IT'S OFFICIAL... My body is jello :(

Good Morning Friends,

For those of you who have known me for a while, you know that I worked really hard to lose over 30 pounds and I almost had the 6 pack I always wanted.  And then I started getting comfortable and complacent.  I had people telling me I was too thin (I am 5'2" tall and weighed 132 pounds) and giving me all sorts of advice, criticism, commentaries etc. and while it was nice that people were noticing all of the negative attention I was receiving was overtaking all of the positive feedback.  Worst of all I started feeling comfortable in my own skin and started slowly but surely making excuses for not working out and for eating whatever I felt like eating, damn the calories!

I have tried for months and months to get back on track but dang, it is hard!  This morning I decided that enough is enough and I did Speed 2.0 (Focus T25, Beta Cycle by Shaun T, da man) and I wiggled and jiggled all over my kitchen.  HOLY MOLY my body is mush!  My abs were cursing me for ignoring them for so long and my saddle bags were crying tears of joy.  NO MORE EXCUSES for this girl!!  When I started my journey in February of 2014 I started this blog strictly as a journal for myself.  However when I started seeing results and shared my journey with the world, that was almost as therapeutic and rewarding as my new body.  So, I have decided that I know what I need to do to stay on track and that is to start back with my blog/therapy.  When I was a child my grandmother kept a diary and she bought me diaries and I started keeping a daily journal at a young age.  I was always very shy and it was a way for me to express myself without having to speak.  For those of you who have supported and followed me, thank you.  I so appreciate everyone single one of you.  By making my blog and my journey public I realize that I open myself up to not just the positive but the negative as well.  One of my goals right now, other than getting rid of my jello body, is to deal with the negativity.  Everything that happens to us on a daily basis is subject to our perception.  Maybe I just take what people say the wrong way sometimes because I am so critical of myself and have always suffered from self-esteem issues.  Regardless, I have a lot of work to do but I am willing to crack the whip and start being the person that I want to be instead of the person that I have let myself believe that I am and the person that others want me to be.  Having said that I guess I better stop typing and CHOP CHOP!  I have some work to do!!!

Have a great day everyone!!

XOXO
Tina

An Average Mom Doing Upper Focus

Hello and thank you for checking out my blog.  This is where I share my thoughts, ideas, tips etc to try to motivate, inspire and support anyone who is either trying to get healthier or who may be thinking about getting healthier.

This morning as I was working out I was thinking and decided that I should share me working out with you.  I was thinking about how terrible I look first thing in the morning and how since I let myself go a few months ago that I now have some work to do to get back to where I need to be so my body is not looking it's best either.  But nonetheless I was up, working out in the privacy of my own home, and not giving up.  Instead of beating myself up, having a pity party, griping and moaning and saying "I wish I look like I used to", I was up and working to make my goals a reality.  If I can do it so can you!

I work out in my kitchen because I have a small condo and no place else has enough space so I bought a kitchen island that is on casters so I can move it out of the way and get my hard work done right there each morning.  Focus T25 is only 25 minutes (approximately 30 if you count the cool down) and I make sure I get up just 30 minutes earlier each day so I get it done.  That 30 minutes is the best 30 minutes I spend for myself each day.  As you can see from the video I don't look great (but I don't have to I am in the kitchen and no one else is around) and I am not in great shape yet (but I will get there) but I am trying.  I wanted to share the video to show you that if I can do it so can you.  No one has to be around.  You don't have to be in great shape.  And you don't have to leave the comfort of your own home.  Doing my workouts at home in 30 minutes or less is perfect for me.

So, there you have it!  Me, working out, looking like crap, and being thoughtful enough to share it with you.  YOU'RE WELCOME :)  Where there is a will, there is a way!!!

Have a great day friends and as always thank you for your love and support!

Ms. Bling

SHAKEOLOGY BOOSTS are here!!!!

Some days you need more energy, other days you may not be getting enough veggies. Thanks to NEW Shakeology^® Boosts, you now have the power to customize your shakes to your specific needs. Introducing 3 unique Boosts: Focused Energy Boost, Power Greens Boost, and Digestive Health Boost.

