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Introduction Text Ecclesiastes 9:10 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." 1 Chronicles 28:10 "So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.” Zechariah 8:13 "Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks for visiting my page! I started using SparkPeople on my quest to improving my health and nutrition (and like some of the other members I had some weight to lose too!) When my daughter's mother became pregnant I put on quite a bit of weight throughout the pregnancy. I believe it's a phenomenon called "sympathy weight". Well, I guess I was REAL sympathetic because after my daughter was born I just kept going!!! :) I don't know if I hit 200 pounds because I stopped stepping on the scale once I hit 193. I started trying to work out more consistently, but I did not have any real results. For awhile I felt like I was "supposed" to weigh that much and thought it really wasn't under my control. I won't bore you with everything that occurred from then to now, but I will share with you what the real keys have been for the successes I've experienced thus far. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My keys to success- I prayed about it! Yes, it was that easy... I prayed about it and kept an open mind to receive answers. After praying about it I didn't suddenly wake up 50 pounds lighter. But I did start receiving help and began the journey to a healthier lifestyle. The help came in many forms (education, passion, freedom from food addictions, and more). In fact, I believe all my keys to success listed below basically came from prayer. Education and knowledge: For quite awhile I worked long and hard only seeing limited results because I really didn't know what I was doing. I just listened to other people who apparently really didn't know what they were doing either. ;) Then I was led to a book called "The Abs Diet" and started learning a little about nutrition and working out. That book really inspired me to start learning as much as I could. Suddenly, I saw why I hadn't been seeing the results through my past efforts; it was a real eye opener! Since then I have really had a passion for learning more about fitness and nutrition which has really helped me on this journey. Focus on nutrition: Instead of focusing on what I "shouldn't eat". I began to focus on what I "should eat". I found that when I really made an effort to get all the protein, fiber, calcium, "good fats", and other nutrients I needed, I just couldn't waste a meal eating foods that were not nutrient rich. Through this process, I have really been "freed up" from many food addictions. Some of which I never really knew that I had! Setting Goals: I found it extremely important to set goals beyond just weight goals. Trust me on this one... I learned this one the hard way! If you have come this far, then I truly believe YOU WILL achieve your weight goals. So start preparing now by setting other goals or you may find yourself falling into the same trap I did. In a nutshell, when I was around 200 pounds I set a goal of 150. Once I hit 150 it really messed with my mind because I became so focused (addicted really) to seeing the scale go down. You can easily find yourself in a mental state where you need weight loss to feel successful. So I decided to set a goal of 145, then 140, then 135... you can see where this is going. Once I was in the 130's, and probably too thin, I realized that I needed to get away from focusing on weight and focus more on overall fitness and nutrition. Oddly enough, I am now trying to gain weight. I believe I lost quite a bit of lean muscle mass and am now trying to put it back on. Fortunately, I no longer measure success by the number on the scale! You are unique: What motivates me or others, may not motivate you... What works for me or others, may not work for you... What excites me or others, may not excite you. So find what motivates YOU! Works for YOU! Excites YOU!!! And do it with all your might!!! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thanks again for stopping by... I hope there was something here to help you on your journey!

First and foremost - maintain a healthy lifestyle and get in shape. :) Complete a full marathon (attained - 1/13/08) Run 5k under 22min (03/10/07 - 21:13) Run 5k under 21min (12/11/08 - 20:27) Run 5k under 20min Run 1 mile in 6 min or under (03/01/12) Perform one-armed chin ups or pull-ups (attained - 11/04/12) Perform a muscle up (attained - 6/14/13) Bench Press 150% of body weight (attained - 1/1/07) Bench Press 160% of body weight (attained - 12/15/08) Bench Press 170% of body weight (attained - 1/12/09) Bench Press 175% of body weight (attained - 6/11/13) Bench Press 180% of body weight Deadlift 200% of body weight (attained - 7/1/10) Deadlift 225% of body weight Squat 200% of body weight Complete "300 Workout" under 20min (1/14/09 - 19:55; 2/26/13 - 15:30)

============= Overall Guidelines: -Pray!!! ============= Nutrition Guidelines: -Eat at least 5 or 6 times a day -Limit consumption of sugars and PROCESSED foods -Eat fruits and vegetables throughout the day -Drink water and eliminate calorie-containing beverages -Focus on consuming lean proteins throughout the day ============= Workout Guidelines: -I typically change my plan every 6 - 8 weeks. It can range from a 5-day split training 5-7 times a week to full-body strength training 3 times a week. -Cardio (including HIIT) 3 - 7 times a week =============





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