Ms Bliss Fit

I think we all remember when Oprah Winfrey revealed that she had thyroid disease and that it has caused her weight problems throughout the years. There are two types of thyroid issues…hyperthyroidism (excessive) and hypothyroidism (underactive).  Here is a more detailed explanation from bodybuilding.com.

“The thyroid is the butterfly shaped gland that impacts metabolism in adults. It responds to and is regulated by feedback loops and plays a vital role in maintaining body temperature and homeostasis.”

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a condition that occurs when T4 levels drop and the body begins a metabolic slow down. Hypothyroidism was first diagnosed in the late nineteenth century when physicians observed swelling of the hands, face, feet, and tissues around the eyes after surgically removing the thyroid gland from patients. The syndrome was called myxedema and corresponds with the absence of thyroid hormones.

The term myxedema is still used today and is often associated with a severe lack of thyroid hormone that often leads to coma. Other common terms used in discussing hypothyroidism are autoimmune disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Both of these ailments result in a less than fully functioning thyroid gland.

Hypothyroidism is usually progressive and irreversible, but today’s treatment schedules are very successful and allow for full, normal living. Combined with the symptoms listed below in the table, a rising TSH level is a good indicator of a hypothyroid condition.

There are some unique risk factors associated with hypothyroidism. There are indications that individuals with ovarian failure, sleep apnea, premature gray hair and left-handedness are more likely to suffer from hypothyroidism.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is a more recent term used to identify increasing TSH levels and declining T4 levels.

Blood tests for T4 levels can still be normal and early symptoms of hypothyroidism may be exhibited.

Research is finding that subclinical hypothyroidism is very common (affecting about 10 million Americans). Fortunately, subclinical hypothyroidism does not often progress to the full-blown disorder in most people. However, some evidence suggests that even modest abnormal thyroid hormone levels may do some damage.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism, also known as thyrotoxicosis, is a clinical condition caused by excess quantities of thyroid hormone in the body. The condition may be caused by over production by the thyroid gland or the pituitary gland releasing excessive TSH.

The excess of hormones can cause heat intolerance, increased energy, difficulty sleeping, diarrhea and anxiety and other symptoms as listed in the table.

Graves’ disease is the most common condition associated with hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease is a basic defect in the immune system that causes production of antibodies that stimulate and attack the thyroid gland. This attack on the thyroid causes growth of the gland and overproduction of thyroid hormone

Factitious hyperthyroidism is another hyperthyroid condition. It is associated with ingestion of excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone preparations have been available for over a century and taking excess prescription or glandular mixtures can also cause hyperthyroid conditions.

How Do You Get Graves’ Disease? Graves’ Disease is a type of autoimmune disease in which the immune system over stimulates the thyroid gland, causing hyperthyroidism. Over-activity of the thyroid gland is also sometimes called “diffuse toxic goiter.”The thyroid gland helps set the rate of metabolism (the rate at which the body uses energy), and when it is over-stimulated, it produces more thyroid hormones than the body needs. High levels of thyroid hormones can cause difficult side effects.This is an extremely rare disease that tends to affect women over the age of 20. The incidence is about 5 in 10,000 people.

This is a condition that bodybuilders can fall into when taking thyroid hormones.

If there is a concern that you might have a underactive or overactive thyroid, you should get tested by your doctor…do no self diagnose. These conditions are not a life sentence to be overweight. With medication and a change in diet, you can be just as healthy and fit as the next person. Did you know that Jilliam Michaels was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when she was 30 years old? She attributes the onset to her unhealthy eating habits and certain hormonal medications she was taking. Ladies, anytime we put hormones in our bodies that are not natural, we can expect some type of side effect. It might not appear quickly but after years, it make take its toll. This includes birth control pills or any alteration to our menstrual cycle…our bodies were meant to shed each month…just something for you to keep in mind. Hormones are as equally important in weight loss as are diet changes and exercise. I highly recommend the Jillian Michaels book “Master Your Metabolism.” She really breaks it down and all of the information is reasearch based and scientifically proven.

Certain foods can help or hurt your thyroid levels. Check out this information below. With a little change and persistence you can live a normal and healthy life! 

