I am embarrassed to admit I was shocked when I realized the last time I posted here was in March at the Beach Body Top Coach Trip to Maui.  As I have heard my kids say, my bad!

I don’t know about you but I have lots and lots of stuff going on in my life all the time.  Just over a year ago, in the same month the Beach Body Store went live I was offered the opportunity to buy a business I had been in love with for the past two years, Team Women (www.teamwomen.com.)  I jumped at the chance, however the transition was not smooth and took over four months.

So I have literally spent the entire last year getting the business solidly planted, recharging the image and hiring a great staff.  I am proud to report Team Women is now doing fabulous and I refer to it as “a cool chick group which rocks!”

And what is the point of this story?  The point is I invested so much time and energy into Team Women; I did not take any time to care for my self or my health.  In fact at the end of April I ended up in the emergency room with what they thought initially was a heart attack.  How many messages do we need to hear before we listen?

Like the chinchillas I used to raise; I stepped into the wheel and just kept running.  I decided I had to make a commitment to my life (living for 40 more years) and create a space to make the change to do it.

I travel a lot with Team Women and made a commitment to my self and coaches I would do a Beach Body info event in each city I visited by the end of September at the latest.  I did one in Hollister, Ca on August 26th and one in Phoenix, AZ on August 28th.  Never ceases to amaze me how once you put it out there, all the stars start aligning to make it happen!

To make the transition from 100% percent focus on Team Women and focus on my health I took a week out of my normal life.  I attended a one week intense Jack Canfield event called Breakthrough to Success in Scottsdale, AZ.  We spent 7 full days (often 14 hours) focusing on a goal we brought into the workshop.  My goal was to create a healthy life and support others in doing the same.

Which brings me to where I started which is I have not blogged since March and I am changing that right here, right now.  I am starting an ongoing 8 week fitness challenge in my area beginning this Saturday and I am going to bringing Beach Body local events to everywhere I go.

Stand by and prepare to be amazed by everything I have cooking!  (Literally and figuratively)

Keep Pushing Play,

Judi

You Tube Video Blog

Zowie!  Day one of year number two!  How exciting this is and I can not wait for 2008 to bring me even more wonderful adventures and better health.  I have learned so much and earned so much as a coach.  This year has been wonderful even if I did not lose all the weight I wanted in 2007.

When I was a runner up in the Life Transformation Contest in January I had a wonderful opportunity to become one of the Grand Prize winners of $250,000 this March.  Life happens and my lessons and experiences gained are invaluable to me.  So rather than entering my final statistics for judging in the 2007 Life Transformation Contest, I am focusing on the 2008 contest.

As far as my weight loss journey, I have incorporated exercise into my life, I enjoy eating healthy and I am ending the year weighing less than I started of which I am very proud.

As a coach, I have built a great team and look forward to coaching them to grow fantastic MDB Businesses in the coming year.  My coaching systems are starting to fall into place and I love the customer I have met and interacted with.  They have inspired me is so many ways they do not even know.

An example of how my thinking has changed is my walk on the beach yesterday.  I knew that on today my first day of my new year I was counting as a fresh start, a new beginning etc.  I was planning on recording my food daily, scheduling appointments ahead in WOWY and kicking my own butt into gear.  Normally knowing that I would never have agreed to do on a one hour walk on the beach yesterday; I would have wanted to “save” that workout until I had restarted.  Whacky I know but it how I have always thought in the past.

Instead I accepted the invitation from a good friend of mine to meet her at the beach at 2:00 PM and go for a walk.  Part of me was looking forward to it since I love the beach and it was a beautiful day.  The other part of me was saying “this is why you work out at home” because you will spend two hours to do one hour of exercise by the time you drive and park and talk and blah, blah, blah.  I am already behind in my businesses and I was giving up more time.

Joy, my friend, who I walked with, has been an athlete all my life.  I knew when the first thing she asked when she saw me was “do you have a heart rate monitor?  At your size that is something you need to make sure you are not overdoing” this was not going to be a leisurely walk on the beach.  First, there was the big path and steps down the side of the cliff to get to the beach.  I was not worried about that but I was already thinking about coming back up and dreading it.