Focused Energy Boost energizes your day the healthy way. If you're looking for an effective pick-me-up without compromising your health, then this boost is for you. Not only will you feel more energized, this amazing boost also supports mental clarity, alertness, and focus to help you be more productive.

Power Greens Boost fuels your body with a full serving of nutrient-dense vegetables and exotic greens. Contains veggies like kale and spinach that feed your body more of what it's not getting from the average vegetable-challenged diet, and it tastes great too!
Plus, it helps support the body's acid/alkaline balance.

Digestive Health Boost is a quick and easy way to help support regularity and digestive health. Get over half of your daily recommended amount of fiber when you add this boost to Chocolate Shakeology.
With a unique blend of 7 grams of both soluble AND insoluble fiber packed into every single scoop, this formula stands apart from typical fiber supplements that contain only soluble fiber.
Plus, it helps improve irregularity, support digestive health, and helps keep you feeling full longer.

Watch the introduction to Boosts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVE40ryLjOU

If you have any questions feel free to email me or check out my website!  

email:  tibelling@aol.com

websites: 

For all Beachbody products:  www.teambeachbody.com/msbling ... just click on the SHOP tab in the upper right corner

For Shakeology:  www.shakeology.com/msbling

It's Here... the FIXATE Cookbook!

 I can't wait to get my hands on this cookbook that is filled with 101 21-Day Fix approved recipes!  Here is a sample recipe from the book:

QUINOA AND BLACK BEAN SALAD

SERVES: 12 (1  cup each)    Prep Time: 30 min.    Cooking Time: 12 min.

CONTAINER EQUIVALENTS (per serving):     1 Green (Vegetable)   2 Yellow (Starch and Carbs) and  1½ teaspoon

INGREDIENTS:

1⁄3 cup  fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp.  ground cumin
1 Tbsp.  sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
1⁄3 cup olive oil
2 cans  black beans, (15-oz. ea.) drained, rinsed
4½ tsp.  red wine vinegar Ground black pepper  (to taste; optional)
4 cups  water
2 cups  dry quinoa, rinsed
1  medium red bell pepper,  finely chopped
1  medium orange bell pepper, finely chopped
1  medium yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1  (10-oz.) bag frozen corn, thawed 1 bunch  fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1.  Combine lime juice, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl;  whisk to blend.
2.  Slowly add oil, while whisking constantly. Set aside.
3.  Combine beans, vinegar, and pepper (if desired)  in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.
4.  Bring water to a boil in medium saucepan over high heat.
5.  Add quinoa. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered,  for 10 to 12 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed.  Remove from heat. Cool for 15 to 30 minutes. Set aside.
6.  Place cooled quinoa in a large bowl. Fluff with a fork.
7.  Add bell peppers, corn, cilantro, bean mixture, and dressing;  toss gently to blend.


TIP: This salad is delicious when eaten immediately. It holds well, refrigerated, and can be eaten for 2 to 3 days.


NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per serving): Calories: 261    Total Fat: 8 g   Saturated Fat: 1 g   Cholesterol: 0 mg   Sodium: 578 mg   Carbohydrates: 38 g   Fiber: 8 g   Sugars: 2 g   Protein: 10 g

You can order your very own copy for only $19.95.  Simply go to my website and click on the SHOP tab in the upper right of the page.  It should be the first thing on the page.  If you have any trouble do not hesitate to send me an email or comment below.  Or if you would like to get an additional 4 free sample recipes please just send me your email and I will send them to you!

My website:

www.teambeachbody.com/msbling

My email:

www.tibelling@aol.com

Thanks for checking out my page and have a great day!

YOU CAN...

For the past few months I have been gradually going downhill without even really realizing how far down I had slid.  Life happens and sometimes sliding downhill happens.  What you do in order to make sure you don't hit bottom again is what defines you.  I know what I need to do and I know I can do it and if there is something you know you need to do or want to do, I want to inspire you because YOU CAN do it!  I refuse to give up, go back or settle for less than what I deserve!