Foods that May Speed Up a Slow Thyroid

1. Sea Weed

Naturally rich in iodine as well as trace minerals, sea weed has long been considered a food that supports thyroid function.   Indeed, native peoples subsisting on their traditional diets often went to very great lengths to obtain sea vegetables in effort to avoid goiter.   Iodine is critical to thyroid health and function.   Without adequate dietary iodine, your body is unable to manufacture the thyroid hormones.   Of course, excess intake of iodine-rich foods is also implicated in thyroid disease.   Remember: moderation is the key, not excess.   (Want to up your sea vegetable intake?   Try my coconut milk kanten with wild plums or my cucumber and daikon radish salad with hijiki.)

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil also supports proper thyroid function as it slightly stimulates thyroid hormone production and the metabolism.   In this way, wise incorporation of coconut oil into the diet is thought to support thyroid health and help sufferers of hypothyroidism to lose weight.   Coconut oil may also help to reduce cholesterol in hypothyroid patients as thyroid suppression in and of itself raises blood cholesterol levels.   Coconut oil is largely comprised of saturated fat and saturated fat promotes thyroid function.

3. Shellfish

Shellfish, like sea vegetables, are naturally rich in iodine – the nutrient that is critically important to thyroid function as iodine molecules are used in the production of thyroid hormones.

Foods that May Slow Down a Speedy Thyroid

1. Fermented Soy Foods

Soy is very goitrogenic. A strong suppressor of thyroid hormones, some research indicates that soy may even be more effective in thyroid suppression than anti-thyroid drugs.   Don’t forget that soy is a potent food, and that while sufferers of hyperthyroidism might welcome soy’s thyroid-suppressing effects, take care to eat soy in its fermented state in foods like tempeh and miso as soy also contains antinutrients like phytic acid which impair the body’s overall ability to absorb many nutrients.

2. Raw Cruciferous Vegetables

Raw cruciferous vegetables also suppress thyroid function.   Cruciferous vegetables like kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflour, rapini, turnips and brussels sprouts contain goitrogens that interfere with iodine uptake and, in that way, also interfere with production of thyroid hormones.   (Want to get more raw cruciferous veggies into your diet?   Try my Simple Slaw with Flaxseed Oil & Honey.)

3. Millet

Millet, like cruciferous vegetables, contains goitrogens and interferes with iodine uptake. Cooking millet, as well as goitrogen-rich cruciferous vegetables, may mitigate its antithyroid effects to some degree.

Foods that Aren’t Doing Anyone’s Thyroid a Favor

1. Gluten-containing Grains

Recent research into autoimmune diseases and autoimmune thyroid disease in particular indicates that there’s a strong connection between celiac disease and thyroid disease.     Indeed, study published in Digestive Diseases & Science indicates that sufferers of autoimmune thyroid disease have roughly a 400% greater chance of also suffering from celiac disease than control groups.   Moreover, some research indicates that after 3-6 months on a gluten-free diet, those pesky anti-thyroid antibodies virtually disappear.   That’s a powerful case to remove wheat, barley and other gluten-containing grains from your diet if you suffer from any form of autoimmune thyroid disease.

2. Unfermented Soy

Unfermented soy foods – particularly those rich in concentrated isoflavones and genistien – contribute to autoimmune thyroid disease.   Reasearch into soy formula and its effects on babies indicates that babies fed soy formula are more likely to develope autoimmune thyroid disease and large concentrations of unfermented soy may adversely thyroid function in adults.   If you eat soy, keep to small amounts and always choose fermented forms.   (Learn more about the nastiness of too much soy consumption in my post about the Soy and Illinois Prisoner Case.)

3. Coffee

Coffee is simultaneously stimulating and goitrogenic which spell trouble for both hypo- and hyperthyroid sufferers.   As a   strong stimulant, it can wreak havoc on those suffering from hyperthyroidism as that added stimulation is the very last thing they need.   Moreover, for those suffering from hyperthyroidism, coffee also interferes with iodine uptake and thus may inhibit the formation of thyroid hormones.   Bad news for everyone.

A Note on Balance and Moderation

As with everything, if you suffer from thyroid disease or suspect you do, consult first with a physician and have that physician run the full panel of thyroid tests.   If your thyroid disease is found to be severe, work with an endocrinologist and a complementary physician of naturopathy or integrative medicine.   Remember, just because you suffer from hypothyroidism that’s not adequate cause to overeat iodine-rich foods; likewise, if you suffer from hyperthyroidism, that’s not adequate cause to overeat soy-rich foods as overeating any food can actually worsen the issue.

