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Category Archives: Inspirational

Don’t Let Guilt Stop You

14 May

Holidays are great. Times filled with family, laughter, fun, EATING! It’s also a time when weight loss momentum slows, or worse stops completely. A few plates of not so healthy foods can send you spiraling downward emotionally. If you’re dieting, that can destroy (admittedly destroy is a harsh word but you get the point) you. So what do you do? How do you handle those few fleeting moments of indulgence, perhaps over indulgence?

I’ve faced that moment plenty of times. I tell you the worse part isn’t the food. Oh no… It’s the guilt that comes with it. Guilt is a cruel and unrelenting monster. It can crush your spirits. Make you fearful to “get back on the wagon.”

Remember what you’re doing isn’t dieting. Diets are temporary. We’re creating healthy lifestyles. Part of that is learning how to deal with not so healthy choices. Learning how to balance nutrition and exercise.

Keep it in perspective. Yes eating healthier would’ve been better. Or at least having smaller portions. In the grand scheme of your healthy lifestyle, that second piece of cake or sodium laden food was only one or two (hopefully no more than two) meals that weren’t the greatest this past week. If you’re eating 4 to 5 meals a day, then the holiday meal was 1 – 2 meals out of 28 to 35 meals for the week. It’s not the end! Just a minor setback. Stop beating yourself up!

Don’t allow guilt to stop you from moving forward. The meal is done. It’s in the past. All you can do is resolve to make some great choices going forward. Remember we’re not dieting we’re creating healthy habits!!

 
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Posted by on 05/14/2012 in Inspirational, Weight Loss

 

Victory Loves Preparation

03 May

I had a break in my work week yesterday and normally that is cause for concern. I have to be extra careful food choice wise. There’s something about the work week routine that helps me make great food decisions. Anyway, I was reminded how important planning & preparation is.

Here I was completely out of my normal routine. In the past, that would have made making wrong decisions easier. (Well making a wrong decision is just as easy as making a good one. But that’s a different blog) But not this time. I prepared ahead of time. I plan my meals ahead of time for the work week. So instead of having to exhaust mental energy on what to eat yesterday – Good choice?…bad choice? -, I simply ate what I prepared earlier. That removed any excuses, any temptations to make a bad decision.

What did I learn from all that? What thought was I reminded of? Victory loves preparation. My brother says that all the time. It’s so true. Victory, success (in weight loss or anything else) doesn’t just happen. You have to prepare for it. You have to plan for it. If not, surprises (like yesterday’s departure from my normal routine) can set you back.

Preparation isn’t just planning and cooking meals in advance. Preparation is packing your gym clothes and putting them in your car night before. Preparation is looking at the menu and deciding the best choice prior to getting to that restaurant. It may appear small and trivial but preparation goes a long way to ensure success.

Remember the will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win. (Not my quote but I absolutely love it)

 
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Posted by on 05/03/2012 in Exercise, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Nutrition, Weight Loss

 

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Effort Is Required

25 Apr

There’s no easy way to say it. There’s no way around it. There’s no sugar-coating it. Losing weight takes work. It requires effort. The great thing about effort is that the amount you give is completely up to you. The bad thing about effort is that the amount you give is completely up to you. See effort is between you and you. No one else. (Heard that in a Ray Lewis speech)

Depending on the level of effort you put forth, you can reach your goals quicker. If you learn to give as much effort as you can, I promise you won’t believe how quickly you’ll see results. I’m not saying you’ll see results overnight. However, if you give great effort for a very short period of time, you’ll look up in a few days and be amazed at how far you’ve come. I know I did.

So ask yourself. How much effort are you really giving? If the answer is not a lot, then I’m almost certain you’ll be asking yourself why this isn’t working really soon. I’ve been there. (a few times) More times than not, the answer was because I wasn’t giving great effort. Good but not great.

So two questions I ask myself daily and I’ll ask them to you.
1) How much effort are you really giving?
2) How much time are you wasting by not giving great effort?

 
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Posted by on 04/25/2012 in Inspirational

 

It’s Not About How I Feel

23 Apr

What’s up!! Just a quick note. This morning I did NOT want to get up and go to the gym. When that alarm went off at 4:30, I thought it was a cruel joke. I had two options – Go back to bed & sleep for two more hours or get up and go to the gym. Guess which one I did?

