A note from my Heart

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

This week has been a really tough one for me. I am going through a lot of things in my personal life right now and to be honest I don't know what is going to happen. I am scared of the path ahead of me because I am blinded as to which way to go. I posted this on my facebook page today.
 I think we all feel like this on some days....
"I am trying so hard to keep it all together and see the path ahead of me but I am in the dark and I feel alone even though I know I'm not I just think sometimes I like it better that way. Maybe in some way I feel like it gives me peace, yet it just seems to only make everything that much harder. I'm scared of what lies ahead."

I know that God has a plan for my life, I am just not sure at this point in my life which direction that plan is in. I am having a hard time emotionally and it is taking its toll on how I am feeling physically. I have been a little under the weather this week. It is easy sometimes to let the stress of our lives affect us and if you are not careful you will start to be affected physically.  I  know though that we are not given more then we can handle and that through all of our trials in life weather they be mental, emotional or physical, that we will come out the other side a better and stronger person because of it.  I have learned so much in my life through the hard times and apparently I still have plenty more to learn. ☺

I may not feel good or I may not be having a great day, but I still get up and do what needs to be done and keep on living my life. I will still keep pushing through to reach my goals and I won't let my healthy lifestyle fall by the wayside. It is easy when going through a hard-time to start to eat emotionally or to skip the gym and want to lay around and feel sorry for yourself. It is ok to feel sad, but pick yourself back up and think positive,  Life doesn't stop just because we have a bad day or are going through a tough time. It is how we react to these times and what we  learn from them that matters most. I am leaning right now on God, and prayer, to get me through and help me make the right choices and to show me the path I am supposed to take. I don't share all of my struggles with my friends because some battles need to be fought on my own.

If any of you are going through a hard time, I hope that you find your answers and find peace. Even if you don't believe in God. I know, Everyone is different and I do not discriminate on anyone or any religion. Just know that you are amazing in each and everyday and everything will turn out ok.


I know that tomorrow is a new day and I am ready to face whatever tomorrow holds for me. I am going to keep pushing toward my goals and I hope you will follow me on this amazing journey through it all, the ups, the downs and the in-betweens.
That is the amazing thing about life. There will always be good times and bad, but I am a fighter and I will come out the other side on top and with God on my side each and every time!

xoxoxo
BeautifuLee Fit from the Inside Out
Dede

Motivation

 “Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”

 “Motivation is like food for the brain. You cannot get enough in one sitting. It needs continual and regular top ups.”

Everyone needs motivation or a little push to get started or to keep going or to stay on track. Without motivation in our lives we would give up, things would get stale and we would never really finish any task. Think about it. With anything that you start in life there is a goal, or a driving force or some sort of motivation that keeps you going and helps you finish what you start. Weather it is knowing that what your cooking is going to please others and taste great, or looking forward to the end of that good book you are reading, or even a prize you want to win or a goal you want to achieve. You look forward to that end result so you do what you have to do to finish what you started to get you there. It is the same way with working out, and loosing weight or changing your body and lifestyle to be healthy. 


Everyone needs a push now and then to keep their momentum up and stay motivated and on the right track. I struggle with this myself in my own workouts and diet. There are many days that I am very tired and I lack the drive to get up and go to the gym or to cook my meals and I would rather just grab something fast and easy. There are days I would rather just lay around then get up and do a workout. But I am always finding new ways to keep myself motivated and to stay on track and keep my eye on the prize!


One of the things that I do is I write down my goals and put them up on a Vision board it is something I see everyday and it reminds me of the where I want to see myself, the goals I want to accomplish and why I have chosen to live a healthy and fit life.
Another way I keep motivated is through my team. I am apart of a great team called Cathy Savage Fitness. It is such a great group of ladies with amazing coaches that all support each other all over the country and we hold each other accountable. If you are doing this on your own and having a hard time staying motivated, you might want to consider joining a team. Finding a workout partner or a group of friends where you can all help each other and hold each other accountable to reaching your goals.
Another great way for me to stay motivated is by doing progress pictures, seeing my progress with my own eyes helps me to feel accomplished and push myself that much harder. When I feel like I want to stop or give up I just look back at how far I have come and I want to never go back there again. For those of you who haven't seen my progress here is a photo of where I started and one of me on my last show.

The first photo was taken after the birth of my daughter which was in Feb. But I started taking progress photos in April of 2009. The last photo was at the NPC Nationals 2011. Another important thing to always remember is it doesn't happen overnight! It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where you want to be. But once you start seeing the results, it only fuels your motivation!


Fianlly one of the last things I do for motivation is I follow other people online, like on Facebook or other things and I also use their photos for inspiration. I will even sometimes post their photos in my closet so when I go get dressed each morning I can see a photo of what I aspire to.

No matter what your motivation is, just make sure you find it, and always find new ways to hang onto it and keep pushing yourself to stay on track and keep your eye on the end goal. It won't always happen as fast as you want it too, sometimes life may get in the way, but stay motivated and remember why you are making the choices you are making and keep right on going! I am right there with you, keeping my motivation and goals where they need to be to reach my own personal and fitness goals.

BeautifuLee Fit,

Dede

xoxox

Finding the Balance

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony Thomas Sparkey

I know a lot of people talk about balance but I can not stress how important it is to find a balance in your own life. If you are working out, trying to eat clean or starting something brand new, or even or training for a show it is so much easier to focus on those goals when you find balance in it all.

This is something I have struggled with.