Lastly, take solace in the natural, wholesome beauty of well-composed dishes.   Consider how miso (goitrogenic) is paired with seaweed and dashi (iodine-rich).   Or take a look at the way fresh seafood (iodine rich) is paired with pickled daikon (goitrogenic).   Once you’ve achieved euthyroid status, eat complementary foods.

More foods for Hypothyroid Condition since it is the most common…

Hypothyroid Diet – Nutrition
A diet for hypothyroidism should include whole foods rich in iodine, niacin, riboflavin, zinc, as well as vitamins B6, C, and E. These nutrients naturally support proper thyroid functions as well as overall good health and vitality.

You don’t need to hire a nutritionist to create your personal meal plans in your weight loss journey. Though we don’t have the technical expertise that a doctor has, we can do enough research to make our weight loss successful. Here are a list of some websites and books that you can use to learn more about how to eat properly for health and for weight loss.

• www.caloriecounter.com CalorieCount.com is a free online resource for those who want to live a healthy lifestyle. At no cost whatsoever, you can use Calorie Count to look up Nutrition Facts food labels to find nutrition data for more than 220,000 foods. Members use Calorie Count as an online diet program, a nutrition coach, and a workout partner. Your personalized CalorieCount.com account provides a food journal, exercise log, a weight tracker, nutrition data, and diet analysis, all customized to your personal goals. By seeing your calorie requirements, daily calorie count, nutrition analysis, and weight loss progress, you can get the weight loss results or maintain the fit and healthy body you already have. In addition to the helpful diet and exercise tools, there is also an online community of 2.5 million members awaiting your unique story on the path to better health.
• www.fitday.com Get your free online diet journal and start tracking your foods, exercises, weight loss, and goals. Join over 5.1 Million FitDay members using our site to take control of their diet and lose weight.
• www.eatcleandiet.com Eating Clean is not a fad; it’s a way of life. When you Eat Clean your body will react by losing weight if you need to lose, maintaining a healthy weight if that’s where you are, and even gaining weight if you are too skinny. But regardless of whether you want to lose, maintain or gain, you will feel better than you ever have before. This site provides recipes and an online community that helps you stick to your goals.
• www.foodfacts.com This site tells you exactly what is in your food. You may be surprised at the ingredients.
• Eat Clean Diet Recharged Book by Tosca Reno:

Provides sample meal plans and guidelines for the types of foods that you should be eating. There are also clean versions of your favorite not so healthy meals included.

• Master Your Metabolism: Jillian Michaels knows her stuff. In this book, you will learn about how important hormones are and how we trash them everyday by eating unhealthy.

These are only a few resources….more to come!

The definition of plateau:

“A period of time when your weight loss stops. A weight loss plateau can last weeks to months and is usually a sign that something needs to change. Weight loss plateaus tend to be the rule instead of the exception when it comes to the journey to permanent weight loss.”-http://www.fitnessforweightloss.com/terms/weight-loss-plateau/

We all have heard about the dreaded plateau. In my weight loss journey there were times when my weight was stagnant but it never lasted for more than 2 weeks. I guess I was lucky or maybe it was because I kept a very close watch on it. I weighed myself every week and if the numbers stopped moving, I got busy changing my plan. If you are “stuck” that means you have to change. Change your workout, change the foods you eat, or anything else that might be getting in the way. It really works! Some nutritionists recommend zig-zagging your calories. That means you eat a different number of calories each day. I found a great website that allows you to put in your weight, height, and the number of days you workout, and it calculates the number of calories you can eat each day. It’s awesome and you can use the higher calorie days as your “cheat meal” days. This site uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor method of calculating your calorie needs.

Mifflin – St Jeor Formula

The Calorie Needs Calculator currently uses the formula proposed by MD Mifflin and ST St Jeor¹.

Why This Formula?
As recent as 2005, the ADA (American Dietetic Association) published a comparison of various equations². The Mifflin-St Jeor was found to be the most accurate.

Men
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5

Women
10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) – 161.

Here are what my calculations look like for maintaining my current weight.  (For a 135 lb female, 5’6,  that works out intensely for 5 days a week.) You can adjust yours for weight loss (www.freedieting.com) (You probably will be surprised at how many calories you can actually eat…remember, if you don’t eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode and you will not lose any weight!)