I didn’t feel like going at all. Then I thought about it. The great thing about this journey is I don’t have to feel like doing it. I just have to do it. At some point, it becomes less about your feelings and more about just getting the job done. That’s what I did this morning.

Cool thing is. I felt way better about myself leaving them gym than I would have had I stayed in the bed… There’s nothing like earning your respect.

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and Happy Monday!

 
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Posted by on 04/23/2012 in Inspirational

 

I Talk To Myself (And I Answer)

20 Apr

I laughed at myself this morning. I joke that you’re not crazy if you talk to yourself. Now if you answer, then yeah you might be cause for concern. Well, this morning I had a full-fledged 35 minute discussion with myself during cardio. I went back and forth with myself about how crazy it was I was in the gym at 4:30,drenched in sweat and eyes that were burning from sweat and sleepiness.

The conversation turned to whether I should finish my cardio. I talked myself in and out quitting at least 5 times. Not only did I converse with myself, I switched between conversations and answered myself verbally! When I realized I was doing all that, I couldn’t do anything but laugh. It also got me thinking.

What are you saying when you talk to yourself? I know I’m not the only one that talks to themselves. What are you saying to yourself? Hopefully it’s more positive than negative. More encouraging than discouraging. You have to be a cheerleader for you. Sounds corny but it works. I cheered for myself (Verbally no less) while on the elliptical machine. So much so verbally that the guy next to me thought I was encouraging him to finish and did an extra 10 minutes he said. He had no clue I was talking to me!!

I know I’m not the only one who talks(and answers) Who else has conversations with themselves?

 
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Posted by on 04/20/2012 in Exercise, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Weight Loss

 

I Found The Secret

13 Apr

I’m so excited! I found the secret to weight loss success. It’s not a pill that melts belly fat or makes your legs smaller. It’s not a specially formulated juice. Nope it’s not even sold for $19.99. So you don’t have to act now or hurry before the offer expires.

As a matter of fact, the secret to weight loss is not found in stores. Nor a pill bottle, nor a beverage bottle. I didn’t find it in the health food store. Nor did I stumble across it in a special extract from some exotic flower.

This secret to weight loss is extremely powerful! Drastically altering the lives of those who have it. It allows you to overcome all obstacles that stand in your way. When properly used, the secret to weight loss can lead to success in other areas of life. The best part about the secret? No list of things that could go wrong if you take it. You know, “Warning this may cause drowsiness,diarrhea, vomiting, night time sickness, day time sickness…. blah blah blah” It’s 100% fail proof!!!! I’m so confident in the miraculous powers of this secret to weight loss, that I’ll personally give you your money back if you’re not satisfied with the results!!!!!

By now you shouldn’t be wondering how much it cost? Or how much is shipping? Hopefully you’re so anxious to know what is that you’re about to go crazy because I’m dragging this out. Okay Okay… For those who want to know the secret, I’ll tell you and I’ll even tell you where to get it.

If you’re sitting down, I need you to get up. If you’re standing, I need you to make your way to the nearest mirror. Close your eyes. Open them. Look deeply in the mirror. Take a deep breath and realize that what you see in the mirror is the secret to weight loss.

BOOM! There it is! Right in front of you. The secret is YOU!!

You have everything already in you to be successful. You just need to discover it inside you. There are no gimmicks. No shortcuts. All you have is you. Your will, your drive, your passion, your commitment to you. You know what? That’s the real secret key to your success. It’s completely up to you.

Take full advantage of the secret. I know I am….

 
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Posted by on 04/13/2012 in Exercise, Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Nutrition, Weight Loss

 

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Postcard From The Lake….

11 Apr

I love this time of year. Flowers blooming, mild days and cool nights. It’s like the unofficial New Years holiday. This spring in particular is already the best one I’ve had in a long time. For no other reason than I feel great! I’m finally taking some time to appreciate how far I’ve come, to celebrate some of the things I’ve accomplished so far and other moments of serendipity.

