Commitment, Consistency and Control

Greetings!!! Happy Summer! While the OFFICIAL start of summer is not here yet- it sure feels like summer out there! 97 degrees in June! Yikes!

I want to take this opportunity- to chat- about three very important factors in ANY fitness plan- that MUST be present in order for you to be successful. Especially- if you are following the guidelines of fitness and wellness as set forth by myself, and my fitness company, BACK TO BASICS. Without these three elements, success will be short lived.

COMMITMENT: In order to be successful at anything in this world- you must be COMMITTED. You must make a decision on a given day that you are going to change your life, decide how you are going to change your life, understand why you want to embark on this change and go ahead and be committed to the change.

In order to remain committed- on occasion, without reason or rationale- you will have to make decisions- to stay on your life path. This means you will occasionally endure sacrifice that others who are not embarking on your life plan or change will not understand. You must be steadfast in your commitment- and reaffirm the reasons for your commitment. Let others know about your commitment and command respect for yourself by respecting your self and remaining committed. Others will follow and respect your decisions as well once you respect yourself. With out respecting your self and your commitment- others will not have respect for you or your attempts to change your life.

Know and understand that your COMMITMENT to a healthy lifestyle- is 80% MENTAL. While you are changing your body, becoming more fit, exercising, changing the food you eat- KNOW these are all MENTAL changes- as your MIND CONTROLS your BODY. Without MENTAL strength and COMMITMENT- your life change will not last.

In making your commitment- I want you to think of others that are committed to something in their life......use them as an example, as a role model- and know that one day you will be a role model for others. If they can do it- YOU CAN DO IT.

CONSISTENCY: After you have made your commitment to your new life change- the next element that naturally follows is CONSISTENCY. You must be consistent with the changes you make in your life. You MUST BE CONSISTENT with your healthy lifestyle to see and feel improvement. Without CONSISTENCY - you are failing in your COMMITMENT. This means you must follow a healthy lifestyle for a long period of time- even if you are frustrated, tired, cranky whatever. Forge ahead, push on, you will feel better for it soon thereafter.

CONTROL: Finally- know this- without CONTROL you will not be successful in your life change. When I refer to CONTROL - I am talking about CONTROL to ensure you eat good fresh foods, lean proteins, fresh fruits, fresh veggies, and whole grains. When I talk about CONTROL I am talking about the ability to say NO. I am talking about the need to CONTROL the forces in your life to ensure you have time to sleep, rest, exercise and enjoy the basic human rights of eating, resting and exercising. Take CONTROL of yourself, your life and you will be well on your way to a new you!!!

If you have any questions or just want to talk - you can reach me at www.BeckysFitnessCompany.com

RECIPE of the WEEK - High PROTEIN FRENCH TOAST

2 Slices of Whole Grain Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Cinn with Raisins Swirl Bread
4 Egg Whites
1 tablespoon ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Cooking Spray

Beat egg whites with Cinn and Vanilla in small low rectangle container; Lay Bread flat in egg mixture; let soak for 1 hour in the fridge; flip bread and let soak over night covered. In the AM all eggs should be absorbed by bread; warm small pan, coat with cooking spray and cook french toast on low flame in covered frying pan to ensure slow thorough cooking (about 3-4 min each side).

Enjoy French Toast with fresh Cranberry Sauce, Apple Sauce (see recipe below)!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Great News!!! This month- May- I was featured in New Living Magazine/Newspaper!!! Pick up a copy to see my new Boot Camp Move of the Month Article!!! I plan on starting a video posting of a boot camp move of the month on the Adventure Boot Camp Blog starting June 1!! I will keep you all posted!

So as you all know - on April 12, 2008, I participated in the New England Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships in Seekonk, MA. I placed 5th against a group of serious competitors! Wow! While I was not overly enthusiastic with my placing- it did give me inspiration to push on- and motivation to do better at my next show! NEVER GIVE UP! That is my motto!!! Here are some pics from the contest!! I hope you enjoy them!

Coming up in June- I will be participating in the High Trek Adventure Race in NYC to raise awareness and money for the New York Special Olympics!!! Please visit my fund raising page at www.firstgiving.com/adventurebootcamp I am also considering racing in the Dirty Events Sprint Adventure Race in Long Island! I will keep you posted with results and pics!!!

