Reaching Milestones

Sometimes we all get too caught up in the process of attaining goals to realize how far we've come. Sometimes we are looking so hard for the finish line that we miss that we've gotten over the biggest of the hills.
I am sitting at my house, filing my paperwork for my album. I went and opened a business account today and the banker looked at me and said "Aren't you excited?" and I had been running around so much that I didn't know for a moment and then it all came flooding over me. Oh my goodness I am SOOOO excited!!! And now that I am putting the papers into the envelopes I realize where I've gotten.
If you didn't know, I'm a singer/songwriter. That's my passion, music. That's what moves me.

When I was heavier, it got in the way of my dreams. I let it get in the way. I put years of training on hold because I was too afraid to get in front of an audience. I started hiding. I stopped writing songs, I stopped going out. I just stopped.
Losing the weight has opened up my life again. I'm back onstage. I'm writing. I'm going out--granted not so much in the ridiculous heat but-- more than I was.
About a month from now I will be releasing my first EP and I am so very excited to realize this plan and celebrate this return to music!

If you are reading this at the start of your journey, I hope that you see what you have gotten away from and fight like mad to get back to it. If you are already well on your way, don't stop fighting until you're where you want to be. You can do it!

Getting there...

Hey Campers!
I just wanted to pop in and share some revelations with you. First off, now that you've gotten a week into camp I'm sure you are feeling some things you have not felt in a long time, maybe never.
Some underused muscles perhaps? Maybe some interesting emotions being stirred up? As I round third (I'm working on the last 20lbs to my goal weight) I would like to impress upon you all to take some time to really examine how they got to where you are now. I became unfit as an emotional eater and it takes quite a lot to keep that reigned in. But its more important to me to get to my goal than to have that extra Cadbury egg.
This has been a very long journey for me, I started losing the weight in 2006 and now I realize how far away from myself I got. If you don't know, I'm a singer/songwriter. I went to music school. I made a record. But life happened and it didn't get released. I gained weight and stopped performing. I was too uncomfortable in my skin to put myself out there. I was embarrassed to share my music as this bigger version of myself. So, I spent the years before 2006 hiding inside this larger version of me.
When I started losing the weight I started to find myself again. I became re-involved in theatre. I started writing songs again. In fact, my producer is bringing me out to California for a week to record. So, it's years later but I am getting to what I feel I should have been doing about six years ago.
Why am I sharing this? Well, I just want to encourage you all that are just getting started or those of you that are mid-stream to forge ahead because even though I don't know what will happen after this record is made, I have to say it feels amazing just getting to make it. I'll see you all in about a week!

Step By Step

I stayed up way too late last night watching the World Series (go Sox!) so I had a hard time dragging myself out of bed this morning. So I thought that I would come up with a "How To Make Yourself Wake Up and Go To Boot Camp" ten-step program, for days when you just don't think you can make it through class (let alone get out of bed). I know, this is sort of like the blind leading the blind, but we're going to go with it:

Step 1.
When the alarm goes off, it is imperative that you immediately sit up in bed and think about work. Or something that causes you a great deal of stomach-gnawing stress, because that will help you to not feel sleepy anymore. Think about your list of things to do that day, or a big meeting or even your grocery shopping. The prospect of boot camp won't seem as bad when compared to the thought of responding to the deluge of emails you have at work.

Step 2.
People always say you should put out your clothes the night before. Not me. I stumble into my closet and, during the winter, proceed to put on every article of clothing I own. I hate being cold, and frankly I don't believe anyone who says that they actually like the cold weather. Remember, it's all about layers. You can always take off that pantsuit, sequined halter top and kimono once you get to camp and start getting warmed up.

Step 3.
If you own any pets, DO NOT LOOK AT THEM. They will look so cozy, curled up in a warm ball, nose to tail, their paws tucked underneath them. They'll probably hear you wake up, crack open an eyelid and survey you with one stress-free, smug eyeball, then stretch, yawn, and fold themselves back up into a furry pretzel. Sometimes I seriously want to drag my cat, Chubby Charles (that's really her name), with me to boot camp. Instead I say to her "Why don't you make something of yourself? All you do is sleep. Go climb a tree."

Step 4.
Think about Thanksgiving. There's no real reason behind this step, I just like Thanksgiving and it encourages me to get out of bed.