And the beach was covered with rocks due to some recent storms.  Since I am not especially coordinated on a good day, walking on rocks was not a great option.  So we went pretty far out to be on the sandy part and avoid as many rocks as possible.  Again I knew I was in trouble with Joy told me to start swinging my arms also and swinging them over my head.  Yikes.  I did my best and ended up having a wonderful time.  And I only got caught by one errant wave which drenched me up to mid calf!

Going up the cliff we paused when I needed to and allowed other people coming up to pass us.  By the time we got back to our cars I was aching all over and woke up this morning feeling like I was 100 years old.  And I was so excited about it.  I did 15 minutes on the treadmill today and called it good.  I actually felt better afterwards.

So on Day one of Year Two I began at 288.5 and WOWY’ed.  Have eaten clean, healthy food and tracked it and am drinking green tea instead of diet coke.  I feel good about myself and look forward to taking year two one step at a time and being a role model for my coaches and customers.  I would love it if you would join me on my journey!

Keep Pushing Play!

Judi, MDB Diamond Coach

This is a wonderful, momentous and very meaningful day for me.  Today completes my first year on the Million Dollar Body Program.  Tomorrow is Day 1 of the year 2 on the ongoing journey to release 187.5 pounds of unhealthy fat back to the universe.  So far 29 pounds has been released leaving 158.5 to be released. 

In 2007 for the first time I included exercise in my weight release journey and I am alive to tell about it.  Not as often or as consistent as I would like but I have done it! 

I am beginning 2008 weighing less than I did in 2007 and this is the first time I have been able to say that in many years.  I have challenged and won the battle of not having an overall weight gain in the past calendar year. 

I have overcome most of my all or nothing attitude.  Making a less than desirable food choice in the morning did not mean I had to trash the whole day.  In the past if I were to eat something not healthy for me; I would not eat anything healthy the rest of the day because I would be “wasting it” on a bad day. 

I have gone completely public with my weight (the number and the struggles.)  In doing so I have mustered up the courage to stand in front of a room full of people weighing close to 300 pounds and saying “I am an exercise and fitness coach”  and being able to pause and look everyone in the eye as I watch the confusion on their faces.  Then without making any excuses I invite them to join me or support me on my journey.  I have allowed myself to ask for and admit I need help too.

My life has been enriched by the customers I have worked with who have shared so many amazing stories with me and inspire me daily with their dedication, commitment and honesty.  You are my joy and my reason for this work.  You are the reason I wake up excited every single day to do what ever I can to support you in achieving your dreams.

I am honored and humbled by all of the great coaches who have joined our “Getting to Diamond” Team and time and commitment each of them has shown in creating a business they love in helping other people creating healthier lives.

My life has been transformed in so many ways already and yet I know it has been just the tip of the iceberg.  I was visiting Lake Arrowhead last week and was visualizing how much fun it would be to hike in the snow with warm clothes which fit, snuggly, comfortable boots and a body at the correct weight so I would be balanced and coordinated. 

My plans for transformation include many things and it is ok to work on all or one of them each day.  I am continuing my release of the need to be “perfect” and sabotaging myself if I am not.

By the end of 2008 I want to have released a total of 100 pounds OR MORE.  This year I have tried many of the different exercises programs and have stuck with none for the entire length of the program.  This year I am going to do Hip Hops Abs from beginning to end and experience completion and consistency. 

I am going to expand the services and support I offer to my customers and my coaches and let them know regularly how much I support and value each of them.  I am committed to being here for them and for me 100%

And I am inviting everyone who would like to join us to come along.  I am going to be creating many fun and exciting tools for all of us on our journey.  I have dubbed the coming year:

“Lose Weight and Get In Shape in 2008”

To join us in this journey, let me know.  Please visit my sites and share your thoughts and let me know how I can support you in creating the life of your dreams.