I have so many people who have told me that I motivated, inspired or encouraged them to go out and go for what they want which is so gratifying.  On the flip side, along the way there have been so many people who have reached out and said they wanted to do/be better but just either didn't know how or just weren't ready.  For those people (and myself) I have decided to write a series of blog posts entitled YOU CAN... The ... is what will be new with each post.  For this post the ... is WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO!  This is such a broad statement so this first post is going to be very generalized.  To be very general there are 3 things that you need to do if you want to achieve success in whatever it is that you want to accomplish.  Follow these three simple steps and you will have success!!!

1.  You have to want to succeed bad enough to make it happen.
2.  You have to 100% believe in yourself even if you are the only person on the planet who believes because you are the only person who has to believe!
3.  You have to be work hard and don't stop until you have accomplished your goal.

I am super excited to start this series and I am going to start working on my 1st post for this series as soon as I get home from work tonight.

Thanks for reading this blog post and have a great day!

Day 16: Tuesday, May 5th Speed 1.0

Good Morning!  At least it is a good morning for me.  This past week has been not so normal and my schedule got thrown for a loop.  Last weekend I started working on painting and updating my kitchen cabinets then my kitchen sink got clogged and I made many to unclog it myself because I am a firm believer in why pay someone else an exorbitant amount of money to do something you can do yourself.  Needless to say that took me about 3 days to finally remedy myself (after trying many things it turns out I only needed to buy a better plunger for $8 from the hardware store).  Anyway, I did still manage to get most of my workouts in but I just didn't have time to post.  Unfortunately my choices of food were not as good as they should have or could have been so that was an epic fail on my part.  My usual routine is to grocery shop on Sunday and buy healthy food but I ended up working on my kitchen to try to get some sense of normalcy back in my life so I didn't get to go to the grocery.  I did make it shopping last night and I am packed and ready to go today.  This whole being healthier thing is so mostly in your mind.  The working out part is important but the most important thing is the choices you make with what you eat.  I lie to myself a lot to justify my choices.  I know that I do that and I know I should stop but that is not easy.  So for today, I am going to  try to be honest with myself (for example Friday night due to my clogged sink I had no clean dishes and couldn't cook so I told myself I had to feed my child so I ordered pizza... BAD choice!).  Today is a new day and I am not going to let a few bad choices define me.  Today I will own my choiches and not let them own me.  I got this!  My workout is done but since I did not get to work out yesterday I will do Total Body Circuit tonight.  Good luck today on your journey.  I would love for you to share your story in the comments below if you have one.

As always thanks for your support and have a great day!!!

Day 10: Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 Speed 1.0

Well today I was certainly feeling the pain!  I am so glad I started this program from scratch because I am definitely working muscles and areas that I did not know I even had.  Before I started T25 over I was still working out 2-3 times a week but I was stuck in a rut and doing the same workouts over and over.  Basically I just stuck to the ones that I liked (the ones that I thought were easier lol).  If that's what you are doing or if you are just sticking with the same routine because it is comfortable and familiar, I am urging you to leave your comfort zone immediately if not sooner!  One of my favorite quotes is from Chalene Johnson in PiYo where she is trying to motivate you and she says "This ain't recess".  What a great way to get the point across!  Let's face it, if you aren't giving 110% then why are you even bothering to work out?  So you can post on Facebook that you worked out?  If that's the case just post that you worked out any way because if you aren't pushing yourself and really trying to get some results it doesn't matter if you work out or not.  The next time you work out I want you to check yourself.  Are you working as hard as you can?  If the answer is no then I want you to either quit and go do something else that is actually productive or push yourself harder and keep going (the latter is my preference but it is your choice not mine).  When Shaun T (or whoever you are working out with) says tighten your core, tighten your damn core!  Don't just go through the motions. let the motions go through you (that quote is from Ms. Bling herself).

I would love for you to comment on this post after your next work out!  Hearing from you helps me just as much if not more than writing these posts.  Knowing that I am motivating you keeps me motivated to motivate :)

Thank you for checking out this post and have a great day.

P.S.  Feel free to share this blog if you know anyone who might benefit from following a recovering fat old lady.  If I can do it, they can do it and so can you!