Personal Update

 I am sorry for the lack of blog posts. But over the past month I got very sick. I am still not quite sure how I got sick I just know that I did. We need to remember to listen to our bodies and when we are tired and feeling a little run down to take a break and give ourselves time to recharge! Being a busy mother, trying to really work on a small business and do the day to day things, sometimes I forget to stay in tune with what my body is telling me and I find myself always on the go, go, go.

I was sick for about a week and then in the Hospital for six days. I had pneumonia as well as a Viral infection among other things. I was on Oxygen, and a lot of med's, and I am still recovering. It will be a while before I am back 100% but I didn't let this little road block set me back. I know that God has a reason for everything and I probably just needed some good rest, and to stop trying to make everyone else happy for a change and let other people do for me. That is something I struggle with a lot. Letting others do for me. I am a very independent person and I am a people pleaser sometimes to a fualt. But I am learning that it is ok to sit back and let other people wait on you from time to time!

  Like that beautiful flower that continues to grow every year,You can plant yourself and grow to your potential, if provided you plant yourself in the right environment. I choose to be planted and grow every day. To nourish myself with fresh thoughts about the day I am in, and look forward to improving myself daily. I will plant myself in humility, I will water myself with success, I will sun myself in gratitude.

I have been through a lot this past month and through it all I am feeling very blessed! I love that we as people continue to grow and learn each day. Life is such a great journey and I plan on making the most of it learning, and growing into the best me I can be.. For myself, my family and God.

A lifetime is not what is between the moments of birth and death.
A lifetime is one moment between your two little breaths.
The present, the here, the now, that’s the life you get.
Live each moment in full, in kindness, in peace, without regret.

I am looking forward to an amazing Father's Day weekend with my family. I am definitely taking advantage of this time I have to relax and focus on other things. Movies, and play time, the park and church. Little precious moments with my kids those things are so important to me. I am still just as devoted to my healthy and clean lifestyle as well as getting exercise and working out, I just have shifted my focus a little right now and it is a nice breath of fresh air. I can still focus on the Health of it all and at the same time focus on the beauty of it all and the process that goes with this thing called life!

Upcoming Plans & Goals:

July: Family Beach Vacation

 October 2012: I plan to compete @ the Dixie. I will be preparing hard for this show after my Family Vacation in July. 

November 2012: Goal- To compete with the Fitness America Show in Vegas

Here's to reaching our goals and enjoying each moment along the way!!

BeautifuLee Fit From the Inside Out

Dede

xoxox

Small Goals Matter!

**  Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement. -Brian Tracy **

**It is not enough to take steps which may some day lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise.- Johann Wolfgang **

Good morning!! I hope everyone has had a great week and wonderful weekend. I want to remind you all that you should set goals for yourself! It is very important to have something to work towards. Sometimes without that goal, no matter how small it may be, we can find that we loose our focus and motivation much faster. A goal could be something as small as drinking a gallon of water, or loosing a pound, or getting in one extra workout that week. Each time we meet one small goal, we are able to set bigger goals the next time. Each small goal achieved, no matter how small, is still an achievement and a step in the right direction toward the bigger end goal. Never forget or underestimate the fact that the SMALL goals matter, just as much as the big ones!! So get out there and set some goals no matter how big, or how small, and start making them happen!

I am excited to say that I have set a goal for myself to be on stage in a little less the 4 weeks from now. I didn't think I would do a show this year until later in the year, but I have been encouraged to give this show a shot. I will be honest though and say that I am NOT where I need to be to hit the stage, but I am going to work toward that goal. If I don't meet itl, at least I know that I am headed in the right direction and I can pick another show and keep on working hard. There are a few other things that could cause me to be unable to do the show, even if I do find that I am ready. I have so far been unable to get in touch with my theme wear designer, and finances will also play a part in weather or not I can afford to do this. But, I will work towards it as if I can. I will not be disappointed if I don't get to where I need to be, or circumstances don't work out.I will be proud of all the hard work and effert I put in to to get there. If I can't make the deadline in such a short amount of time, I may just reward all my hard work and efforts with a photo shoot! I'm sure you are all ready to see some new photos of my progress with my new team! Cathy Savage Fitness!



My training is going well and my family life is a bit more at peace these days. I still have a lot on my plate, but I know that God will lead me. I am learning to give it all to Him.

My family and I went for a hike last weekend and got some great exercise while have some amazing family time. You don't have to always be in the gym to get your workout in. You can include your family and do something fun while still getting a great workout at the same time. It teaches your kids the importance of exercise and being healthy and it shows that family comes first. My dreams and goals are mine alone, and I hope to meet them. I will work hard toward them each day, but my family will always come first!

