What do you want to gain today?

Do you ever get tired of hearing all the hype about New Years' Resolutions every January?  I know I do, and it's always reminder of what I failed to do for the last 12 months.  (or maybe I started out for few months or even days, but then one slip, and wham...I'm done with that goal or resolution!

So let's just do this:  what  is one thing I want to accomplish TODAY?? Start small.  We have no guarantees of tomorrow.  Being in the Fitness Business for 20 years now, I have changed my way of thinking and encouraging others:  from being focused on the negative only of weight loss  to what is the positive aspect?
With many people, we want to LOSE weight or inches...so every January 1st, many people either say to themselves, to friends, or write down what they want to lose.  So what happens if we don't lose any weight or inches after 1 week or even 3 weeks?  We get discouraged, defeated, and throw in the towel.

My challenge to you is this:  write 1 thing in your planner or your phone notes for something you want to gain:  Strength, endurance to run a 5k, confidence, mental clarity, deeper faith, intimate relationship with Jesus.    What is just ONE thing you can do TODAY to help you with this?  5 pushups, walk 10 min, run 2 min without stopping, spend some time alone, pour out your heart in a prayer journal??  THEN DO IT!!!  Even if you only have 10 min, use it to help YOU gain your goal.  You will be a better parent, spouse , worker if you feel like you are not defeated every January!  Make TODAY A SUCCESS!!!!

Look in the mirror and ask yourself. "what is keeping me from reaching my goal?  Be honest with yourself.  Doesn't matter what you tell others.  Just ask yourself what has been holding you back?  If you want to feel better, have more energy, buy those jeans in size you have only dreamed of for years...then why not?

Pray for God to show you if you really can't answer what is keeping you from gaining something good, ask Him to release you from any chains of bondage from Satan:  scales, food, friends...whatever is holding you back!

I am right there with you...let's experience FREEDOM FROM NEGATIVE JUNK!!

Keitha Beth

X-TREME FITNESS IS HERE!!

Hope those following me have been marking your calendars of exercise completed and clean eating days!!  I had my 20% day off on Saturday with Tech game (pre-game at Firehouse Subs), and then when the dynamic duo were bored, hot, and laying on me at game by half-time, I volunteered to take them to Barnes & Noble.  After an hour of reading Dora and books about sharks (Haven is fascinated by sharks! lol), the girls wanted Auntie Anne's Pretzel sticks...the Cinnamon ones!! Oh my!!  They are delicious!  
But the last couple days have been pretty good...although Harbor and I made my dad brownies for his birthday lunch.  I resisted until after we had spent couple hours at park visiting our sweet friends, the Adairs.  When I opened car door, and the smell of warm brownies hit my nose, it was all over!!  But just a small one!  
Last week was great week on exercise for me, and I am soooooooo excited to announce I am starting "X-TREME FITNESS" here at Shallowater!!  Co-ed classes will begin next Monday, Oct 22 at 5:30-6:15am at the Facility.   Combination of step (my FAV), resistance training, circuit training, and high intensity interval training with kickboxing to my FAV tunes!!  (which of course includes a lot of 80's!!  Woohoo!)  Music is the drive for me...find one motivates YOU!!  

If you live in the Shallowater area, come join us...1st 2 weeks are free for you to try!  

Headed to bed so I can go run in the am...just set that alarm and GET MOVING!!!  

Faithful to be Fit,
Keitha Beth

What's holding YOU back??

Well, after moving again this summer, remodeling our new home, unpacking (AGAIN), going on family vacation, and school starting...I AM FINALLY BACK TO BLOG!!  

Tonight will be short and sweet:   I have not been working out very consistently with all the craziness of summer and getting back into routine, so needless to say, I feel blah many days.  But what is holding me back from that consistency?  I can rationalize I have been overwhelmed with moving, starting new job, making new friends, looking for new church, not establishing my own class yet, blah blah blah.   Truth is I have been making excuses for myself.   And it stops TODAY!!!  

I want to challenge you to join me starting tomorrow...WE GIVE IT OUR BEST FOR 80% OF THIS MONTH ON HEALTHY EATING AND EXERCISING.    Get your calendar and pencil out, or your iphone calendar, and let's mark out those days we stick to clean eating and get at least 30 min of exercise.  On Oct 31st, I will post my percentage.  You can hold me accountable and I will hold you accountable!  

So I am off to bed, so I can hit gym at 545am before I am off to training all day in Lubbock.  BTW, I have discovered that if I don't get up early and get done, it doesn't get done!!  Anybody with me on that one????  I always have great intentions to go run on these gorgeous evenings or do TurborFire or Insanity after kids in bed, but I am just now getting around to when I could work out, and at this time of night, I would be up til 3am if I got a good sweat in!!  LOL!  

Day 1:  610am - Gym x 40 min with interval cardio and weights.  It's in the books...

I look forward to hearing from you all this month!  If you need immediate encouragement, text me!!  My passion in life is to help motivate others to live healthier, so if you need me, call or text!

