Physical

This picture was taken in November 2007 - almost exactly 12 months from the Before picture shown above. It's still hard to believe how far I made it that first year. I lost 63 pounds in six months, a total of 79 pounds the first year, and have gone on to lose an additional 20 pounds - for a grand total of nearly 100 pounds! Here's how it happened:

It was in October 2006 that I first heard about the principles used to shape your life. Wanting to test the concept, I looked for some area of my life that I could improve. I didn't have to look any farther than my own mirror. Weighing in at 229 pounds in a woman's size 24, I was extremely obese, but I still felt like a thin person on the inside. It may sound strange, but seeing pictures or catching my reflection in a window or mirror always surprised me. This physical body wasn't the "me" that I knew I was supposed to be. As with any addict, whether depression or celebration - comfort food was always my answer. I was a wreck and too tired and depressed to do anything about it.

Don't get me wrong. Just like most people, I'd tried just about every diet and fitness program out there. I even used a personal trainer five days a week and followed a "nutrition expert" diet - and I lost a whopping 3 pounds in four months. Talk about depressing! If working that hard and living on salad for four months didn't make a difference - why bother! Something was obviously wrong with me, and I didn't know what to do about it.

It was about that time that I decided to give it one more shot by enrolling in a work-place fitness program. Since this was my last ditch effort, I really committed myself by signing up to be a team captain. We were called Team Inside Out because everything I'd been reading said that lasting change always comes from the inside (emotionally) before it works its way out (to the physical aspects of your life.) I figured that if all this "mental magic" visualization stuff really worked, I wanted it to happen in a way where I could actually see the results happening. I'm here to tell you that it worked - and in a VERY BIG way! I lost 63 pounds in six months and have gone on to lose a total of nearly 100 pounds. My next goal is to be a fitness model and competitor - only now I understand that the energy of change is in me, and armed with this knowledge, I can have, be, or do anything - and I want you to know how to do it too.

So what EXACTLY did I do?

This is the question I get the most and I'm happy to share; but I have to warn you - there is no silver bullet and it isn't easy - but it is SO worth it!

1. Decide. No matter how many times you've tried in the past, decide today to do it. Don't wait to begin on Monday or after the holidays are over. When you make the decision, you commit to start right NOW. If you make a mistake, don't beat yourself up. Just start again. When you're tempted, look at your ideal image picture and ask, "Do I want to eat this or skip my workout more than I want to look like this picture? And if I look like this picture, do I really want to mess it up with bad choices?" If you're honest with yourself, most of the time, you'll choose to stay focused on your goal. I mean really, is that piece of chocolate really worth your next two workouts? If it is, know that your next two workouts are not moving you forward; instead, they are nothing more than damage control. Do that once or twice and the chocolate seems to lose its appeal. As the pounds come off, you also gain more momentum to succeed.

2. Commit. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Visit the Post Office and let us know. Go to the library and study books on nutrition, exercise, and emotional development or enroll in our free course at the University of YOU. This is also the time to clean out your pantry, refrigerator, cupboards and that secret stash you think no one knows about.

3. Set a Deadline. Pick a date. Want to look great for summer? Start now. If you have a little more to loose, then pick a date one year from today. Break it down into bite-sized pieces and do six week goals. Whatever works for you is fine. Take pictures at each of your six week checks, and plan to reward yourself as you reach your goals. I didn't want to buy clothes because I wasn't the ultimate size yet, but I found a wonderful consignment store and a great friend who donated their gently used items to build my wardrobes as I went down each size. I also bought a tanning package, a gym membership, had my hair done, got a massage, and other inexpensive "thank you gifts" to myself for all my hard work. Remember - you're worth it!

4. Get Organized. It's time to get real. You can't hide behind the elastic waist pants anymore. It's time to face reality and step on that scale, take the dreaded "before" picture, and do your measurements. Weigh once per week, at the same time of day, and with approximately the same amount of clothing. I chose Monday mornings right before my shower. When you measure, don't pull the tape tight to get to the smaller number, or go above or below the bulge in your measurements. Your first step in actually achieving your desire is to make a commitment to be honest with yourself. If you cheat, it is only cheating you. A great website to get your BMI (Body Mass Index) is: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/. Another great website to get information and supplements is: http://www.bodybuilding.com/.

