My passion is no longer cheesecake

"There is no hope for a civilization which starts each day to the sound of an alarm clock."  ~Author Unknown

Today I made myself stay in bed longer than my usual 5:30AM get up time. Maybe you have one of those nagging internal alarm clocks, too.  It's not like you can smack  yourself on the forehead and shut it off for 10 minutes.  Even if you could that seems like a rather foolish notion.  Despite the sun peeking through the drapes, I laid there determined to snooze in.  Roll to the left; pull the covers up higher. Roll to the right; slide the pillow over my eyes.  No point in all that movement and not be getting some cardio benefits.

That brings me to the question: When do you work out? Are you a hit the floor running type of exerciser? Do you need to settle in to the morning and then get to it (like me)? Do you prefer mornings but can't fit it in so you take care of the work out when you finish the work day? For me, waiting means my legs feel like lead.  Pushing myself to do one more rep is a real effort where in the morning I am raring to go -- after coffee, that is.

"Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states."  ~Carol Welch

What about you folks who travel for either leisure or business? At what point do you get your work outs in. Now that I need to get some form of exercise in each day for my mental, as well as, physical health, I can't imagine going any period of time without it.  Now I have to wonder what you do if the hotel isn't equipped with a gym or treadmill.  What then?  Sure, you could go out for a run or power walk, I suppose. Don't go off the beaten path. You never know what kind of neighborhood lurks beyond the facade.  You could always travel with your personal trainer if you're so well off that is affordable for you.  Or, ooh! how about this. Do you have a laptop computer? I bet it plays dvds, huh? Instead of chillaxin' on the bed to watch "Bourne Ultimatum" or "27 Dresses" for the umpteenth time, you could use your own walking home gym and pop in P90X.  And then after you shower off the quarts of sweat you produced, you can watch those movies or whatever.  You'd be workin' out like a rock star, ya know.  Pink revealed on Oprah that the way she keeps her hard body during a tour is through P90X.  I know! Right?! It's so cool.  There's a long list of other celebrities who've discovered the benefits of the program without having to go to an outside gym. 

"I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing."  ~Marsha Doble

You thought I'd let another blog post slip by without singing the praises of the products of the company that has literally changed my life?  I sincerely tried to make this about my general life. And it is. I'm a passionate woman. Have you ever tried silencing a woman who finds a niche and passion in life? Exactly! I want everyone who encounters me to experience this with me.  It's just too good not to share.

I've been amazed by the amount of support I've received on Team Beachbody. When Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler began following me on Twitter, I about hyperventilated. I was on the phone with my Team Beachbody Coach when I got the email alert.  He was sharing something of value with me and I fought not to interrupt.  I think he'd be proud that I was listening instead of babbling.  Ha! Similar giddiness came over me when trainers Chalene Johnson (Turbo Jam, ChaLean Extreme) and Debbie Siebers (Slim in 6).  Debbie Siebers sent me a personalized message about a Tweet I sent out about having a dream that SHE was teaching me Slim in 6 program. These incredibly busy people take the time to be personal and that quality is not something you encounter every day.  There's a snowball's chance in h3ll that the CEO of my full-time job even knows who I am, let alone follow me on Twitter or address people on a personal level.

Giggity!

The other day a friend uttered words I never thought would be spoken to me.  It's no secret that I'm proud as a peacock to show off the curves that have been buried beneath inches of fat. Wearing clingy fabrics is less embarrassing because the pillow of flubber that squished from my bra band is vanishing.  The tape measure isn't as telling as my baggy trousers.  I'm losing inches somewhere even if the primary measurement spots aren't dictating that.  I tend to carry a lot of weight on my upper hip. The lovely muffin-top zone. Mine was a baker's dozen, m'kay? It's funny how much longer my pants are, too. Aaaaanyway, with my curves fully exposed, my friend comes rushing to me and says, "I want to know where your boobs are going!"  This took me off guard and I just blinked numerous times.  I hadn't noticed.  Shirts that button down were always avoided because they usually looked like sacks if I bought them big enough to close without gaps. I don't think Thelma and Louise are getting smaller. The back rolls and armpit boob,as I like to call it or more commonly known as the side-boob, are most definitely hitting the road.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” - Greg Anderson

The road to well-being is a journey.  Everything I am sharing is part of my journey that is surely not on a path that I walk alone.  As I spin around with joy, I see many foot prints and helping hands.  I see you there.  Oh, you may choose to be silent, but I know you're with me.  Some of you let your presence be known in small ways. Others prefer to make an impact statement.  It doesn't matter how y'all go about it.  It's there.  This is thrilling!

In the immortal words of Bartles and Jaymes, "Thank you for your support."