So now for the recipe of the week!!! For all my sweet tooth women out there.......my saving grace is homemade applesauce and homemade cranberry sauce!!! I put them on EVERYTHING!!! I use the cranberry sauce for my roasted chicken, snacks, yogurt, dessert, sandwiches, wraps etc. It makes a great dressing too!!!

Cranberry Sauce:

16oz Raw cranberries - washed
1 cup water
1/2 cup splenda / sugar mix

Bring water to slow boil, add sugar splenda mix and cranberries and simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries soften and begin to pop in covered saucepan. Crush with a fork, cool and serve. Store in covered container in the fridge o r freeze. Be careful not let them sauce boil over pan when simmering- as the sauce tends to rise while simmering.

Dirty Apple Sauce: Again I use this for dinner side, yogurt or oatmeal garnish snack dessert etc.

6-8 Apples of varying types - Cored and diced
1 tablespoon cinnamin
2 packets splenda

Core and dice apples and place in baking dish. Put cinnamin and splenda on top of apple mixture. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until apples soften. Stir with a fork and crush soft apples pieces. Cool and serve. Store in covered container in fridge or freeze.


"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."
Arabian Proverb


Until next week - be well. Remember I am here to talk! Send me an email!!!

What should I eat????

There is a saying.....

If you could have hunted for it, fished for it, plucked it or gathered it, it belongs on your table.
Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, lean proteins, nuts seeds....these are all great healthy foods- made by the Earth itself- and here for your dinner! I always say- if you read the ingredients of a food, and you don't understand them- don't eat it! Why would you eat something when you don't know what it is? Because it is in a nice package all pretty ready to purchase at the store? Cigarettes are also in nice little packages, ready for you to purchase at the store- AVAILABILITY does not mean it is good for you!!! Trust yourself- and your instincts when making food selections and be creative have fun! If you don't enjoy what you are eating and what you are doing- it will be a very short life change!!!

Here is my recipe of the week:

Yummy Salad Dressing!

1 packet of Good Seasons Italian All Natural Dressing seasonings
1/4 cup water
1/4 Balsamic Vinegar
In the last 1/4 cup measuring cup put 2 tbs Grey Poupon Dijon mustard, then fill about 1/2 of the remaining space in the measuring cup with olive oil (approx 1/8 cup) and fill the remaining portion of the cup with balsamic vinegar (all of those ingredients will total 1/4 cup)

Put all ingredients into a cruet and shake! Low fat all natural yummy salad dressing and marinade!!! Enjoy!

Remember Ladies-

"Impossible is nothing, all you have to do is put in your 100% and believe in yourself."
Written in 2008 by Prosenjit Mitra --- India

Please contact me with any topics you want covered in this blog! Or if you just want to talk! Leave your comments after you try the recipe!!!

The 3 P's PLANNING, PREPARING and PATIENCE

Hello all!!! As you know this Blog will contain various postings to inspire, motivate and muster up excitement about LIFE! As I promised- I will post videos and pics from all my contests with results (no matter how poor......or great!), words of wisdom that I have learned through my years of trying to live a healthy lifestyle as well as some of my favorite recipes that carry me through the week. Today- I want to talk about Planning, Preparing and Patience.....as essential components to a healthy lifestyle.

One thing I stress to all- is being healthy and fit is a LIFESTYLE. That means COMMITMENT and LONGEVITY. In order to be successful in any life long achievement- one MUST PLAN and PREPARE and have PATIENCE with yourself. Without these three things- your life long commitment to yourself will be very difficult to achieve. Where do these components come into play? Every DAY.

Planning and Preparing by example.......

Each week on Sunday- I wake up about 1 hour before my husband. It is at that time, I drink my tea, sit back relax, enjoy the silence of the Sunday morning and begin my planning for the week. I take a look at my calendar for the week ahead and take note as to how busy I will actually be. Where do I have to go on what days. After that- I then plan my workout schedule....I figure out on which days I will study martial arts, on which days I will lift weights and when I will achieve cardio. Next- I think of food. With my schedule in place- I now know how much time I will have to dedicate to cooking, and I have a good idea of how I will feel both physically and mentally each day. I then sit in the kitchen with a paper and pen- and actually write down- what I will eat all week.....Breakfast M,T,W,TH,F....snack....lunch....and so on. I factor in fruit, veggies, lean proteins and I plan which days I will eat a meal that has been prepared ahead of time on Sunday and frozen. Now that my meal plan is all worked out- on the other side of the paper- I make my GROCERY LIST. Now I am ready for the week. I have planned, and I am ready to prepare the meals I have planned out. I am also ready to conquer the supermarket with a purpose. When I get there- there will be no needless browsing or purchasing. I will go to the market somewhere in the day on Sunday. In this shopping trip- I will buy ALL the food I need for the week- to avoid unnecessary marketing traps of the SUPERMARKET and needless trips!