5. Get Inspired. Now is the fun part. Flip through magazines or the internet, or even your old

photo albums to find a picture (or 2 or 3 or ten or a hundred) of the body you want to have. I picked this one of Heather Graham. Isn't she gorgeous? Plaster them wherever you will see them throughout your day every day.

6. Plan. Begin with the end in mind. I convinced myself that this picture was of me and I spent some time thinking about how this "me" would live in order to look like this. I just couldn't imagine this "me" going through the drive-through ordering super orders of salty, greasy food. No, this "me" looks like she'd eat clean (a wonderful book that I highly recommend is by Tosca Reno and is called The Eat Clean Diet). This "me" also obviously works out in order to have curves like that. You do NOT have to have a gym membership to get a killer body. Another favorite book by Tosca Reno is called The Butt Book and it has loads of exercises you can do at home to get you in shape fast.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I've included the Fitness Program I followed below. Feel free to use it, but remember, always consult with a physician before beginning any diet or exercise program. The books I've mentioned also have wonderful recipes and helpful hints. When you are getting started, make sure you measure everything. Portion size is a HUGE factor.

7. Take Action. Understand that you didn't put the weight on overnight and it certainly is not going to come off overnight. Honestly, you wouldn't want it to. If it did, your skin would not have time to adjust and you may end up with a thin body that looks worse because of saggy baggy skin. Make the commitment to yourself that you are not going to take short-cuts. Today is the day you decide that you're worth the sacrifice to become the person you were always meant to be. Start a goal calendar and mark a slash for each day that you eat clean (rule of thumb is that if God didn't grow it, you don't eat it), and another slash if you worked out. This makes an "X" for each day that you ate right and exercised. Utilizing positive affirmations and keeping

a journal are also important aspects of your success. Just think, when you're on Oprah sharing your story, or when you write that best-selling novel about your journey - these tools are going to be what you refer back to. They're the meat and will be what others need to inspire them.

One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that we don't have time. Honestly, it may feel like we don't. Trust me, when I began my program, I was quite vocal about this; but I soon learned that I had to set the example to my family that I was worth taking care of. I was so good at taking care of everyo

ne else's needs, but I was not making time for me. The funny thing is that when you decide you're worth it, others notice and it comes back ten-fold. By getting up an hour earlier each day to get in my workout first thing, I not only burned fat, but revved up my metabolism for the whole day and gained tons more energy than if I had slept that extra time. When you lose your first 10 pounds, pick up a ten pound bag of flour or a ten pound weight and carry it around for ten minutes. You'll soon see how much stress you were putting on your body with the extra weight. As the pounds melt off, your energy will go through the ceiling!

If you really want to look great, you should probably know that a gorgeous body is about 80% nutrition, 20% exercise, and 100% in your mind. Yes - if you want a beautiful physique, you have to give it 200%! Your food intake keeps your blood sugar levels consistent, your cravings at bay, and cleans up the abuses to your body (cellulite, lifeless hair, sallow skin, etc.) Your fitness routine not only sheds excess fat, but molds your body into the shape you desire. It is amazing to know just how much control we have over our desired shape. And probably the MOST important aspect of achieving your goals is your mind. As you make the commitment to begin this journey, don't neglect to heal old emotional wounds, and build a positive self-image from the inside out.

A powerful tool in doing this is to begin the daily practice of meditation. Use this time to visualize the person you want to be, the life you want to lead, and learn to quiet your mind and find the center no matter what chaos may surround you. A great resource is the Centerpointe Research Holosync program. You don't have to know "how" to meditate to get the results. Get a free demo CD at: http://www.centerpointe.com/. I'm convinced that stress is a major contributor to obesity and meditation is a dramatic way to combat this.

Yoga is another wonderful tool to obtain dramatic results. I always thought it was just a flexibility thing, but yoga is very good at clearing the inner and the outer bodies at the same time. It is also surprising at how much strength it builds; especially to your core. Don't worry if you are heavy and can't do the poses. Yoga teaches to look inward rather than looking at other people in the class, and it is perfectly acceptable (and very normal) if you can't do the poses and if you have to sit out on some parts. Your goal is to be there and stay in the room. If you can improve a little bit each time, then you are succeeding. Isn't that how life works? Those who give up when things get hard never experience the joy and confidence that comes from having navigated through the storm.

Get My Fitness Program FREE!

Join The Neighborhood's free Center Street Fitness Club and I'll send you my complete fitness program to help you get started. This is the same program I used to drop 63 pounds in six months, and nearly a hundred pounds total!