Step 5.
While driving to boot camp, I listen to assorted morning radio shows and think about how glad I am I'm not a DJ on a morning show. Can you imagine if your job relied on you waking up at 3:30 AM every day? Talk about pressure.

Step 6.
You are going to want to do a donut in the parking lot as soon as you get to boot camp. I stop myself from turning around, driving away in a haze of smoke and not slowing down until I get to Mexico by reminding myself that in an hour, this will all be over. That's sort of the same thing as the dentist saying "This will only hurt for a second" when they give you a shot of Novocaine in the mouth, but denial is a technique that has worked for centuries so who am I to argue against it.

Step 7.
The Tread of Dread. This is what I call the few steps you take as you walk from your car to boot camp, dragging your water bottle, exercise mat, barbells, 25 extra pounds and badonkadonk. There's still enough time to back out, but you are too weighed down by all of your accessories that you don't think you can even move fast enough. Just keep walking. Those 25 pounds aren't going to lose themselves.

Step 8.
During roll call, it is key that you actually stay awake. I have felt myself drifting off to sleep during roll call so many times while lying on my mat and closing my eyes. I always know when I'm really tired because I start thinking as I fall asleep, "Sleeping outside isn't so bad. We should do it more often. Who needs houses? I like boot camp," and other various fallacies.

Step 9.
The first warm up run you do is only a small teaser of how much you have left to do. I have found that the faster you run, the faster it is over. I don't like it, but that's an undeniable fact, so I suggest you run as fast as you can. The same cannot be applied to everything though, because no matter how much you want it to be over, one minute holding the plank is one minute holding the plank no matter how you slice it. So don't be fooled by the sneaky plank.

Step 10.
The Walk of Pain. As you limp back to your car at 6:30 AM, just remember this: You get to do it all again tomorrow! Ow.

Candy Rage : The Fight Against Chocolate Covered Whoosits.

It's that time. Well technically, it has been that time. Halloween candy has been in the grocery stores for the last two months. Starbucks and every other coffee place in town has rolled out their 'Pumpkin Spice' flavored beverages. But what do you do when you are supposed to watch your calories, sugar intake, blah blah blah, cut back on sweets?

Seems like everywhere you go is littered with snack size, chocolate covered whatnots. How do you keep your hands from finding their way into the candy bowls and stay on track?

Reasons to say no to sweets:
You will live longer.
You will feel better.
Cutting back on sweets will help you reach your weight loss goals faster.

Take a look at how much you can lose if you just cut out soda!

1 bottle of Cola (20oz, regular, not diet) has 239 calories.

Let's say you have just one bottle of cola a day, every day.

7 x 239 calories = 1673

Since there are 3500 calories in a pound, without doing anything else you could lose about a half a pound a week JUST by leaving out the soda.

Here's are some tips to get you through Halloween:

Halloween
This used to be the most difficult holiday for me. Tiny little candies everywhere!

In a full size Snickers Bar there are 280 calories-- approximately 6 Snickers miniatures. Keep in mind --just because they are small does not mean you can eat more of them!

1. If you do not have the willpower to leave the candy alone, do not buy it. Donate the candy money to charity.
   
2. If your house is in danger of being egged if you go candyless, buy the candy that you don't like so you won't be tempted.
3. Wait till the last possible moment to buy candy. This will leave you with as little time alone with the candy as possible.
4. Keep the candy bowl by the door, do not go near the door/bowl of candy unless your house is in fact being egged or trick-or-treaters come by.
5. Put the candy in an adult-proof box or "Boo for you" box. Take a small box and cut a hole in it that is small enough for a child's hand but not your own. Decorate the box with a Halloween-y theme. Pour the candy inside. If a trick-or-treater's hand doesn't fit, shake the box directly over their bag. "But wait", you ask, "Stephanie what will stop me from shaking the box to get the candy out?" Nothing really, but hopefully having to try to maneuver a 'fun size' candy snack out of the boo box will slow you down, maybe even to the point that you will realize how not worth it it is.
6. Put the candy bowl on the porch and let the Trick-or-Treaters have at it. Of course with this you lose the benefit of the "The doorbell is ringing I better get up" workout. Oh and greedy kids will take too much candy.

Remember your goals. Yes, you could eat the candy but does it lead you where you want to go? Is it a distraction? Is candy as important as reaching your goals? No. Be strong and enjoy the many other things the holiday has to offer.