In 2009, I found my inner athlete. In 2010, I'll be living a TURBO life! I'm a huge fan of Turbo Kick, a cardio kickboxing workout created by Chalene Johnson. Turbo has had a HUGE impact on me, & taught me a lot about fitness, fun, balance, & attitude.

Turbo brings me a wicked sense of accomplishment & pride, tons of happiness & positivity, & buckets of sweat. It's taught me to respect where I am in the moment & make adjustments as needed. It's shown me how to connect with ...

In 2009, I found my inner athlete. In 2010, I'll be living a TURBO life! I'm a huge fan of Turbo Kick, a cardio kickboxing workout created by Chalene Johnson. Turbo has had a HUGE impact on me, & taught me a lot about fitness, fun, balance, & attitude.

Turbo brings me a wicked sense of accomplishment & pride, tons of happiness & positivity, & buckets of sweat. It's taught me to respect where I am in the moment & make adjustments as needed. It's shown me how to connect with people (in a GYM no less!) & helped shed any self-consciousness I had. It also helped me train for the two half marathons I completed in 2009, & will help me stay fit in 2010!

Living a Turbo life means staying connected to my inner athlete, & focusing on mind, body & spiritual fitness. Above all, it means having FUN & a positive attitude, & Spreading the Spark!

***

July 1, 2006 marked the start of my weight loss journey & have maintained a 75-80 lb. loss since October 2007.

Starting in fall 2009, I resolve to evolve & move into Phase 3 of my journey, by building my best body.

Phase 1 (July 2006 to March 2007) - Establishing a fitness base by walking. Started walking, jogging & participated in a few 5Ks. Minimal to moderate change to diet.

Phase 2 (April 2007 to September 2007) - Pushed my fitness by getting into "RossTraining" by following a 50 day program for combat athletes. Major changes to diet by eating at home, bringing lunch to work, switching to non-processed versions of foods (e.g. instant to old fashioned oatmeal).

Maintenance (October 2007 to December 2009) - Continued to maintain weight loss & healthier lifestyle habits.

Phase 3 (Starts January 1, 2010) - Expand physical fitness to my mind & spirit, & have more FUN doing it!

************************************

I've tried numerous times to distill the lessons I've learned into an easily digestible list but haven't liked the results. Instead, here's an open letter to you.

To anyone on their own Spark path:

Have unshakeable faith in yourself or find someone who does. I've had to rebuild my self-esteem & confidence & for a long time, was full of doubt. I'm so grateful to have a husband that's believed in me more than I've ever believed in myself. Big thanks to Spark & everyone here too. I hope you have someone in your own life that's there for you. Reach out, connect with people, expand your support network.

Use your imagination & dream BIG. Trust me when I say the possibilities are endless. At my highest weight, I never imagined my life would ever be different from what it was. Permanent weight loss, healthy eating & exercise were pipe dreams. Since starting my journey, I'm continually amazed at what I've accomplished. I'm particularly proud of finishing the Hood to Coast relay; backpacking around France, Switzerland & Greece; & walking around Vegas like it's a walk in the park. I also love what I can do in the gym, on a hike, or out in the snow (snowshoeing's the best!). Your life _can_ be different from what it is today. You can be better, faster, stronger, more agile, healthier, leaner, more confident & assertive, more loving & positive than you are today. What secret visions for your life do you daydream about, never daring to believe for one second that it's possible? I assure you, it is.

Be curious about how your body, mind & spirit reacts to changes, & be fearless when it comes to finding what works for you. There's a lot of info out there & it can get overwhelming at times. What makes sense to you? What common themes keep surfacing? Experiment & know when to cut your losses if something isn't working. Changing your life takes some major self-awareness, & if you're used to paying attention to everyone or everything besides yourself, you may feel guilty. Feel proud that you respect yourself enough to do what's best for you. Give yourself permission to do what it takes!

Other things to keep in mind...

Motivation ebbs & flows. Some days you'll have it & some days you won't. During the downtimes, be kind to yourself & keep believing that you'll make it.

It's ok if you only have 22% to give. Sometimes 110% is completely unrealistic. If 22%'s all you got, that's the best you can expect of yourself.

This is hard work with no shortcuts. There's a difference between enduring the discomfort of hard work & suffering. The latter is unnecessary.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed or discouraged, focus on just today & take baby steps.

You always have a choice.

You absolutely, positively deserve your best life. Period.

Read More About ZMONEY (Updated February 6)

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