It’s like I pushed off the shore in a row boat a few months ago. My destination? A wonderful island just across the lake. From the shore, I could tell it was a good distance away but I didn’t think it was too far away. Along the way, I encountered all types of weather. (Emotions) Rowing was easy and progress was made during the sunny days. (enthusiastic and motivated). Then there were days I had to row in storms (feelings of doubt, frustration, can I really do this) The rowing was very difficult in the storms. Ironically, it was during the storm that I made the most progress. Yes, the winds, rain, and rough waters – by themselves each are very devastating – converged on me simultaneously causing a good bit of resistance, pushing me off course. The frequency of the rowing decreased during the storm.

As quickly as the storm came, it passed. (Storms are temporary) Wouldn’t you know I was now closer to the island! So here I am over half way across the lake. The view from here is incredible. Looking back at the shore, I’m amazed at how far away the shore is(progress) Looking forward, I can see the outline of the island.

During the storm, I learned how to keep my eyes on the lighthouse (my goals) no matter what. Doing so, helped me to never permanently lose track of where I was going. Were there times I rowed and actually lost ground? Yes. However, with the lighthouse in sight, I was able to quickly recognize I was off track and correct it.

Well, I’ve rested long enough. I lost a little ground sitting here enjoying the view. (You’re never really standing still… Either you’re moving closer or further away from your goals) But I’ve put my oars in the water….. Rowing towards the island with my eyes fixed on the lighthouse.

 
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Posted by on 04/11/2012 in Inspirational

 

Celebrating the Small Victories

02 Mar

When I started down the path of losing weight, my success was completely scale based. Don’t get me wrong. The scale is a good way to measure results. Yet it’s a very fickle and misleading creature. There were weeks I KNEW double digit weight loss would occur; only to end up with minimal losses. Double digit weight loss is the norm right? It happens weekly on The Biggest Loser. Well, except for Week 2.

I learned some valuable lessons from that.
Lesson 1 – Measuring results entirely by the scale can lead to frustration and loss of motivation.
Lesson 2 – Don’t miss the small victories by focusing only on weight loss.
Lesson 3 – Celebrate the small victories.

What do I mean? I didn’t control the number on the scale during weigh-ins. There were variables outside of my control. Being too dialed into the scale, caused me to think my hard work wasn’t paying off. I thought that a few times. By stepping back, I was able to get better perspective. See the bigger picture. I found I experienced all kinds of success! In fact, the success wasn’t weight loss. Success was who I was becoming along the way.

Who I was becoming produced many, many, many small victories! Small victories like not ordering tea or soda when we ate out. Another small victory – not having seconds. Or how about going to the gym every Monday – Friday. Yet another small victory – Not quitting during cardio when I was tired and my lungs were burning. Or having to put a hole in my belt. One of my personal favorites – Having to hold my shorts up going downstairs because they would fall down!

See those are all small victories. Get enough small victories strung together and you’ll see the big victory of weight loss. I began celebrating the small victories like crazy! What I found was, that recognizing the small victories carried me emotionally when the scale didn’t move as quickly as I liked.

So don’t miss out on the small victories because you’re focused on just weight loss. Take time to smell the roses and enjoy the journey.

 
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Posted by on 03/02/2012 in Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy, Inspirational, Nutrition, Uncategorized, Weight Loss

 

Welcome to the Brand New Antuan….

19 Feb

I guess this has been a long time coming.  I wrestled with the thought of starting a blog for a couple of reasons.  One being, the transparency of it all.  It takes some courage to put your life out there for people to see on any level.  The second one being I didn’t think I really had a lot to say on losing weight. I’ve experienced some success at losing weight before.  Lost it and gained it back.  Looking back on it, I believe life had quite a bit to do with it.    I reached the point where the pain of changing was more than the pain of staying the same so I set out again to lose weight.  This time around I focused more on the mental aspect than the physical.  So I was off.  Now 16 weeks,  58 lbs later, 4 pant sizes & 2 shirt sizes later here I am.  Haven’t reached my goal yet but I’m closer.  I feel like I’m about 100 yards out at sea.  I can see the shore but I’ve paddled too far to go back.  So here I am,  sharing my journey.

I heard a while ago you never know who else wins when you succeed.  So to that end, I’m diving into the blog world.  Here’s to helping someone else by opening up my life, my thoughts, & my emotions.

Where I started……                                                                    Where I am now…..

                     

 
18 Comments

Posted by on 02/19/2012 in Inspirational, Weight Loss

 
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