Then Sunday evening while getting myself ready for the week I begin to cook the food I plan on eating for the week! By Monday I have my food planned and prepared and am ready for action! I have a little lunch box and I am all set. I am also able to resist temptation while I am out on appointments as my food is packed and ready to go! Without PLANNING AND PREPARATION- in this modern day world- we will not survive!!!!

Now for the last P in the equation.....PATIENCE. This is essential- as no matter how much you plan and prepare- things always go off track without notice. This could be due to family, work, stress - whatever. Maybe you just don't feel like eating string beans again! OK- so you lose your mind and go to Carvell. Well- in my book that is no big deal- if these slip falls are few and far in between. One day of eating bad will not kill you - just like one day of eating well will not make you healthy! So- have patience with yourself....make changes in your life one at a time! Give yourself time to adjust and formally change your habits SLOWLY to ensure LONGEVITY.

So here is one of my favorite recipes that I make all of the time on SUNDAYS!!! Enjoy! (Next time I make it- I will take a pic....and put it up!)

Yummy Cole Slaw Salad!!

1/2 bag Dole traditional Cole Slaw salad mix
1 Low Fat Stony Field Farms Vanilla Yogurt
1 Fuji Apple cored and chopped into small bite size pieces
1/2 Cup Nut/Raisin mix
1 TBS Ground Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and YUMMY! You are eating cabbage!!! make two of these salads in a week and do you know how much cabbage you have consumed???

Each week I will post a new recipe- eventually I will get them all together and publish my cookbook!!! Talk to you all next week! I have my first figure competition of the season! I will post pics, videos and results!!!

Remember- I am here if you want to talk! Send me an email!

Stay Focused Until the Miracle Happens!
To your Success and Health
Becky

Life Changes and The Three "C"'s

Today's blog is about The Three "C"s and the essential need for each of them when initiating a LIFE CHANGE. The Three "C"s is something I created to help my clients understand the nature of getting Fit, Happy and Healthy - successfully without any gimmicks. They are:
Control, Choices, and Consistency

Control- This element to a life change is essential as one MUST exercise CONTROL over any aspect of their life they are seeking to change. When one is trying to change their body- either lose weight, gain weight, gain muscle, whatever their desire- they must take control over their body. This means- one must exercise control over the nutrients / food that goes into the body and ensure that they are getting the proper exercise and rest needed to cause the change they are seeking. This is one of the more challenging of the elements of a life change.

Choices- This element of a life change is essential because everything in life basically boils down to choices. We all have choices to make and those choices we make will all result in different outcomes. We must CHOOSE to eat healthier foods- even if it is not what we want at that particular moment (that is assuming your life change is in fact more important than eating the unhealthy food choice at that moment). No one has ever fallen ill without a Milky Way- although you may feel ill- when you choose not to eat it......Each person who endeavors into a LIFE CHANGE must realize that it is a CHOICE they are making- no one is forcing them to do it.....it is all about what you want.....

Consistency- This is a very interesting element to the LIFE CHANGE process. So often I hear- "I was eating right and exercising.....I did great- but then......"
A life change is exactly that- a LIFE CHANGE...not a week change or a month change. If you have a party coming up, a contest or special event that you want to lose weight for- that is a temporary goal- you do what you have to to get to where you want to be on that date and then go back to your normal routine. A LIFE CHANGE does not have an end date.....in order to truly be Fit, Happy and Healthy one must be CONSISTENT with their CHOICES and in using CONTROL. To change your body takes time. You did not get unhealthy in a week or a month- you certainly cannot get healthy in that short amount of time either. You must be CONSISTENT.

Until next time,

To Your Success and Health,
Becky