Issues of belly fat~

1st off, that is NOT a picture of me, however, there was a time that it could have been. I must say that of all areas to lose weight, the belly has to be one of the top areas that my clients complain about; both men & women. I'm thinking it runs a close second to the thighs and butt. My hubby has a little nick name for the big belly, he calls it "booty do". He says it's when a belly sticks out farther than when your "Booty Do" Kinda funny but the reality of "booty do" is NOT. For one thing, carrying extra fat around the midsection puts you at a higher risk of developing several life threatening diseases. The words, "LIFE, and THREATENING should have your attention.
"Hello?? Is this thing on????"
Ok so for the ladies...you've had kids...Yes, I know...for some of us the belly does linger longer than others. You ladies that can pop out kids and strut your stuff in a bikini the following month better count your blessings! I am a mother of three and I can say from experience that losing the belly is not impossible. It may be tough for some, but just cause you've had a kid (or kids) is no excuse for you to claim a big belly for the rest of your life. The one thing that I can tell you about losing the belly is that it has absolutely nothing to do with crunches; it's about what you're eating. Sorry, but you might as well get up offa the floor now if your diet is wack. I'm not going to debate which eating lifestyle is best, I'll just say that if you clean up your eating, the belly will come off. Exercise does have its place. It tones as you lose so please DO NOT think I'm telling you to NOT work your abs. I'm a low carber for life and I have witnessed my own belly whittle away the longer I cut the sugar, increased my water intake, and didn't eat junk food.
Fellas, the "beer belly" is not working for your lady. I challenge you to stop drinking for 30 days and see if you don't notice a differnce. Just like yall see eye candy from the scantily clad chicks, we see hot bods too; do us a favor and tighten things up. As the head of the household, you all (especially) should be demonstrating healhty living so that the family follows your lead.  
Belly fat might take longer to come off, but believe me...IT WILL COME OFF.
Be patient...stay focused...be determined to get that belly off at this time in your life. Kids or no kids...

Mizcardio4lyf~

I did it~

Well, after over 11 years with my so-called stable job, I did it; I walked away! Last Friday was my last day and it was a day mixed with many emotions. Above and beyond it all, I was happier than I have been in a long time. Then I was sad because I have been working with many of the same people since the year 2000. I can't lie and say that I wasn't also nervous about walking away from a stable paycheck and top notch benefits. I have a son with Epilepsy, and bills to pay so no longer having the comforts of both is A LOT to digest. BUT-----GOD IS ABLE! I have been doing a lot of praying, fasting, and seious thinking over the past several months and to be quite honest, I was absolutely miserable at my job and it wasn't getting better with time. Ya know, it seems kinda crazy to me to continue to go to a job that you wake up hating EVERYDAY; and for what? Money, benefits, vacation time that they wanna hassel you about if you try to take a day off?? I got to a point where I decided that I wanted a LIFE more than a tenure so walking away was not all that complicated. I am blessed to have a plan B, one that has the potential to sustain my family far better than that "job" ever could have. My decision was just that, MINE, so I still got mad love for those that remain in Corporate America. You gotta do what works for YOU, but that journey was at an end for me so here I am and glad to be here.

I am now at the tail end of my first week as an entrepreneur and it feels amazing. In addition to quitting my job, I also had to relocate from Kentucky back to Michigan. My house is a wreck! Bags, and boxes all over the place. 2 of many things that we have now listed on CraigsList. I'm also adjusting to being a full-time SAHM to a 4 & 7 year old. So far, it ain't half bad! I'm loving the idea that my time is just that...MINE! Make important business calls in my PJ's while I'm making my kids breakfast; how cool is that? It has been my dream to be able to be home full time by the time my daughter started school, and guess who is starting kindergarten this fall? I will be able to take her to school for the first day and be there when she gets home. Mission accomplished!

Okay so on to the business. I thought I had locked in on a location but that fell thru so it's back to the drawing board! I was mad at first but I have re-grouped. God has something better for me so I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for the location that HE had intended for my business. On Tuesday I had a meeting with an awesome lady who is going to team up with me on some things for the business. She has the experience that I am lacking and is willing to take me under her wing- I am in complete awe at the people that I am meeting each day.

I have pre-registered for my next Zumba certification at the end of July. I'm also about to get things in order to get my AFAA certification and the ACE is next!
It's also time to get my body back in tip top shape. Relocating and the stress of all of this transitioning has not helped me focus on the very best of eating habits and exercise. I feel awful because it's been a minute since my last good workout. I strive to be relatable in my blog so here you have it folks...I have slip ups too!! The cool thing is that my body is very well conditioned and it doesn't take long at all for it to snap back after a hiatus. I've set up my schedule to help me balance my day and it will definately include several hours of exercise. I'm excited about that!