Here is a short video I made of incorporating family time with exercise.... I hope you enjoy it !

Life is such a precious gift! I am amazed everyday watching my kids grow. I am an on the go mom and sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the day to day. So my little bit of advice for everyone today:
  Take a moment to stop and reflect. Think of where you have come from, and where you are going. Think of your successes, and your failures, your happy times and sad times. Know that through it all...... you should take time to stop look around and enjoy it. The small things in life will always be there, feed the things in life that matter to you. Your Family, friends and yourself. Life is full of surprises and unexpected things that we cant help. Just be sure to make the moments that matter count! Live in the good times, and embrace the challenges as they come!

Have a great day everyone and I hope you will continue to follow me on my journey to the stage this year. Through the ups and the downs. If I can encourage just a few then I have accomplished a dream come true for me. I also want to say that even though it is my goal to inspire and help change the lives of others, that each of my followers, also encourages and inspires me as well, with all of the wonderful support! So, Thank You!!

BeautifuLee Fit from the Inside Out,

Dede
xoxox

The Busy Life

 “Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.”

 As a mother of two kids I keep a very busy schedule. I try to get to the gym in the mornings after dropping my son off at school. I come home to errands, bills, cleaning, laundry as well as taking care of my daughter who just turned three. I also have a small Spray Tan company which I run out of my home so I fit in a spray tan or two or more, as well. My son takes Karate and he goes to that 5 days a week and my daughter has just started gymnastics once a week, so I take them to those. I also have all the normal mommy duties, homework, baths, dinner, bedtime, playtime etc... so as you can see my life is very full and busy most days. I am normal just like everyone else and sleep through my alarm or forget to pack a meal.. So I sometimes have to eat in a rush. That is why I love my OhYeah Protein bars and protein shakes. When I am running late in the morning and rushing out the door to get my son to school on time I can mix up a shake in a few seconds in my shaker cup and I have quick and healthy protein packed breakfast!

 

No matter how busy you are don't skip a meal and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You need it to give you energy and jump start your metabolism for the day. A lot of women think if the skip meals they will loose weight faster. You will loose weight but not in a healthy way. Your body will go into starvation mode and anything you do eat will be stored as fat. As soon as you start to eat normally again you will gain back all of the weight that was lost and maybe a few extra to boot. It is very important that you feed your body!

Think of it this way. Your body is like a train running on coal. You have to feed the coal to the fire in the engine room in order for the train to go, and the more often you do this the faster it goes. That is the same principle for your metabolism. You have to feed your body, in small, healthy, clean meals, 5 to 6 times a day and you will see your metabolism kick in. Even if you are in a rush don't skip a meal. Keep some protein bars in your car or bag or someplace in case of an emergency where you are out longer then expected or just in a hurry and running late.

On another note I wanted to share with you a workout I did this week.
                                               200 rep challenge
 I wanted to shock my body and do something a little bit different. So I used this challenge for my leg day. I did eight exercises for legs and I did a light to medium level weight. I chose two exercises to start and did 100 reps of each and then repeated them both again for another 100 reps each. I did this until all 8 exercises were complete.
Here is a list of my exercises

Leg Press
Seated Calf Raise
Reverse Hack Squat
Inner Thigh Machine ( but I did this backwards- I sit on my knees backwards on seat and using my ankles to pull the machine together to work the glutes)
Leg Extension

Leg curl
Cable Kick Backs
Body weight Squats

This was a great workout and so intense that I skipped cardio that day. I encourage you to give it a try and let me know how you do!! 


Next week I want to take a Yoga class to help me relax and de-stress as well as stretch. I haven't taken yoga in years and I am very interested to give it a try again.


“I laugh, I love, I hope, I try, I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry. And I know you do the same things too, So we're really not that different, me and you.”

 On a personal note:
 I am still dealing with a lot of things in my personal life... We all go through hard times and have our ups and downs. I am relying on God for support and direction and strength on how to cope, how do deal and how to move on... I have a long process ahead of me, to heal and forgive and to let go. I just felt it very important to share with you that everyone goes through these times. It is how we move on from those times and how we learn from these times that matters. I took a day or two off of the gym this week due to some personal illness and some stress headaches. I really just needed to listen to my body and take a short break. But that doesn't mean I throw in the towel or dwell on my problems and lay around all day nor do I drown them out with food or alcohol.

This quote is so amazing to me and so true. Not everyday is good, but we should strive to find something good in everyday. Life is amazing and full of challenges and we can do ALL things through HIM who strengthens us!! 




I hope you all have a great day and be blessed!!


BeautifuLee Fit from the Inside Out
xoxoxoxo
Dede

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

 ___________________________________________________________________________

 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