RESULTS – GUIDELINE ONLY

Maintenance:  2093 Calories/day Fat Loss:  1674 Calories/day Extreme Fat Loss:  1256 Calories/day 7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag)   Ex Fat Loss Fat Loss Maintain Monday 1256 1675 2094 Tuesday 1080 1340 1675 Wednesday 1508 2010 2512 Thursday 1256 1675 2094 Friday 1131 1508 1884 Saturday 1382 1842 2303 Sunday 1256 1675 2094 *Calorie cycling provides same amount of calories per week, but ‘tricks’ your body by constantly changing daily calories. This helps to prevent or break plateaus. Guideline only.

Too many people in this world are “realists.” They expect the worst, give the worst, and never push beyond where they think they can go. Why do we do this to ourselves? I think that when God or the higher spirit, whatever you want to call it, made us, there were no limits placed on what we could do as human beings. We have done that to ourselves. Society tells us all of these negative things and everyone is just getting by. Why don’t you think about challenging yourself and go for your dream?

Rephel and I were taking a walk yesterday through the neighborhood and there was this one house that was for sale. It was a $500,000 house and the one that you dream about when you are a little girl. As an adult, your mind tells you, “you will never have that house…you are 30 years old and have no money saved…how can you ever get that?” If you keep listening to that voice, that is just where you will end up for the rest of your life. Never dreaming or hoping for anything greater. When I was at the gym this morning I was skimming through Essence magazine. (I can’t stand steady state cardio on the elliptical or stairclimber but I do it because it is a necessary evil, so sometimes I will have a magazine to look at…even if it is the same page the whole time!) A trainer was discussing goals and she said that we need to shoot past the realistic. If we just stick with the “realistic” goals we often sell ourselves short and have a “just in case I don’t make it” attitude. If we set our goals high above where we thought we could ever be it makes us work much harder. Go figure! When you are exercising, train like an athlete. Develop a professional mind-set, create a plan and stick to it! Are you not sick and tired of being stuck in your rut and never getting to where you want to be? Stop acting like that and get out there are do the work! You can do it but only if you have a plan, train like an athlete, and stick with it. You deserve it don’t you?

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”-Gail Devers

You know how Oprah always talks about the “aha moment?” Well, I had my “aha moment” today. This morning when I woke up, I realized that I have totally changed my lifestyle. Yes, over the last four or five months, I have worked diligently to lose weight, get in shape, and get healthy. But for some reason this morning it just clicked. I have made health and fitness an integral part of my life and I love it! I love going online and looking up clean recipes for classic foods. I love to sweat it out at the gym. I love to research information related to nutrition and different workout routines. I love to read stories of other women who have made positive changes in their life and I get excited when I see a woman working towards her fitness goals.

I woke up at 5:00 on a Saturday morning (YES I DID) in order to do my weight routine before Zumba class. We had Zumba class at the park at 8:30 this morning and it was so much fun!! Just indulging in the practice of working out my body and being around other people with so much energy, outside (sand gnats and all!) just made my day. I could be sleeping in like everybody else but I don’t want to, that is the crazy thing. I just love it!! Working out and eating right are high on my priority list, and I no longer let what other people think, influence my decisions.

Everything I do is worked around my workout time. Tomorrow I am going to get up extra early to workout so I can spend some time with my boyfriend. I just have to get it in or I just don’t feel like myself. I plan my meals in advance and leave a little wiggle room for a “just in case” going out meal. Before I go to restaurants, I reasearch the menus to find out what healthy items they have and add them into my daily food log and I don’t mind not one bit. I love my body and I love my commitment to this lifestyle. IT ROCKS!!

I encourage all of you to do the same. It takes 21 days to create a habit, so why don’t you try to live a clean lifestyle for 21 days? Exercise 5-6 days a week, log everything that you eat, eat 5-6 small meals everyday and have a treat meal only ONCE per week or every two weeks, and read at least one fitness magazine during that time from cover to cover. After the 21 days are up…see how you feel. If you then stop after that, evaluate how you feel…I can guarantee you will miss it!! Don’t knock what you haven’t tried. Any behavior can be changed…and I mean ANY!!! We always have a choice!

“Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.”-Plato

Today’s morning workout. This evening I go to Zumba class to get in some extra cardio! FUN! 🙂

May 23, 2011

The kick your a@#! Workout

(Courtesy of Jillian Michaels, Making the Cut 30 day workout plan).  This is only ONE day. It is a challenging plan but boy do you get results!!

5 circuits each done twice for a total of 10 circuits. Rest is only 30 seconds in between each circuit. Follow with a few minutes of steady state cardio for extra calorie burn.