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."  Phil 4:13

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

Keitha Beth

BASEBALL BLOG....IT'S DONE!!

Ok, so today is my sweet Haven's 6th birthday, and what fun we have had! Bday candles in her pancakes, lunch at McDonald's with our wonderful friends, Ashley and "B Boys", swim lessons, cake at the park, and now sitting at Sonic at Colorado City, having cupcakes then off to watch Hadley (my nephew) play baseball. But first thing my sister-in-law, Jackie, says to me is "You haven't been writing your blog!" oops!! BUSTED!!!! I reply, "well, with end of school activities, including Avery's 8th grade graduation, as well as packing our house (moving again!), it's been kind of crazy. And now I am in Post for swim lessons, and actually have time but they don't have internet, and too hard to do on my phone." So she walks to her car, gets her ipad which has 3G, and sits it down in front of me. So...here is my TIP for the DAY: (Just couple weeks late! lol) 5.) 80/20 RULE With exercise and healthy eating, you need to realize you will have days you miss workout or you splurge on that cheeseburger (mine is from Holl's Drive In at Post). Instead of just throwing in the towel and saying, "I blew it so I might as well start over next month, or next year!" DON'T GO THERE!!!! Simply mark your calendar as one of your 20% days, and move on. Eat clean again or get back to your workout class or gym, and get several consecutive days under your belt back at the gym and eating your fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. Mark your calendar for a couple of months to show the days you workout (highlight in one color), then mark your calendar to show the days you eat healthy, including your water (highlight in another color). After a couple of months, see if your getting workouts and healthy eating done 80% of the month. If not, rethink your time for workout. If you workout in the afternoon or evening, and "stuff" keeps coming up with your kids or work, then get up and workout at 5am if feasible. (Your body may try to keep you in that comfy bed, but just get up and get it done before your brain makes up an excuse not to...I promise you will feel better starting your day off with a good sweat!) If you get caught at work or school, without healthy lunch or snacks, you will get hungry and grab the processed fast food that adds toxins to your body (making you feel more lethargic and less likely to workout later). You may think you are eating heathy and exercising regularly, but if you journal all this for a few weeks, you may be surprised to see you are doing about 50/50, instead of 80/20. And that can be what is keeping your clothes from fitting like you want!! So start tomorrow (since it is 9pm today), and go 80/20!!! Well, the baseball game just ended, and if this blog sounds crazy, just realize I was sitting in stands at game, trying to watch my nephew throw some strikes...which he did! Go Hadley!!! And thanks, Jackie, for reminding me to do this...I'M BACK!!!! Keitha Beth

GAIN THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART!

Psalm 37:4  "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."  

Let me take a night to pause from our 10 Tips for Healthier Eating (I promise I will give you all 10!  lol)...I must share this amazing testimony of my sweet friend, Angela.   I stood in my bathroom reading this message from her this morning as I was about to get ready for church, with tears running down my cheeks.     Angela has desired to lose weight, and now, with only the strength from the Lord, encouragement from others, and not giving up, she is a changed woman!!!!  Inside and out!

Such an amazing testimony of how giving God our every care, every struggle can make all the difference in the world!!  

I praise you heavenly Father, for Angela, and the victory YOU have given her over the chains that weight has had over her for years!!!  YOU ARE MIGHTY AND POWERFUL AGAINST EVERYTHING THAT COMES AGAINST US!!!  We declare in the name of Jesus, that Satan is a liar, who comes to kill, steal, and destroy!!   I pray that all who read this, will praise your name with me for the what he has done in Angela's life, and if anyone is under bondage of any type, they will give it to you TODAY!!  I am truly blessed to be a vessel for you Lord, to encourage women in this way to lean on you, even when it is as simple as what we eat!!  In the mighty name of Jesus, AMEN!!!!!

From Angela:

Only with God at my side:
Starting at 310 lbs on January 1, 2011 I began a journey that I knew would not be easy. Because of a blessing from a friend I started working out at Brown Eyed Girls on January 5th and began to eat right again. I have been down this road before but this time things were different. I put God in control and through lots of praying, sweating and eating right (oh I forgot about the tears shed) I finally made it to the 220's this week. When I got on the scales Friday morning I was humbled to see 228.4! I was so excited! I have only been in the 220's one other time in my life (that I can remember.) I hear people say they want to weigh what they did in high school but for me, I never want to weigh what I did in high school. Graduating the largest person in my class is not something I ever want to remember but by God's strength I know now that I don't have to. I have lost 82 lbs in the last year. Yes I fell off in August when school started and gained 38 of the 70 I lost last year but I jumped right back on in January and lost those 38 lbs plus 10+ more. I know now that it is ok to have a bad day every once in a while but with the encouragement from you and so many other I know I will reach my 100lb goal. My goal right now is to wear a size 16 dress to my son's graduation on May 25th.... (I was a size 28) But now I must change that goal because I went to buy a dress yesterday and lo and behold it is a size 16. YEAH! I will wear that dress today to meet my God in his house and it will be so amazing! My God is so good and he is the great Healer. He is still working on me but I do know that nothing is Impossible with Him.

