Diet, Exercise, and Nutrition Oh My!

 

Are you a warrior? Are you strong enough to commit to yourself?  I turned 40 this year and I have to say that I look and feel great. I have two kids that make me crazy and run me ragged but I still find the time for myself each and everyday to do the things that help me feel good about myself. That is what life is about you know... feeling good about who you are and what you have accomplished. You must take care of yourself to get through this life. If you feel bad about who you are then it will show with everything you do. I have noticed that being positively motivated has made me a better person in every catagory. I am NOT saying that I am positive every minute of everyday... I have bad days just like everyone else but I lean toward happiness as much as I can.

I became a gym rat when I quit riding horses for a living. My second child was diagnosed with autism and because of his disability I decided to be a full time mom instead of competing in the equestrian world. I felt lost without horses and my usual daily activities and was quickly falling into a deep depression. I didn't even realize that I was horribly depressed until my friends started to talk to me about my behavior. I needed something to fill the void left bare by my decision. I have never liked the gym. I was that person who paid for the membership and then never went. I just never fit in and always felt like an outsider. It is not a user friendly community in the beginning and I needed support.

My friend finally talked to me into going to the gym on her visitors pass for a few hours. I was sick to my stomach with the thought of being looked at by those people. I was overweight, depressed, and unknowledgeable about the gym. I had not one idea how anything worked or what I should even be doing there. I had that fear of looking ridiculous... basically the same fear one has the first day of school when you don't know anyone. It brings you back to those horrid teen years of not quite fitting in. My friend knew her way around the gym and she taught me all the things I needed to know to survive the gym.

I decided that after years of being a gym member that I would write about all the things I was unsure of in the beginning for all of you that have "GYM FEAR". I wrote a book called "A Warrior's Guide to Life", with my business partner, that basically maps out everything a new gym member needs to know to get through going to the gym. It is basically an instruction book for the gym with video links that will show you how to maneuver the machines and give you information about the classes using as much humor as possible. My partner is a gourmet chef and she wrote an easy and affordable diet program that has all the flavor in the world with low fat/carbohydrates. The food plan basically teaches you how to change your eating habits to fire up your metabolism and burn fat. She has developed fabulous recipes for all of you that want to be healthy.TheBestLinks