Hello, do you know me?
If you don’t, you should. I’m a pound of fat,
And I’m the HAPPIEST pound of fat that you would ever want to meet.
Want to know why?
It’s because no one ever wants to lose me;
I’m ONLY ONE POUND, just a pound!
Everyone wants to lose three pounds, five pounds, or fifteen pounds, but
never only one.
So I just stick around and happily keep you fat.
Then I add to myself, ever so slyly, so that you never seem to notice it.
That is, until I’ve grown to ten, twenty, thirty or even more pounds in weight.
Yes, it’s fun being ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT, left to do as I please.
So, when you weigh in, keep right on saying, “Oh, I only lost one pound.”
(As if that were such a terrible thing.)
For you see, if you do this, you’ll encourage others to keep me around
because they’ll think I’m not worth losing.
And, I love being around you – your arms, your legs, your chin, your hips
and every part of you.
Happy Days!!!
After all, I’m ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT!!!
- Author Unknown

I would rather have one little rose
from a garden of a friend
than to have the choicest flowers
when my stay on earth must end

I would rather have one pleasant word
in kindness said to me
than flattery when my heart is still
and life has ceased to be

I would rather have a loving smile
from friends I know are TRUE
than tears shed around my casket
when I bid this world adieu

bring all your flowers today
whether pink or white or red
I’d rather have one blossom now
than a basketful when I’m dead….author unknown

The first time I read this poem, I was a little girl. It has made a strong impression on me. In times of great emotion, I often pull out the tattered copy to lament on other times. I’ve made a resolution to recall only times of elation, thanksgiving, and peace.

I dedicate this to all my friends and future friends struggling right now. You may not be able to control the ‘weight of your load. You can only control the strength of your back.’

Be strong! Live for today, and never look back except on times of happiness, thanksgiving, or peace.

So being a bit short on motivation lately I tend to look to others around me to help motivate me. There are some members who when I work out with them I tend to kick higher, punch harder, and lift heavier. Its part of my competitive nature, I want to push myself to do as well or better than them. 

My current motivation “funk” is because I have really been struggling lately with the last 20 lbs. It’s funny because I never really had to “try” before (allow me to elaborate… Losing 115lbs has obviously not been easy, but it has become more difficult as of late..). I have always been conscious of what I eat and shouldn’t eat, knowing what I need to do at Ellipse to “recover” from splurges, but now, I have to be that much more aware of what I eat and what I do. It should be a good thing, that means I am that much closer to ‘goal’, but it also means I can’t skip class, I have to make good food choices, and get all of my water in. 

So I have been trying to surround myself with people who push me and motivate me.. I know full well that I will get the last 20 off and I will get to goal, but knowing that I have people around me that can motivate and push me when I need it helps me realize what I am capable of and how far I have come!

“We do not stop exercising because we grow old; we grow old because we stop exercising.” -Dr. Kenneth Cooper

Obviously we can’t stop the calendar from marching ahead at what seems to be a faster and faster pace.  However, recent studies have shown that we can alter the rate at which our bodies progress through our life cycle.

These studies indicate that between the ages of 30 and 70 many of the symptoms and conditions that were traditionally associated with normal aging are in fact the result of sedentary lifestyles. Did you know that evaluating one’s strength, endurance, mobility and cardiovascular/pulmonary performance before and after a one month period of complete bed rest can be equated to 30 years of aging?

The good news is that regular exercise incorporated into our lifestyle can improve our heart and respiratory function, lower our blood pressure, increase our strength, improve bone density, improve flexibility, quicken our reaction time, reduce body fat, increase muscle mass, and reduce our susceptibility to depression and disease.

For example, did you know you’d have to do over 250,000 crunches to burn a pound of body fat?  That’s hysterical! Remember that the secret to the fountain of youth is STRENGTH training!  Working major muscle groups to the point of fatigue will change the dimension of your body and the shape of your life! Instead of crunches, consider doing a dynamic work out that will incorporate your core such as kick boxing.  Balancing on one foot to kick the bag, although only a moment in time, engages several muscles, including those in the core and burns calories at a higher rate—which equals FAT BURN!

If you think kickboxing is too much of a leap forward on your path to exercise, consider squats and lunges while incorporating bicep curls.  Follow up with some push ups and eventually add weights to the squats and lunges.  You will build more muscle!
Muscle increases our metabolism.  Metabolism is the fire that keeps us going.  When we can build muscle and lose fat our metabolism becomes the eternal fire that WILL burn through all of the aging myths!  Aging doesn’t have to mean weak and old and tired—these are NOT signs of aging, they are signs of feeling old. Choose your path, choose to feel healthy or feel old—either way you’re feeling the results of a life choice.

“It’s supposed to be hard! If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard… is what makes it great!” Tom Hanks ~ A League of Their Own.

Research shows that stress levels are at an all time high. The economy, health insurance, job security, and family life are challenged each day. Depending on your attitude, point of view, or fate it may well be challenged each waking moment. It can be invigorating, aggravating, and at times infuriating. Each of these emotions are powerful, energetic, and necessary. Life is difficult. Pressing the “easy button” would only take away from the greatness.

Take the rush from you receive from love, happiness, frustration, and anger. Channel it into your daily activities. Food is not your only source of fuel.
Harness your emotions into your exercise routine. Energize every jab, cross, and elbow in your kickboxing class or every swing of the kettlebell with the rage you keep inside. Give it an outlet. Focus. Dive into your projects at work with a vigor that only comes from sheer frustration. Love your family. Embrace your family and enjoy every precious moment you have them.
You are not a blank slate going through the motions of life. Channel it. Express it. Wear your heart on your sleeve, it is beautiful!