Thank you Keitha so much for helping me to remember to never let my light burn out. You are truly an inspiration. Without you and Linda I never would have gone to my Heavenly Father to draw strength from. You two helped me to see that I want to be healthy to live out his calling in my life.
Thank you so much for being his vessel! I know I can gain today, gain health, gain strength, gain energy but above all else gain a stronger and closer relationship with my Heavenly Father.

My prayer today is this.....
Use me Lord to be an inspiration to others. I want to make a difference in someone's life. I thank you for Keitha and Linda. Thank you for giving me great friends to encourage me.
Thank you for putting Riki in my life. She always listens to me and encourages me daily to keep going.
Your blessing are so great!
Amen!

 

 WHAT A GORGEOUS DAUGHTER OF A THE KING!!!

 PS:  Angela has also started drinking Shakeology...let me know if you are interested in trying it!!  www.beachbodycoach.com/coachkeitha

3 D'S TO LOSE

DRIZZLE, DON'T DRENCH!

Tip 6) for healthier living is to DRIZZLE SALAD DRESSING, NOT DRENCH IT! 

 Become more aware of how much salad dressing you are putting on a wonderful, healthy, big bowl of vitamin-rich veggies!!!  I hear lots of people say they eat salads daily, yet can't lose weight.  Or I have observed at salad bars,  someone totally ruin a low-fat/low-calorie meal by coating it in dressing.   If you are trying to lose weight, I highly recommend you use a vinaigrette dressing (my favorite is raspberry walnut vinaigrette).   And go sparingly!!!!  The other day, I saw something where a nutritionist recommended you dip your fork in dressing, then pick up the salad.   This is a great way to retrain your taste buds to not depend on the dressing as the meal, rather than the green, leafy veggies!!  

Fortunately, I never have cared for ranch, Italian, or any creamy dressings.    Before honey mustard dressing came around in the 90's, I would just eat a salad dry, when I did force a salad down!  But I soon discovered balsamic vinaigrette dressing and lately the raspberry walnut vinaigrette (which I know adds a few calories, but I personally don't like soggy, dressing-drenched salad).   If you are ordering a salad at a restaurant, ALWAYS ask for the dressing on the side.  That way you can control how much goes on your salad.   

Here is my favorite salad that is a great lunch or dinner meal:

2 cups romaine lettuce and fresh spinach mixed

1/4 cup sliced almonds or walnuts

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

4 oz diced grilled chicken breast

1 Tbsp Raspberry Ving dressing

This salad is easy to throw together to take to work, and takes little time to prepare if you buy the box salad mix at United or Sam's.  I also buy the chicken breasts at Sam's that are already grilled (whole breasts, not diced).   I will cook several chicken breasts for the family, add some steamed veggies and roll for the family but I put my chicken on salad.  EASY!!!!!  

I apologize that it is taking me over 2 weeks to give you 10 tips for healthier living!!  Life gets crazy,  and the day gets away from me.   I try to type it during the day, but seems like every time I sit down to the computer, hear comes Little Miss Harbor, wanting to play on the "pewtah" as she calls it!  LOL!!!   But I hope these tips are helpful.  Be sure to share my blog with your friends!!  AND I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!!!!  

Here is part of my devotional today by David Wilkerson, that talks about the "sprinkling of the blood of Jesus"...I felt this went along with my tip, since 'Sprinkling" and "Drizzling" could be used interchangeably.  

"If Christ is Lord of your life, then your doorposts have been sprinkled by His
blood. This sprinkling is not for forgiveness only but also for protection
against all the destroying powers of Satan. Jesus' blood has not been left in
the basin but has been lifted out and sprinkled on your heart."

I pray that your home is sprinkled by the blood of Jesus, and that you pour out your heart to him daily.   Thank him and praise him for all the blessings and plans he has for you, and ask Him to guide you as you are striving to take care of your body, His temple.  

Keitha Beth

Bring It To Lose It!!!!

Short and sweet tonight...laying in bed and alarm going off at 5am for TGIF WORKOUT!! To avoid eating junk when you find yourself starving while running errands or at work about 4pm, keep healthy snacks with you!!! My favorite is snack size ziplock bag with 10 almonds, 1/4 cup dried cranberries, and 10 walnuts. Feels my tank and the protein in nuts keeps me satisfied til supper. Also, keep a shake in freezer ready to grab and take with you so you have it in car. Tip 5) for Healthier Living: BE PREPARED!!!! This is so important, whether. you are packing lunch and/or snacks! This is key to changing your eating habits into a lifestyle behavior! I can't stress importance of planning ahead. It takes time and isn't always convenient, but when those jeans fit looser in the waist or hips, IT WILL BE WORTH IT!! Thanks for reading today...hope this helps you:)