Keep Pushing Play,

Judi, Diamond Coach with Million Dollar Body

judi@in-homecoach.com

http://www.in-homecoach.com
http://www.in-homefitness.com
http://www.in-homecoach.com/wordpress (blog)
http://ihf-network.ryze.com (Ryze Network)

It is that time of the year again.  Las minute indulgences before making those famous New Year’s resolutions.  This year I am not making any resolutions for myself; I am setting intentions instead.

I love the commercial with Valerie Bertanelli about Nutrisystem where she says this is the first year in a long time she does not have to make a resolution about losing weight.  She is very teary and you can tell this is totally genuine, unlike most commercials.  At the end she says, “And this could be you next year.”  What a great message.  I want that to be me next year, don’t you?

My intentions for 2008:

1.   Released 100 or more pounds of unhealthy fat to the universe.
2.   Work out 20 out of 30 days every month.
3.   Work out first thing in the morning.
4.   Donate 50% or more of my current wardrobe to worthy causes.
5.   Grand Prize winner of $250,000 in the MDB Life Transformation Contest.
6.   Model in the Dirty Red fitness wear catalog.
7.   One or more speaking engagements about health and fitness weekly.
8.   Never worrying about the seat belt on an airplane closing, fitting in a booth etc.
9.   Begin my countrywide tour sharing Million Dollar Body.
10. Personally coaching 5 or more weight loss clients weekly.

It is time to get very clear about what you are intending for 2008!  Picture it, write it down, look at it often, believe you can do it and then go for it!

Keep Pushing Play,

Judi
Diamond Million Dollar Body Coach

“People treat their bodies as if they were rented.”

~Chungliang Al Huang, author of Quantum Soup

Yes, I do!!!

And I am so excited to have it be my birthday.  Now for a lot of years I have not been excited because I hate to think of my self getting older.  There is so much I want to do and see I always feel time is running out and I have to keep going faster and faster.

Not this year however.  Whenever I speed up I seem to take less and less care of my self, lose energy and motivation and actually get less accomplished.  This year I am going to slow down and take better care of myself.  I am giving ME the gift of time for my birthday.  I will make time to plan meals, time to shop for food, time to prepare healthy meals, time to WORK OUT every day.

Our youngest kids are 18 year old twin boys and I have talked about our plans to downsize.  When we sell our house and buy our MDB Mobile to travel the country sharing the wonderfulness of Million Dollar Body I want to look good and feel good.  I am going to shrink wrap my MDB Mobile with my business information and when people look over at me from their cars I want to be walking my talk and being a role model for others of self love and self care.

Next year at this time, I intend to have released 100 OR more pounds total since beginning MDB.  I intend to be one of the $10,000 winners in the MDB Game.  This will qualify me for being one of the finalists in the MDB Life Transformation Contest and winning $250,000.  After paying my taxes, that will be the money for my MDB Mobile and by this day next year I intend to be “on the road.”

Happy Birthday to me!

Keep Pushing Play,

Judi

Like a lot us I am sure, I subcr1be to several weight loss messages daily. This morning I took a survey which asked which of four reasons I was reducing my weight. I checked “to improve my health” and was so excited to find my answer was a part of the overwhelming majority of answers.

Why do you want to lose weight?

The reason I was so excited is that I finally have the right answer! I have always wanted to be more healthy; however honestly that was never the most important reason for me. It was more about how I wanted to look.

As an example, at the end of ten months on Optifast I had lost 150 pounds and my body fat was 12%; too low for a woman, no wonder I was freezing all the time. I had not had one bite of food from January to October. Rather than being excited to be able to begin eating, I begged to continue on the liquid diet. They told me that was not possible as I would continue to lose weight and finally just die. I offered (a joke I hope) to drink 15 rather than 5 shakes a day. The five shakes equaled 500 calories daily and by going to 15 I would be consuming 1500 calories and would stop losing weight.

