," My great gramps and many others.

Yesterday was interesting. I had a small event happen and that rocked my emotions and it took a moment for me to recover. I'm not fully over it yet but I am so much better than I was.

I went on Instagram and noticed a woman liked my post and then started following me. Well, I'm a follow for follow kind of girl unless you're trying to spam me. So I went to her Instagram page and saw that she had recently been on the same journey I am. Or so she posted.

She had a link that directed me to her blog and upon reading her blog I found out that she took Forskolin, improved her eating habits, and worked out. These steps helped her lose 60 pounds in 10 weeks.  Or so she posted. I was skeptical because that is a ton of weight to lose per week consistently without hitting a plateau. But I googled the Forskolin and sure enough, it is supposed to help with fast fat loss. So I thought I would order the free trial. Why not, right? After all, I am human and this road is tough. I will take any healthy help I can get.

Upon returning to her blog today I discovered the same, exact, verbatim post but the supplement had been changed. Now she is promoting Pure Carallum Extract. Now I several red flags have been raised. Now I believe she is a liar. She says she was called cute names for fat kids as a youngster, she felt she wanted to lose weight and get the body she deserved, etc....etc... blah blah blah...

Now I am sitting at my computer like what a liar.

But this is the Internet so you really can't believe much of that you read. There are a few people that still believe in helping people. I am just using this as a means to share my experience with this weight loss journey. I say when you are reading blogs, surfing Instagram, or Facebook, or watching YouTube or Periscope.. do your due diligence. Research everything you are being told. Make sure you are not being lied to. Because apparently... people are not above it when it comes to taking your money.

Until Next Post...
#StayFocused

Sugar Addiction and the struggle within.

Hi! I'm Starla and I am addicted to sugar.  

Fortunately I am not diabetic. But I love all things sugary. I like bread, cookies, cake, butter cream frosting, pie, custard.. pudding... the list goes on. 

Here is my dilemma:

I want to be in a bikini this summer. I want to weigh 145lbs. I want to be able to run miles without stopping. When I close my eyes I picture myself running on a long scenic road enjoying the sun and cool (not cold) breeze. 

Sugar makes me ultra sluggish. I hate how I feel after I eat it. I feel guilty on top of being tired and lately a little nauseated. The nausea comes from the guilt I feel when I eat things that are antithetical to my goals. It literally makes me sick to know the right thing to do but do the wrong things anyway. I am trying, however, to steer clear of developing a negative relationship with any food item. I don't want to be so anti-sugar that I become radical and annoying. I also don't want to end up depriving myself so drastically that I binge. I have done that in the past. 

It is difficult for me. It is a constant mental battle because I have a husband who has a sweet tooth and 3 small children. Yesterday my husband asked me to make him some oatmeal cookies with craisins and raisins in them. I got the idea to make the kids some chocolate chip cookies also. So I made both. I ate 4 cookies and immediately felt gross. I wanted that sugar out of my body almost as soon as I put it in. 

I have quite a bit of work to do mentally and physically to get to my ultimate fitness goal. Last week I had made some really great progress. I would hate to sabatoge it all this week by eating the wrong foods, missing workouts, and just being lazy overall. 

Part of me wishes I could afford a personal trainer and nutritionist. But, I know noone can do this for me. I cannot delegate my health and wellness to anyone else. I have to focus, exercise discipline and maturity, and stick to the process even when I physically do not want to. 

I just want to encourage you, before you see a picture of  me in a bikini along side my before picture, to know and understand this journey is not without its hurdles. Sugar is my first hurdle. It seems like the biggest, longest, and hardest one to overcome. 

But with practice it can and will be overcome. I will be triumphant. I will be victorious! 

I must be. There is no room for failure this year. 

It's pretty early in my day. I have plenty of time to make up lastnight's workout and do tonight's as well. So, until next time... 

#StayFocused! 

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING! DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE DETAILS, JUST GET BUSY GOING IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR GOAL. NEVER STOP. NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER QUIT! 

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!!!!!! 

What is T-25??

Honestly I could spend an entire post raving about how awesome T-25 is and how you should have it in your workout library at home and how it is the best workout for those of us who are pressed for time and just want to get in, get busy, and get done. But... this video will do a much better job so.. check it out!

Post workout! Woo hoo, right??

Have you ever worked out so hard and was so tired afterward that your shirt seemed too heavy to keep on?? Well that was me tonight. Tonight was a tow for one special. Two incredible workouts for one tired mama.
On the T25 Alpha schedule I had Lower Focus and Ab Intervals. Now, foolishly I did them in that order back to back. I made it to the 11 minute mark in Ab intervals and was spent. I am barely able to type this post but you all have to know that this journey is hard as heck for everybody. I want you to know before I reach my fitness goal and the world at large starts reading my posts and seeing my AFTER photos everywhere that I struggled for every drop of sweat and I was FAR from perfect.

While tossing my shirt wasn't nearly as exciting as Morrissey above, it sure felt good. I was super hot and it was just heavy. It had to go. My body is the island and the shirt was voted off. Ok, maybe that was a little corny. You will come to know I am a corny girl. Kind of nerdy in that respect.

