The Talk

Amy Cobine - Beachbody Coach

I just picked this pic so I could pin this picture instead of my before and after pic, I really do hate looking at it.

Today I gave away some Shakeology samples to a friend who wants to make "the change," you know, change her life and become healthy and fit.  And coming over to my place to get the samples is a big step, bigger than she may think.  It takes courage to ask for help from someone else, or admit that a change has to be made.

Unfortunately this friend was in a hurry and she could not stay to hear "the talk."  "The talk" is the my little encouragement speech I give everyone when they get a sample from me.

Now, I have a few people, not just one, but a few people in my life that don't love the fact that I blog this personal information, however, I have too!  It's these personal details that make me a real person and allow me to assist others.  I know you all don't want to hear how easy losing the weight was, because it wasn't easy at all, and you don't want to hear that everything else in my life is peachy keen (Lol that word made me laugh).  My struggles, my worries, my stress is the same as everyone else, and the main reason I can call BS when people make excuses.  See I have made the same excuses and know when people are lying to me, and to themselves.  Sorry but I got to do this for now.

Just in case you need reminded on how far I came.  Before pic was May 2010, 190 lbs.  

The Talk...

At my biggest I was 190lbs.  Holy frick!!! I was 190lbs!!!  That was May 2010 and back then I made the decision,  I had to change!  I had to do something.  I had to do something extreme. In June 2010,  I went on a low calorie diet, a diet that included no sugar, no fat, no carbs, and no salt for almost 6 months.   I learned how to eat to fuel my body not to satisfy my cravings or indulge myself.   The diet was tough but by Nov 2010, I was down 40lbs.  By Feb 2010, I was down another 20lbs, and in March 2010, I started exercising. 

Now, if you had asked me two years ago what I thought about my diet, I would have said it wasn't that bad.  That's what all my clients say now, and as soon as they say it, I laugh.  Such BS!!  Our diet is 70% of our problem.  70%!!!  We consume way to many calories, even if you are like I was, and only eat once or twice a day.  We eat too much sugar, too much fat, too much processed food, and too much salt.  And then we starve our bodies of the real nutrition like minerals and vitamins.  If you are at your biggest right now, your body is in trouble.  It wants real food!  It is in desperate need for you to take care of it.  If you have too, think extreme like I did.  I suggest a reset (found on my site).

 
The extreme diet let me see my weaknesses, they included a love of diary (freakin love cheese!) and a love of midnight snacks filled with salt (nachos!).  I figured out I ate out of boredom and loneliness, most of the time.  I now know, I need to eat to fuel my body not to make myself feel better.  The process of losing the weight will make you evaluate your relationship with food as well as the other relationships in your life.  My advice dump the toxic food and the toxic people.  You'll feel lighter within the week. Ha!

Speaking of toxic people, you will find along the way, people who will not want to see you succeed.  Get rid of those people or minimize their role in your life.  If it is someone significant like a spouse or a child, well then tell them to get on the bandwagon because change is rolling through.  Do not give them the choice to bring you down.  You will need to stand up for yourself, which is something I find most fatties to have problems with.  It's time to stand on your own two feet and be who you want to be.

Change like this will take long term commitment and time.  The process of losing the weight took me about 19 months and I am still changing.  I am not losing weight anymore but I still workout and train and watch my diet, like I did during the process.  I am constantly learning more about exercise and nutrition.  Educate yourself daily, it will keep you motivated and keep the changes going!  You have to be committed to the process and enjoy the journey.  You will learn so much about yourself and you are going to find strength that you never knew you had. 

If you have any tendency for OCD behavior this is the time to let those traits shine.  Weigh yourself daily, measure yourself weekly, count every calorie, think about everything you are doing... are you sitting watching TV.. GET UP!  You are not burning calories and you need to be burning them all the time.  You will need to keep these changes on your mind often and to make sure you do not slip into old habits.

Get organized!  You will need to find time to exercise.  If you think you are to busy, you are wrong, you just aren't organized enough.  Start making plans.  I now plan everything, which I know some people hate.  And I know some people think its a Mom thing that I do that, but it's not, it's a fatlete thing.  It's a "I don't want to ever be fat again" thing. 

It's time to be a bit selfish.  Most of you that read this blog are parents, and as parents you spend every second doing everything for the kids, and like me, just taking a few moments from the kids may make you feel bad, like you are being neglectful, but your not.   Taking time for yourself is good for your kids too.  Show your kids an example of  health and when they ask why you are eating differently and why you have started to exercise, tell them it's because you plan on being in their lives for a really long time.  I personally plan on challenging my kids and nagging them forever, and I now have the body that will last FOREVER!  LOL. 

In time you will need to start exercising and when you do, try to remember when you were a kid and you played so hard your face turned red.  It was fun back then to run and jump, all day.  It's still fun, you just need to think of it that way.  Now I am a runner, but you don't have to run.  There are tons of other exercise and programs and I can help you pick the one that is right for you.  Make exercise fun again, its just play time like it was when you were 7 yrs old.  For my clients that are seriously overweight I do not suggest starting a diet makeover and exercise at the same time.  It is too much, you will feel overwhelmed, and you may quit.  I don't want that!  We start off slow and will build on small successes.

This process will take time.  But I need you to take each small success, each pound you lose, each inch you lose, and just do it again and again until you reach your goals.  And when you hit your first set of goals, I need you to make new ones.  Never stop making goals and go ahead make them seem unreachable, because those are the best ones.  My first goal was a size 8.  I thought that would be reachable and I could be happy at that.  "If only I was a size 8" I would tell myself.  But then, you know what?  I hit size 6!   I thought well why not try for a size 2, ha ha right?  I thought I was being sooo ridiculous, me in a size 2, never thought it would happen.  Now I am a size 0 and sometimes a double 0.  Crazy when you think that I use to be a very full size 16.  Again, the crazy goals are the best to accomplish.

I can;t say it enough, enjoy this process!  You probably enjoyed eating and now have the extra pounds to show for it. Now enjoy taking those pounds off. Its going to be hard. You are going to want to quit. But you can't because this needs to happen!  And think about the great before and after pics or think about the great story you'll be able to tell your friends.  

I really can go on for hours about the changes I made, the sacrifices I made, and the tears I cried.  I use to say I regretted the years I spent as a fatty, and that I was too fat for too long, but not anymore.  If it wasn't for all that time as a fatty I would have never had this amazing journey, I would have never became a coach, I would have never met the wonderful people in my life.  I would have never known how strong I am!  I try to live everyday without regret and make better choices everyday.  Thank god for my agency and the ability to make the changes I needed to make. 

I hope my talk has helped a little today. 

If you need more assistance please check out my coach's page www.beachobodycoach.com/amycobine  Also I am more than happy to send fatletes a copy of my kitchen makeover and my coach started letter.