Things are on the move for me and Move2Lose fitness so don't blink or you might miss something great!

Mizcardio4lyf!

Don’t think, just drink~

Your body needs water daily…and LOTS of it. I happen to be one of those fortunate people; drinking plain water comes naturally to me so I can down 100+ ounces of the clear stuff daily without batting an eye. For others, it’s a challenge and I have heard some rather creative ways that people try to justify their water intake.  Coffee & tea consumption does not count as water intake for my clients; while I do whole heartedly support many of the health benefits in both of these power drinks, NOTHING compares to a glass of plain old water. Water is one of the BEST known natural appetite suppressants; more times than not, the grumblings that people mistake for hunger pangs, is actually your body’s need for water. Unfortunately, the overweight person needs more water than a thin one. Larger people have larger metabolic loads. It is believed that water is the key to fat metabolism; therefore the overweight person needs more water.

So what about water retention? “If I drink a lot of water, I retain water and feel bloated. My stomach feels huge and I weigh more!” The best way to overcome water retention issues is to give your body what it needs -- plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released. If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in a certain concentration. The more salt you eat the more water your system retains to dilute it. Again, diet plays a BIG part in weight loss; watch your sodium intake. *and high levels of sodium is not just about salty foods. Read labels!*

Please stay away from water pills people!! (I know all the tricks trust me) Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Now besides the fact that losing essential nutrients is NEVER a good thing, your body will replace this lost water at the FIRST opportunity and guess what… the condition quickly returns. 

Bottled or tap? I’ll leave that up to the individual. I know many people who will fight to the death over their Britta water bottles, and or their bottles of Evian. Those are all fine by me, it’s one of those matters where both sides have great arguments and supporting studies. In general I drink tap water. Besides the fact that it has nutrients such as fluoride, let’s be honest, it’s cheaper and convenient! I’m a water bottle junkie, especially personalized ones. I’ll fill my containers in the morning, throw em’ in a cooler with an ice pack and I’m out the door! Every now and again, I do like to splurge and get a Fiji water but I can assure you, it’s only because I think I look super cool carrying that squared off looking bottle. #imjussaying…

If you do opt to rock a water bottle, please…please…PLEASE…clean it thoroughly with HOT soap and water daily! I watched a documentary on water bottles a few years back and was blown away at the bacteria found in water bottles daily. Ecoli being one of the most prevalent! There’s a lot of backwash going on in your beloved water bottle on a baily basis and simply rinsing it out with some more water will kill none of the germs. I try to wash my bottle out with soap and water before I refill it but if there is little time then I make sure I do it at the end of the day. I also replace my bottles every 6 months, I have no scientific reason for the number, I just do it after I go to the dentist. *shrug*

Glowing skin & nails, a happier colon are a few more out of a host of reasons why you should be sure to hydrate your body often. Water is not optional in weight loss, it is key to your success and can make life so much easier in general. Please remember this is if nothing else:

If you wait until you’re thirsty to drink a glass of water, you’re already dehydrated!

Mizcardio4lyf!

A picture speaks a thousand words~

The process of losing unwanted pounds and getting fit is almost always a daunting one. There are highs, lows, and everything in between. I’m such an impatient person. Whatever it is that I want, I want it yesterday! So you can imagine how badly I was waiting to see some results when I weighed over 200lbs, wore a tight  size 18/20 and wanted so desperately to see the single digit sizes again. For most people, the numbers on the scale show a loss pretty quickly in the beginning. Usually the first drop is water weight coming off but it’s still a happy feeling when you are ready to LOSE. You will get to a point where the numbers won’t budge, or worse, they start to RISE again. (see my previous post about throwing out them scales) You’re going to need some sort of sign that all of your hard work and sacrifice has not gone unnoticed by your body. *enter the camera* I was not a big fan of the camera when I was bigger. I’d usually hide in the back or be the one doing all the picture taking. (sound familiar to any of you?) One day, I can’t remember why I did it but I took a “before” picture and every few weeks I’d take another. After a few weeks of this I had them side by side I saw changes! Talk about an ego boost. People were telling me they could tell I was losing weight, but “I” wanted to see; did I mention I’m a control freak too? =) From that point on, pictures became a regular part of the weight loss drill. I have pics at every stage of my weight loss and I STILL look back at them to this day! I can still remember how I was feeling and what was going on in my life at the time when I look at many of the pictures. We all have those, “I feel fat” days and the pics will usually give you the “pick me up” that you will need to go on. You don’t need anything super fancy; a cell phone pic will do if that’s all you got. I don’t care how bad you hate taking pics, take at least one when you begin your weight loss plan; you will be SO GLAD that you did! Remember how you feel when you take the picture, and then put it somewhere to remind you of a place where you will NEVER be again!

