2015 CHALLENGE TO CHANGE

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Monday, March 12, 2012

Let's BLOG about it....!!

Hey BE FIT Fanatics!

I am hearing some incredible transformation stories, stories about the courage it took to make it through another day, and stories that make me laugh out loud! Please take a moment to post a story, or to pose a question, share an answer, or provide some much needed support for a member of our BE FIT Family. It could make all the difference for someone struggling to face the next fitness challenge :)

Hope to hear from you SOON!

Jolie

10 comments:

Karla said...

Typically when I eat out, I am not counting calories or really looking for the healthy alternatives, I go for FULL TASTE! I love to eat out. I took my soon to be 12 yr old out to lunch after her immunizations, somewhere in our week 3. She got to choose where to go, we ended up at subway. I looked at the menu and thought it over, I had several things I thought would probably be in the calorie range. I ordered for her and decided I wasn't getting anything. The subway was inside a c-store. I instead grabbed a string cheese and an apple. It really didn't change the lunch date, we still got to talk and eat together, spending that time with one another. I have done that on other occasions too. I have taken the kids to get frozen yogurt or something. I sometimes will bring a protein bar or one of my snackish meals that I can take on the go. I thought it would be much harder than it was to resist the food or treats. I instead have put the talking and the together time as the focus instead of the food, which was the way it was before. I thought I would feel more deprived but I really don't. I also have found if I set a timer, when to eat next, that I am less inclined to be snacking or eating other food. One funny thing I have noticed as my body has been changing... I have a tail bone that hurts when I sit on hard surfaces. The first time I felt it I thought there was something on my chair that I sat on. As I felt the chair then my bum, it was a bone. A bone that had been much cushioned before. Also as I was drying off my feet after a shower one day, I noticed I had bones in my feet too that were more exposed. It reminded me of when I was pregnant with super swollen feel, I bought mens sandals to wear. When I finally had my babies I was so happy to see my real feet again. I forgot what those real feet looked like. I think I found them again. A draw back, with a slimmer face, I now have more facial lines, but I think it is a good trade off. Recently as I washed my face I discovered I do have cheek bones.

I totally enjoy being with the challenge team, you encourage me and make me feel like I can keep going. The challenges and victories I hear about from you help me to keep pushing through to the next day. It motivates me to keep going. It feels like you are supporting me more than I am supporting you.

I have worn clothes that I haven't been able to for 6-8 yrs. The bad thing is, now that I have kept them this whole time, I realized I don't really like them anymore. They are very dated in their style/fabric/color/pattern. I am close to wearing my wedding ring that I took off 8-9 yrs ago when my hands got too fat. For 8-9 yrs I thought I would lose the weight to be able to wear it again. I am really close now.

Julie said...

Wow Karla! Love your story. Especially the part about the wedding ring. Now that's awesome! - Julie

BRITT said...

Karla- I am hit and miss with the classes, but when I go you are ALWAYS there. Loved reading about your progress. Happy for you!

Adams Family said...

Karla, thanks so much for sharing this with us! You are so inspiring! I am so proud of you with your progress! Way to sit through Subway with an apple & string cheese! That is hard! Subway smells sooo good, and makes my tummy growl even if I am not hungry! :)
This challenge has been an adventure for me! I am so glad to be part of such a wonderful group. You are all amazing and it is so fun being in such a supportive and positive atmosphere!
When I started this challenge 6 weeks ago, I had no idea what an emotional roller coaster it would be. Before you begin, it is hard to see that by doing all that we are doing physically, it WILL affect you emotionally! Some days are hard, and some days I feel like I can conquer the whole world. There are days that seem so long because I am fighting off the urge every hour to just give in and have a treat! (I am, excuse me, was a candy-aholic!)Every so often I give in, and end up with a stomach ache! There are days that when my alarm goes off at 4:38 am I want so badly to stay in bed. Even with these challenges, I feel that I have a new power over my physical body, and if I put my mind to it I can do anything! I have energy that I have never had, I feel better now then in my 20's and even as a teenager. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be challenged and changed and work towards becoming a better me!

Carrie Poulton said...

You ladies are all amazing!!!! This challenge has been a huge eye opener for me in so many ways. I am still so far from knowing myself, but have become better friends with myself through all this. Sounds funny I suppose, but that is how I have been feeling. With every past injury that I have ever had re-surfacing with each workout this has definitely been a challenge. I have had some really discouraging days, but an underlying resolve to achieve and COMPLETE this challenge. I mentioned to Jolie the other day after getting my own personal workout( you know, the dancing and jumping around while you are all doing burpees...) that I can do hard things, WE ARE DOING HARD THINGS! We can all BECOME by OVERCOMING. We are each overcoming huge and little things every day. I am so proud of all of you and grateful for the support and strentgh that you have each brought to me.