Looking back and knowing what I know now; in hindsight I can see what a devastating effect not eating for all of those months had on my body’s metabolism and ability to properly regulate food. Basically I had trashed my metabolism and did not care if I could just keep not eating. Any wonder for most of why, extreme “diets” are not a long term solution. It just struck me in that one moment when I was asking never to eat again; I was asking permission to be an anorexic.

What I love about Carl’s message is that there are no magic answers in creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eating clean, moving your body. Eating clean, moving your body. Eating clean, moving your body. I am glad I have finally seen the light. And on that note, I am going to go have my delicious Trader Joes’ Organic Instant Oatmeal with oats and flax for breakfast.

Have a healthy day!!!!

Judi

“Before you can do something that you have never done before, you have to be able to imagine it’s possible.”

~Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.
Author of The Tao of Psychology

All changes in our body begin in our mind first.  We look in the mirror and our brain does not like the reflection we see and we decide to lose weight or start exercising.  I know personally I am surprised each time I look in the mirror at my face.  In my mind I look much younger and cuter than what I see in the mirror.  I will see someone who I think is about my age who I believe looks much older.  I ask Kevin “doesn’t she look much older than I do?”  And sadly, most of the time he says no; very sweetly and lovingly however.

On a commercial for the Oprah show I saw what looking like her personal make up guy having a melt down from seeing himself in a film on TV.  He appeared to be totally distraught, with both hands on his fore head moaning “I did not know I looked like that.”  It sounded funny and then duh I realized I do the same thing.

I am great at losing weight and even better at finding weight again.  What I do not have a lot of long term success on is maintaining a healthy weight.  I think the longest period I remained with in a 10 pound range was from the age of 27 when I got divorced from my first husband to 33 when I had my first baby.  So that would be about six years.  Looking back that sounds great and helps me to believe I can do that again.

After all it is not about “getting to” a healthy weight.  I have done that successfully numerous times.  It is about staying there for the rest of your life, one day at a time.  So if six years is my max, how do I go about imagining I can achieve and maintain a healthy weight for the next 50 to 60 years???

For me the answer today is once I achieve it, to maintain that healthy weight one day at a time; the same way I am releasing the weight I need to be healthy.  Eating clean every day, working out and moving my body every day, drinking lots of water every day and doing each again and again is how.  I can not drink all the water I need to be healthy for the rest of my life in one day.  It just does not work that way.   Yet is seems we sometimes expect that to happen.  We go on a diet, achieve the weight we want and then when we don’t change our life style habits are completely surprised when we find the weight coming back on.

I have used visualization often in my coaching and I realized I need to start now imagining living every day in a healthy and fit way NOW!!!  Not wait until I achieve that weight.  And the way to imagine that is to picture myself making good food choices, working out and being proud of how I look and feel.

Sometimes, things happen which puncture the bubble of denial we live in.  Kevin and I are in the process of getting life insurance for the first time in our lives.  Due to our age, we had to have some mini physicals done at our home by a traveling physician. The only area our agent had some concern over was my weight.  Well, we had the exam a couple of weeks ago.  I went first and it was all pretty simple.  The doctor asked how much I weighed, I told him and he wrote it down.  Next he had me stand by a wall so he could measure my height.

Yesterday I received a call from my agent saying the height and weight need to be redone as there was some mistake with it and a nurse would stop back by and redo.  Well, it was hard enough scheduling the first time and I did not want to make time for a do over, so I called and explained what had transpired and if some one else came out again, they would get the same result.

When I got my call back it was not that there had been a mistake, it was that the scale the doctor carries does not weigh over 200 pounds and instead of telling me (I do have a beam scale he could have weighed me on) he just reported my weight at “patient stated.”  And the life insurance company does not allow that.  So, the new person does need to come out and oh by the way, wear heels and not be barefooted; we need you as tall as possible.  Well, I guess that about says it all.  So much for that bubble being burst…

Please join me for a 20 minute visualization as soon as you can.  I want you to imagine you are at your “right weight.”  Picture your self waking up and getting out of bed; choosing what you are going to wear and getting dressed.  Then picture your self making food choices, working out and how that feels.  Imagine how it feels to walk and not get winded going up a flight of stairs.  Imagine walking into a restaurant and being ok with a booth, because you know you will fit.  Imagine getting on an airplane and your seat belt clicking shut and then you pull on it to tighten up the slack.  Or picture what ever is important to you.  You can see what some important pictures are for me to see in my mind.  Picture what will inspire, motivate and begin creating the belief you will maintain that weight for the rest of your life one day at a time.