Mizcardio4lyf!

Try something new~

My muse for the name of my company really tells the tale of how I lost weight. I know a lot of people think that to lose weight you simply go to the gym, eat right, drink a bunch of water and the weight will come off. This thinking is absolutely correct, BUT….there are so many other ways to lose weight than the machines at the gym.  When I was trying to lose weight in 2007, I had a gym membership but I was too embarrassed to go, and the machines bored me to tears anyway. One night, I saw an infomercial for a cool chick named Leslie Sansone advertising Walk Away the Pounds dvds. I was looking at it laughing to myself because it looked entirely too easy to have any type of weight loss effects. Well I’m here to tell the masses that I was SADLY mistaken! Not only were her vids effective, but they put a whooping on me something terrible! Who knew that I really COULD walk away the pounds?? Hence, the birth of my business name because all you gotta do is MOVE and it clearly DOES NOT have to be on a treadmill in a gym in order for you to LOSE!

Today I’d like to encourage you to try something new in both eating habits and exercise. You may be surprised to discover that the exercise you least expected to work might be your breakthrough body changer! Hire a personal trainer for a minimum of 6-8 weeks and if you do then please make SURE to clean up your eating and do what he/she says to the letter. Our job as your trainer is to work the heck outta you, not coddle; sorry but it is, what it is. If you have a trainer that won’t push you past what you can do on your own then you are wasting your valuable time and money.

Another suggestion is to try some form of group exercise. Some of my favorites are: Yoga, Spinning, and Kickboxing. You want to get your heart rate up and sweat!!! Ladies, this is NOT the time to be worrying about your “doo”. Get some braids, or buy a wig and take care of business.

I wish you the best in your new fitness discoveries! There’s so much out there to try.

Mizcardio4lyf~  

A change has come~

I was on hiatus from my blog last week, did yall miss me cuz I sure missed yall!

Sometimes I have to step back and kind of “see where my head is”, so to speak. I am, by nature, a multitasking maniac so I’ve always got a million things going at once. Now that I have started my business, and I’m commuting between states to see my family, I’m even MORE on the go! I did some thinking, made a few decisions, and I’m pretty pleased with the outcome. A little over 3 months ago, I made the decision to stop eating meat. I honestly didn’t think I’d make it thru the first 30 days and when I survived, I decided to stick with it. The next 60 days were tough for me. At first I thought I was doing pretty well but then I got to a point where I felt like I was starving to death and that was NOT the biz! Once I got past what to eat, I started experiencing a whole new issue. Fructose Malabsorbtion; who knew too much fruit could make you sick? *look it up and you’ll see what I was going thru* As soon as I backed off the fruits, all the issues I was having stopped. A decision had to be made and fast! My biggest obstacle, and I knew this going into my vegetarianism lifestyle, is that I don’t like a huge variety of veggies, and those that I do like I only like raw. I commend folks who live a complete RAW lifestyle, some days; momma needs some heat on her food! Okay so after painful deliberation, I have started eating meat again and the process has been interesting for me. We’ll just say, my body has been “adjusting” to processing meats again. I never said I disliked meat, and having been extremely successful with Atkins, you can imagine how hard NOT eating it has been for me. I have had chicken and beef so far and every bite has been pure heaven! I missed it something terrible, I didn’t know it when I wasn’t eating it but now I realize how yummy a great burger is!! *LOL* I am my biggest critic and the decision to go back to eating meat was about as difficult as my decision to wean my daughter before she turned 1. The guilt was something awful! I’m not one to quit anything but my awesome hubby helped me to see one of the things that I honestly believe; ‘EVERYTHING AIN’T FOR EVERYBODY.” I’m proud that I made it the 90 days, which was HUGE for me! I will buy organic meats though, it costs more but I’ll pay for more quality food.  I highly recommend that everyone step out of your comfort zone at least once and give vegetarianism a try. If it works for you great, if not, then at least you’ve tried something new. As for yours truly, it feels good to be back to my old self; a Hello Kitty loving diehard carnivore!