Karla said...

The first "Fuel the Flame" I heard a quote. It said something about IF YOU ARE COMMITTED YOU WILL FIND A WAY, IF YOU ARE NOT YOU WILL FIND AN EXCUSE. I thought many times I was committed and then as I would give an excuse, "my kids were up all night last night it feels like" then I would think of this quote. I think you have to do what is best for you too, maybe sleep really is best, but I could see my excuses coming out from time to time.

On a trip I took during the challenge, I flew up to WA and was driving back with my parents who would have a car full of stuff because they were moving. I knew I had to pack light, so I put in a dress, church shoes, a workout outift, pj's, and an extra shirt. I figured I would were the same jeans the whole 4 days I was there, and I wore my workout shoes. (And I had a bag full of my LTL meals ready to go.) This was when we were doing those special pyramid workouts, 1,2,3,4 bicept curls and all. I did my workout on Friday as I would have if I was at class. Come Sunday morning as I was getting dressed for church, I discovered that my sister's dog wet all over my bag with most my clothes in it. I had my pj's that I was wearing and my dress that was hung up. Grrr! I ended up wearing my dress on our travels on Sunday.

We finally get to a motel to sleep, I ask if we can stay at a place with a pool or excercise room. We did that. The pool was closed for the season, and the workout room, was hardly that! As I was trying to figure out how I was going to workout, I knew I would be getting back home late and not feel like working out once I got there. I figured I could at least do some cardio. I was limited with my clothes, my soup spilled in the car on my dress that I was wearing, and the rest of my clothes were marked by the dog. I tried washing my clothes out in the sink but there is only so much you can do with a trial size bar of soap. It didn't work. I think it made it worse. I was thinking this was a good reason (not an excuse) to not workout for sure! Then my mom offered me a pair of knit pants and a t-shirt. Not really my style, but was do able. The next morning I worked out in my jammies and wore my mom's clothes home. I decided then that maybe I was committed to being fit with Jolie by finding a way when things don't work out as planned.

I know I won't be done at the end of the challenge to reach my ultimate goal, but it is a good starting point. It has been a good tool to get me going this far and to help me reach my finishing point.

Sharon said...

Second attempt to blog...first time FAILURE!!!

Sunday Morning was a great success for me. In the year of 2000 I was working at Lehi High school and was in charge of coordinating graduation that year, of course I needed a new dress...well 162.00 at Nordstrom's(those spending days are WAY over) I found the dress that I felt was a little out of Sharon's Box! Cream colored-not dark, buttons all the way down...what was I thinking...after a pair of suck it in everywhere nylons (which I HATE) I looked great!! Little did I know that would be the only time I wore that dress until Sunday, April 22nd....10:25 AM. I have had this dress as a fitness goal for OVER 10 years. It would hang on the back of my closet door to motivate me...With nothing but failed attempts it ended back in the darkest part of my closet! I knew the dress was there this whole challenge...but no way was I going to be disappointed. Then at stake conference a few weeks ago something really hit home for me....don't let my fear over come my faith. Yesterday as I was preparing for church I thought~ I CAN DO THIS. If it doesn't fit, it's okay. I tried the dress on, Buttoned it all the way down, looked in the mirror. IN a state of SHOCK walked out to the living room where my husband was waiting. No words were said except TURN AROUND! Very slowly I turned (I have a bubbly bum problem) He says to me~ YOU DID IT! It looks great! (bubbly bum problem-being popped!) I was overcome with emotion, my older sons came up and thought we were fighting until their father explained what the dress meant to me. (verbally I will tell you their "BOY" comments. Not suitable for public posting...LOL) Not only did the dress FIT, it FITS better than when I bought it. I cried in my room for about 20 minutes, was late to church. But I didn't care! As I sat in church I started to evaluate, why now after so many disastrous attempts. Here are a few of my realizations. 1-I fasted for MYSELF these past two months for strength,discipline, courage and endurance. 2-I had a great plan set up for me, all I had to do was apply it. 3-It started 12 weeks ago when a friend said to me "Sharon it's time for you to do SOMETHING for you". 4-I have been surrounded by so many great women traveling the same course at different levels but with all the same goals...to feel better physically and mentally. As most of you know, the worst thing any mother can experience happened to me almost 4 years ago....Well I hear my Little cooper saying, good Job mom, I knew you could do it! Now...I am only half way there, but this past weekend has motivated me even more to keep going. Thank you JOLIE for taking the time and sacrifice for me! You have been a great example and mentor to all of us! Also to my new friends/sisters, thank you for helping me be a better person. Okay Enough SAP! I have to get up at 4:30 am!! Have a great 12th WEEK!!! YOU DID IT!!!