I spent so much of my time making sure that everyone else was happy and taken care of. That the house was clean, bills were paid and laundry was done. That I had everything the kids needed and the grocery shopping was done and errands were run that I forgot that I needed to also add myself to the "to do list" for the day. I was neglecting myself, trying so hard to please everyone else and make sure they were happy and taken care of, and all the while I was stressed, tired, and grumpy. I had to realize that sometimes it is ok, to set aside time for what I wanted. That it wasn't bad or I wasn't a bad mother for taking time out of my day for myself and my wants or needs!

I added the gym back into my daily routine. That is where I can let off steam and de-stress. It is part of my "me time" and I cherish it each day. You need to remember if you are a mother, like I am, or a college student or even a single person in the working world trying to make your way. That it isn't selfish or a bad thing to allot yourself time each day. You will in fact be better and function more smoothly because of it.

I have now been able to find time to have fun with my family, still do the things that need to be done around the house and pay the bills, as well as take time out for myself and my needs and even do a competition here and there. Here is a little peak into my life:

                                         This photo was taken last Saturday at my Son's Karate Graduation.

 I cook my meals on Sunday's after church or on the weekend nights after the kids are in bed. I go to the gym in the mornings after I drop my son off at school. My daughter loves going to the daycare there so she can play with her friends. I do all my other things at home after the gym and when I pick my son up from school, the next few hours are devoted to my children. My son does Karate 4 days a week and my husband and I each take 2 days taking him. I also work 3 nights a week for extra money. My daughter will take Gymnastics starting in May.
Weekends are amazing family time for us, while still fitting in a Saturday workout. We always try to plan a family fun night 2x a week on Friday and the other 2 my husband and I try to have "Date Night" It doesn't always work out but we try. Saturdays we go to the gym in the morning and then spend the afternoon doing things with the kids. Sunday's we go to church. It is very important to us to stay grounded in our faith. After church on Sunday we usually have some lazy time. This past Sunday I left the kids with my husband for a few hours and rewarded myself with a spa treatment. A nice relaxing massage and facial. It was amazing and I don't feel guilty about it one bit.

See what I mean ladies or gents? You have to take time for yourself. Relax, let loose and reward yourself. You can't always be so focused on you family, or your work or even your diet and workout schedule that you forget that you have to take care of yourself too. Do something fun for yourself, or relaxing, or reward yourself with a night out and a cheat meal. Don't get so caught up in everything else that  you forget yourself!

Putting the Blinders On

 “Avoid destructive thinking, and listening to others negativity. Improper negative thoughts sink people. A ship can sail around the world many, many times, but just let enough water get into the ship and it will sink. Just so with the human mind. Let enough negative thoughts or improper thoughts get into the human mind and the person sinks just like a ship.” - Alfred A Montepert

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 Not everyone is going to agree or understand some of our decisions in life. Especially when it comes to changing your lifestyle. So sometimes we need to put on "blinders" in order to stay focused on our goals, and the changes we want to make, to better ourselves.

I have experienced this myself with my own friends and family. A lot of them do not agree at all with my choices to compete. They think that it is a "beauty contest", or superficial way to put your body on display. They don't support m,e and do not have any interest in attending any of the shows I do. For me, the choice to compete was about being the best me that I could be. For no one other then myself. It was a way to push myself harder towards my goals and to share my accomplishments with others. It has nothing to do with outer beauty for m,e but strength, determination, and achieving a goal. Not many people understand it. I in fact have been made fun of and ridiculed for my choices. I have even lost friends over it. I have learned, through this process that sometimes you just have to put on those "blinders" and ignore the negative comments from others. The more you listen to them or worry what others think of you, the more you will be dragged down. Don't let the fact that others don't understand, or support your choices in life be a hindering block in you achieving your goals or making those changes. It is hard sometimes to put on "blinders" toward others and their comments especially when it comes from friends and family, but it is sometimes what is needed for us to stay on track.

Negativity sucks away energy. Don't let negativity affect your vision. A lot of people have said harsh things, but I don't let it affect me. If anything it gives me more enthusiasm and pushes me to do better so I can prove them wrong.

So rise above the negative comments, try to educate those that don't understand, and don't worry about those that don't want to support you, surround yourself with people who motivate you and keep on pushing. No matter what your goal may be put on those "blinders" and focas on the prize!

 BeautifuLee Fit from the inside out,

Dede 

Change

               "The key to change... is to let go of fear." - Rosanne Cash


I know from personal experience how hard change can be! It is scary, sometimes unpredictable, and uncomfortable. Too often in life we get caught up in  the comfort of what we "know", or what we are used too. We don't think about change or accept change because, we are stuck in the comfort of what we know or have been doing for so long.

It takes a lot of courage to change and take that first step in faith toward the "unknown". I personally have struggled lately with change in my own life. It has taken me some time to evaluate where I am and get rid of the old mindset and see that change is not always a bad thing. In fact it may be just what we need. I have had to take some big steps recently in my personal life as well as in the fitness world. All it took was that first step in faith, and I have already seen some positive things happening and gained confidence that I know what is right for me and that change is not a bad thing. It may be scary because of the unkown of the future but everything in life has to change in order to really grow!

I will be making a lot of changes this year and I hope you will follow me on this, exciting and some what scary journey!

Know that if you have been struggeling as I was with "changing" things in your life, or business or anything, that in order to grow there must be change. Have confidence in yourself that you know what is right for you and take that step in faith and watch as you grow! Good luck to everyone making Changes this year!

xoxoxo
Fitfulee Yours,

Dede