After lower focus every-time I try to raise my calves, as this is how I sit in my chairs, my leg shakes. That is a sign of a very tired muscle.
Right now my forearms are tired. Why are my forearms tired?? It was lower focus... but it worked every single muscle in my body.

I'm not disappointed that I couldn't finish Ab Intervals. I will finish in due time. I am not working for perfection. I am working for sweat and progress. So, today I could only get to the 11 minute mark before calling it quits.  next time I will try to get below 5 minutes left. And maybe then I will be able to mental push my self to the finish line.

Bottom line.. I got my workouts in and I nailed it the best I could and I am proud of that. This time two months ago I was doing nothing. Today... I have improved.

Until next time.....
Stay Focused!

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Join in the fun!!!

I was looking at some of my childhood photos and thought...
"I ate like a baby horse but was never fat." Then I started asking myself what changed. While I am completely aware that as we get older our metabolism fluctuates, and slows down, life happens, there a body changes, etc... I can't help but wonder... What did I do differently then that I can incorporate into my life today?
EUREKA!!! I've got it!!

When I was a kid I spent an obscene amount of time outside. I played tag, climbed trees, swung on monkey bars, etc. It was a total blast!


 

My favorite thing to do was race across the monkey bars and to flips over the uneven bars. Now, when my kids ask if we can go outside I have to weigh it against my chore list to see if there is time. But, today that changes!
Today, I will play. I will put on my sneakers and a warm sweater and my kids and I will play until sundown.

There are several playgrounds around here and we have our favorite. We can even take Jada our dog. She would love running free in the nearby field. This will be an epic day.

Imagine the amount of calories you could burn just playing with your kids outside. I believe it is time we unplug a bit and stop being available to everyone. Sometimes we just need to be available to our children only.

I never leave home without my cellphone. It is almost always within arm's reach and I don't know about you but I am sick of it. I don't need to be on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram all day long.
I ask myself, is it more meaningful to be in the moment with my children or capturing it from behind the camera? I say, BE IN THE MOMENT. I don't want to be absent from the memories I am trying to create with my kids. I want to be present.

Part of me wishes I could hire a photographer and have them follow us all day and just capture moments as they happen. I just might.

Missed workouts and consequences...

 Over the weekend I missed 3 workouts. Yep.... THREE! I have since made up one and that's what this post is about.

I'm doing T-25 right now and the current bane of my existence is Total Body Circuit (alpha). Oh my goodness!!! I love it because it works my whole body but I hate it because.... it works my entire body. Usually I just have a wet face after a workout. But with T25 I am dripping sweat. With Total Body Circuit I POUR sweat. It feels like it is raining in my living room and because I missed the three workouts and I don't want to have that on record I did Total Body Circuit and Alpha Cardio in the same evening.

However, this is a good thing, right? At least that is what I am telling myself. It is going to get easier. I am going to power through these workouts one day and will be in a bikini for the first time since I was a toddler. Well worth it.

It's not so much the bikini I am after, although it is the superficial goal. I am after something a little deeper. I want to follow through with a commitment to myself. I follow through for things others ask of me but seldom do it for myself. Do you do the same?

As a Christian, I know the Bible says to love your neighbors as you love yourself. But how can I do that if I never show myself love? I can't.  Plain and simple. It is impossible to love others properly if you do not first love yourself.

Last night I took the free online 5 Love Languages Quiz.

I encourage you to take it if you haven't and retake it if it have been a while. I found out one of my main love languages is Words of Affirmation. That made me look at the way I have been speaking about myself lately and feel ashamed.

Lately I have been calling myself tired, frustrated, disorganized, and worst of all; FAT.  While I am definitely obese for my height according to the scale it is detrimental to my progress to continue talking this way.

The Bible says to speak those things that are not as though they are. This means, while I am working on my health and wellness I need to be speaking positively about the results to come. I need to say I am healthy. I am organized. I get my workouts in. I am full of energy. I am seeing results. I am slimming down. I am making positive progress. All of these things are actually true when I take my vitamins and drink the proper amount of water for the day. I feel all of these things.

It isn't until I neglect myself that I feel bad about myself and any progress I have.... or lack thereof. Therefore, I organized my daily vitamins in a medicine holder. It's a seven day holder that will help me see when I miss a day.

I plan on doing a post about the vitamins I take. It isn't a lot. But just in case you want to know the benefits I am getting from them I will make the post. I don't take a lot. I have my multivitamin, iron supplement, fish oil supplement, and CoQ10 supplement. I just started diligently taking them this week. I am pretty excited to see what the results are that I get this week in comparison to last week.
I could be psyching myself out but I feel small differences in my body already. I am getting MUCH better sleep despite still getting 5 to 6 hours of sleep versus the 8-10 I crave.    

I am also aware that there are people, maybe you are one, that would kill for 5-6 hours of uninterrupted sleep so I am grateful.
My plan is to stick to this routine until I get what I want.

I have recently started crocheting so and am making my first hat. I will post a picture of how it looks when I finish. Until next time...
Stay Focused!

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