Emily said...

As we come to an end with this incredible journey we have been on together, I feel impressed to share with you some "been there, done that" wisdom.
For some of you the Bod Pod is an anxiety attack waiting to happen. The anxiety being about "the numbers".
But, in reality that is all they are, "numbers". They are not defining moments, they do not measure you as the beautiful person you are, they are tools. Tools to help you along your path to self discovery. Along with the tools that Jolie has taught us, and the let's not forget the emotional and "get real" moments we have had to overcome, we have it all! We can take all we have learned and move mountains!!!
You, my dear friends, are not numbers. You are powerful women with a voice and the heart of a lion!
I love you all!

Carrie Poulton said...

Alright ladies, this is my third attempt tonight to type this...I am tired...I promised I would post something tonight. So here it is. i am trying to keep you in anticipation of the profound things I have to offer! ;) I will try again tomorrow when i have more energy to re-type the novel that I typed earlier and is apparently out in space somewhere. All i know is that it didn't end up here! Here is to second chances! Can't wait for tomorrow.

Karla said...

I realized a few things, the voice in my head is not nice at all. I notice that voice is being more of a friend lately. I also noticed that all these years I thought my weight didn't affect things, but it does. I thought because I was pretty active or so I thought I was I must have been in good shape for my size. My sisters came to visit last fall and we went to Timp Caves and I didn't have any problem with that hike, although some of my sis-in-laws did. I think my eyes where open the day I was at class and I couldn't even roll up on my mat! Then I thought about other things I wouldn’t do because of my weight/size such as swim at the pool with my kids, get family pictures. Yeah, but no I didn’t think it really slowed me down, can you say denial?

I did the bod pod in the beginning of Nov and then again at the beginning of the challenge. At that point I had lost about 10 pounds and only lost 1% body fat, I was to say the least very disappointed. As the challenge has been ending I was really nervous to go back to the bod pod. I was nervous that I haven't done enough, that my % hasn't changed enough, not to mention my weight somehow this last week has gone up a bit. My first number was above the 40% mark. Then as I heard a voice in my head "It is what it is" I had to laugh. But it somehow seemed to have a different meaning or maybe I just understood finally what it meant. Whatever my numbers are, they are just that… numbers, they are information that will help me make other decisions. I know I have a few rounds left in me to get where I want to, but I have changed, I have done enough during this challenge! As I think of the countless hours of sweating and lifting weights, high knees, and retracting those shoulders... I have done enough. I feel like I really couldn't have done much more. Most the time when I cheat on the meal plan it is something like, I ate 5 garlic/jalapeƱo stuffed green olives. (I did eat cinnamon bunnies one day.) Whatever the numbers say, it is what it is, and no matter what those numbers say, I know how I feel. I feel great! I once thought I wanted to be a certain weight, but those numbers don't matter so much as to the way I feel when I look in the mirror... really look in the mirror and see the amazing person I am. Or the way I feel when I am getting dressed. I can't get into the bod pod until after the challenge is over, but that is okay because I know I have already done enough. I have already succeeded in the challenge, I have already had incredible results! Yes I think the numbers are a helpful motivator, I am 5 pounds over my hubby's weight, and that is exciting to me as far as numbers go. It is what it is.... if my numbers are higher than I hoped for, then I know that what I did was the most I could have done in the time frame and that was the best results I could have gotten. If I were disappointed, then I was unrealistic of what I wanted my results to be. I had started the YBeFit program and I set goals much like the ones we did for the challenge. I put that I wanted to lose 10% body fat. She told me that was unrealistic for 12 weeks (how long the YBeFit program should be) and that 10% might be achieved in more of a 6-9 month period.

So when I do go back to the bod pod, I know, “It is what it is” and I can’t change that. Nothing I can do right now will change that, but I can change or adjust what I do from here on out. I’m no longer nervous about what those numbers are, they will be a great tool to see what I have accomplished and a great marker of what I can do in another 12 weeks, in another 24 weeks, or in the next 12 months.