Keep Pushing Play,

Judi

I have admitted freely exercising is not my pass time of choice and that’s ok. I just need to do it; kind of like getting my teeth cleaned. You don’t really look forward to it, you put if off as long as you can and does not feel that great while in process. Like exercise when you are done having your teeth cleaned; you feel really good and proud of yourself for doing it. I know for hours afterwards I keep running my tongue over my teeth just to feel them and don’t want to eat anything and spoil them. So working out just needs to be done whether you love it or hate it!

Well guess what, most of the time I do not like to cook either. Let me rephrase that… When I have time to pick out a recipe, go shop for the ingredients, have someone on hand to help me prep the ingredients; then I do like to cook. Have I mentioned I have over 1,000 vegetarian cookbooks? The truth is I normally do not have the time to do all of those things and it is easier to grab fast food, nuke a frozen dinner and eat popcorn…

So far, I have not been able to figure out how to pay anyone to exercise for me and am still working on figuring that out. However, I have found a way to eat healthy, nutritious foods and not spend a lot of time.

In my networking group Team Women Carlsbad, there is a dynamite young woman named Rhiana Glor. When she first joined she was an esthetician and I had Rhiana do my eyebrow waxing. Come to think of it, I had trouble finding time to schedule that also.

Several months ago, Rhiana opened a new business called Healthy Creations. It is one of the very popular meal assembly shops. You go in, pick your menus and go around to various stations and put everything together, take it home and cook it! What a great concept. These types of stores are popping up all over and are called Dream Dinners, Supper Made East, etc. What I have found is that they offer very few vegetarian options.

Healthly Creations is not a chain or a franchise; it is Rhiana’s own idea and it is taking off like wildfire. Some of what makes Healthy Creations different is:

• Organic, locally grown produce
• Organic and/or hormone-free dairy
• Wild Fish-no farm raised fish used!
• Organic and/or All Natural, Free-Range Meats and Poultry
• Wheat and Dairy Alternatives
• No White Stuff- we use whole grains and natural sugars, never any white flour or sugar!
• We make our Own Sauces!
• A Variety of Vegetarian, Vegan, Fish and Meat Dishes are offered

The menu changes every month and at least one half of all the meals are vegetarian. Many of the others which are not can be made vegetarian using soy products. For example this is what we are having for dinner tonight made with “chiken” and perfect for a rainy Friday night!

“Chiken” Pot Pie – Gluten Free

Pot pies are perfect for the cold winter months but can be a little heavy and not so healthy! We’ve managed to keep all the flavor and make it substantially healthier! Imagine roasted chicken breast pieces, carrots, peas, potatoes, chicken stock, a little butter and white wine all topped with a gluten free crust! Bakes in the oven for hearty and delicious meal!!

Sounds great doesn’t it? The other wonderful thing is that each meal has the Weight Watchers points per serving listed on the cooking instructions which come with each dish. This past week I ordered 14 full meals (serves 5-6) which will make 28 meals for us. I ordered some side dishes also; Sage and Tamari Brown Rice to go with my Louisiana Gumbo with Veg Sausage, Lemon Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and gluten free banana bread. All of this for under $400!!! Now instead of wondering all day what we will have for dinner while I am working, I walk into the kitchen and pull something out of the freezer ready to cook when dinner time arrives. Thank you Rhiana!

This is a way for me to eat healthy well balanced meals and spend very little time doing it. The average meal for Kevin and I comes to about $10.00 which is less than if we had visited our favorite Pizza Hut or Umberto’s and much healthier! I am making a very wise investment in my health and my life transformation.

Keep Pushing Play,

Judi