Circuit 1

• Wide-grip lat pull-downs(Drop-set, perform one at max weight, drop 1/3 of the weight and perform 6-8 more reps)
• Underhand grip pull downs (15 reps, then hold at mid-point position till muscle failure)
• Hamstring curls (15 reps)
• 60 second treadmill run 6 mph at 12 incline

Circuit 2

• Terry pulls(Pyramid up with weight for 20, 12, 6-8 reps)
• Back Kicks with shoulder press (10 reps each leg)
• Jumping Lunges (20 total)
• 60 second treadmill run 6 mph at 12 incline

Circuit 3

• Seated Row(One rep at max weight, drop 1/3 of the weight, then do 6-8 more reps)
• Step-ups (40 reps)
• Butt Kicks (60 seconds)

Circuit 4

• Incline Bicep Curls (10 each arm)
• Standing Hamstring Curls (10 reps each leg)
• Plank Pulls (Stability Ball 25 reps)
• Butt Kicks (60 seconds)

Circuit 5

• Supermans (hold mid-point position for 20 seconds)
• Bicycle (25 reps)
• Plank (hold for 60 seconds)

Keeping the weight off!

I have committed myself to a healthy lifestyle that will allow me to keep my weight in the range where I want it. However, I do know that it will take some work and how easy it is to fall back into my old patterns. I have been doing some research on “weight maintenance,” because I refuse to be another statistic and that person who lost it just to gain it all right back again. I found a great article online that discusses the journey of weight maintenance. The authors mention “The National Weight Control Registry” and give valuable tips on how to avoid becoming another yo-yo dieter. Here is some of the information they noted. (http://www.thedietchannel.com/weightloss8.htm)

Long-term strategies from successful losers

Take a look at some major weight loss maintenance strategies used by people who are enrolled in The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR). The National Weight Control Registry began in 1993, and it is a database of thousands of people who have successfully maintained weight loss. It is the largest database of its kind. With so many weight loss methods available, and so few who keep the weight off, you should study the strategies used in these success stories. To enroll in the NWCR, you must have lost at least 30 lbs. and have maintained that loss for at least one year. Of note, however, is that the actual numbers for the participants are far better. Their average weight loss is actually about 66 pounds, and most participants have maintained the loss for more than five-and-a-half years! In addition, the great majority of the subjects experienced many prior repeated failures at dieting. In fact, the average participant had previously lost and regained an average of 270 pounds during repeated attempts at dieting before discovering the real strategies that permanent weight loss entails! These people obviously have some good ideas to share about what finally helped them to become masters at weight control. To date, the researchers have learned a few things: A great majority of the participants reported that a trigger led to their final decision to take off the weight once and for all. Many reported the onset of a medical or emotional problem as the trigger. Others reported seeing themselves in the mirror or in a photograph as the trigger. Compared to previous weight loss attempts, the following list contains what works for them now:

• 82% are more committed to making behavioral changes

 • 81% exercise more

• 63% use different dietary approaches

• 89% changed both their eating and physical activity

• Approximately 55% of the participants used a formal weight loss program to lose their weight, and about 45% did it on their own.

 • Most report that their average fat intake was at or below the recommended 30% of calories daily.

 • Most participants eat regular meals, including occasional meals at restaurants. On average, they eat five times a day and most meals are prepared and eaten at home.

• They exercise regularly, moderate to high-intensity. On average, the calories they expend exercising each week equate to walking 28 miles. Most burn more than 2,000 calories a week through exercise!

• Almost half were overweight before age 11, and another 25 percent were overweight before age 18. (This debunks the old myth that it’s impossible to lose weight if you’ve been overweight since childhood or if you have “heavy” genes).

• More than 70 percent of the people have at least one overweight parent. These people have genes that pre-dispose them to being overweight, but they still succeeded in losing weight.

 • Very few used Popular Diets, and only four percent used weight loss medication.

 • 42% say it’s easier to maintain weight than to lose it.

 • 95% say that the overall quality of their lives has improved, and 92% report that their energy level has also improved.

Registry participants offer these weight loss/weight maintenance tips:

• Learn to eat in a way that you can live with for the rest of your life.

• If you watch what you eat 90% of the time, the other 10% is not a problem.

 • Take it slow if you don’t want the pounds to return again.

• Decide on what you need, and do only what works for you.

• Continue to set small goals to work towards your big goal.

• Find support from a friend, a group, or even create your own group. • Know what your food triggers are and what your alternative non-eating options are when you get cravings.

• Make exercise a priority and a scheduled appointment, not an option.

• Be sure the exercise you choose is something you enjoy.

The take home message is that most of these people have been highly creative and persistent about finding and applying what works for them. You must learn constantly about what works for you and develop your own personal tricks. The key to successful weight maintenance is putting these ideas into action.

Well, I finally did it! I have officially reached my weight goal. When I got on the scale this morning I really did not expect to see the numbers that showed up on the screen. Not only did I reach my goal, I surpassed the number I was shooting for by 4 lbs! Wow, I never thought it would happen like that. I have worked EXTREMELY hard to get to where I am now. It has been difficult. I will not lie to you and say that it was easy and I never got down on myself. I went through many emotions from January up to this point. There were weeks when I binged on cookies and cake and felt guilty afterwards. There were days when I did not workout knowing full well that I should have. There were days when someone would make a negative comment and I actually took it in as if it were true and doubted myself. I realized that anytime something negative happened, I would go eat, get depressed and get close to almost giving up. There were weeks when I did not lose weight and there were weeks when I gained weight. There were days when I told myself I hated working out, I hated my body, or I was not good enough. There were days when I questioned all that I had set out to do. But you know what?…I thank God for those days. The down days were exactly what I needed to get over myself and out of my rut. The rough times made me stronger and now that I have EXCEEDED my goal, I realize that if it were not for the tough days, I would not appreciate all that I have accomplished.

After I was down and out from not completing my goal of running a marathon, I almost gave up on living a fit lifestyle. I wanted that 26.2 sticker on my car but my body would just not allow me to do it! I finally went to therapy and have done everything the doctor told me to do. I am stronger and know for sure that I am in the best shape of my life now. One day I will get that 26.2 sticker on my car but my focus has changed so much. I incorporate healthy eating with a well-rounded approach to fitness and I have fun by changing up my routine on the regular. I understand that variety is what will keep me in this thing for the long-term. My mental state has caught up with my physical state which was the connection that was lost for all of those years.

If I can get to this point in my life, anyone can. I have never been a confident person. As a child, I was very shy and sheltered. I never had the courage to step out of my comfort zone and live out my full potential. My concerns were centered on what everyone else wanted for me. “What will they think…,” I don’t know, I guess I am just tired of always being on the brink of success but never really giving it my all. Well, this is what happens when you go all out! You actually get what you want! Who would have guessed it! LoL!

So now what? Now that I have surpassed my goal, I have already set a few more in my mind though I have not written them down yet. It is important to keep setting goals for yourself so you can stay on track. I’m not going to lie…I still have a little concern about maintaining my current state but as soon as I finish this post, I am on to researching and reading about how to maintain my fitness level. Now is not the time to slack off. One more thing…for those of you who told me not to lose anymore weight…BOOYAH in your face!! LoL! (Sorry I couldn’t resist). LOL!! All of you out there who have a goal, you better go for it! Get up and go get what YOU want…not what anyone else wants for you.

“When a goal matters enough to a person, that person will find a way to accomplish what at first seemed impossible.” – Nido Qubein

“Big goals get big results. No goals get no results or somebody else’s results.”         -Mark Hansen 

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, learn about them or even seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.” – Denis Waitley

Now is the time for you to decide which road you will take. You have reached the fork and are asking yourself, “Do I take the road less traveled or the one that is worn by the footprints of everyone else?” The road less traveled will have many unknown stops along the way, many hills for you to climb, and some of these hills will seem to never end. You will reach a few plateaus and these are the times you will want to give up.

You will take a few steps back and must decide to either keep going forward or fall back to the beginning. Many thoughts will cross through your mind, “Why am I doing this?” “This is too hard,” “I am all alone,” “I want to give up.” Don’t worry; if you stay on the road less traveled you will eventually come to the end which is your final goal. There is no set time for this journey and no guarantee that it will be easy. To prepare for the road ahead you must carry with you a very strong will, persistence, patience, attitude, and faith.

You might be the only person traveling on the road and wonder where everyone is at. Don’t focus on everyone else, it will only distract you. Keep your eyes on the prize and fight for your dreams. Until you decide to take the road less traveled, you will always be stuck, spinning your wheels going nowhere fast. Do not limit yourself by what you think you can’t do. Believe that you can do anything you set your mind to.

“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”-Bruce Lee