Personal Trainer

Let me say that I never thought I would ever want to have a personal trainer or that I could even benefit from a personal trainer.  I thought that these kind of services were or people who were "serious" body builders or who had MUCH more experience with working out/exercising than I do.  I was WRONG.  Having someone to help me has been EXACTLY the thing I needed.

God brought Leslie and me together.  We have worshipped together in past settings.  I met her years ago at a women's conference sponsored by Crosswalk church in Blk. Mtn.  My mother and I were guest attendees.  Sandy Johnston introduced us.  Then years later we had the pleasure of worshipping together at Mtn. View church.  Although Bill, Leslie and their family no longer call Mtn. View "home" we have been able to maintain a friendship.  In all actuality we are closer now than before. 

Leslie is a certified personal trainer.  I have her card if you want it ;-).  She has lost a large amount of weight and kept it off for over a decade.  She also is a nutritional counselor.  Having trained at the rush and other facilities I knew that she "knew her stuff".  Here is her bio and email address (sorry shameless plug for my friend) 

Leslie Raper

Leslie has a passion for creative training, motivation, and nutritional guidance.
Leslie is a trainer with more than 10 years experience in Group Fitness and Personal Training. Her passion is to help men and women develop strong, healthy bodies while giving them nutritional guidance for optimum performance in and away from the gym.


While Leslie trains all fitness levels from beginner to advanced fitness enthusiast, her speciality is in programs that incorporate total body workouts that give you an intense workout that is injury free while considering all physical issues and taking special circumstances into account. You will burn fat, build lean muscle and feel incredibly successful. She does not believe in one size fits all and builds programs that are as individual as you!


Her clientele ranges in ages from 14 to 65, men and women. She conducts special group fitness such as training for young women's sports teams, Super Circuit Classes, Personal One on One, Core Stability Training and Back Care, specialized training for the female runner and training for the senior fitness buff.


Leslie's training offers something for everyone and you can be rest assured that every measure will be taken to make you comfortable, safe and most of all; successful!
Specializing In:

• Postural Assessments & Corrective Exercise
• Beginner Women Weight Training
• Intermediate & Advanced Woman Conditioning
• Total Body Conditioning for Runners

NASM & AFAA - Certified Fitness Trainer
lesliearcpt@gmail.com

Needless to say her patience, dedication, "Wisdom, Tenacity, Focus" and evident faith are part of what make her so special.  Leslie cuts through the "fluff" and tells me as it is.  She holds me accountable.  She sees the best in me and doesn't back down.  She prays for me and with me.  She pushes me when I need to be encouraged and lets me cry when I feel as if I can't do one more rep.  She doesn't mind when I can't find childcare.  She loves my kids and understands my situation.  The class she teaches on Saturday mornings at Biltmore Premier Fitness is HARD yet FUN!!!  What a neat group of ladies I have had the pleasure of working out with the last two weeks.  She has big dreams for me and is going to help ME have big dreams for me :-).  I am grateful to God for allowing our paths to cross and for giving Leslie the heart to work with this tired, stressed out, overweight, completely out of shape, broken down momma! 

I am thankful,

Janelle

It's a Start

My mom and I are holding each other accountable with our food journals and we weigh every week on the same scale and share our new weekly numbers.  This week I had lost 2.1 lbs.  So it's a start!!! 

Just wanted to record it,

Janelle

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving and other holidays are usually celebrated by partaking LOTS of food.  At least that's how it's done in the Morgan/Flint households.  These foods are often starchy, sweet, sticky, gooey, crunchy, fried, flaky, fatty, and abundant.  Not that "fun" food is a bad thing.  It's just that usually I end up eating WAY TO MUCH of it.  I wish that Americans didn't put as much emphasis on "holiday foods". Oh and one Thanksgiving dinner isn't enough...lol.   So today is Thanksgiving dinner #2.  I must admit that last Thursday I wasn't very "good".  I ate more than I should have.  I ate foods that weren't healthy.  I even had dessert(s).  The fellowship was sweet, but my body told me that it didn't like what I had put in it or how much.  I was almost immediately sorry for my choices.  That felt good even at the same time of feeling badly.  It meant to me that I wanted to eat differently. 

I am learning new habits.  I am displacing old thought patterns.  I am purposing to be a healthy, whole version of my current self.  I am embracing knowledge, change and FREEDOM.  So just as God's Word says in Lam. 3:22-23(NLT) "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." I am believing that today is another chance to try again.  My family is in from out of town to celebrate.  My prayer is that I will enjoy their company and our conversation will be graced with the presence of the Lord.  My contributions to the dinner will be quinoa (see previous post..hahaha) and organic mashed potatoes (butter cream variety).  It will be a wonderful day. 

I am thankful that God has allowed my eyes to be opened to the need to change.  I have known for YEARS that I need to change.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look in the mirror and see that I'm fat or when I walk a few flights of stairs I'm winded.  What I mean is that the eyes of my spirit have been opened to my need for help from my Savior AND from friends and family to encourage me in this realm of change.  He brought me to my lowest point last month to make me realize something has to give.  Maybe I'll blog about that too.  Nevertheless, fat, winded, humbled, overwhelmed yet HOPEFUL I will bring myself to the table and ENJOY Thanksgiving with my family.

Thanking God for healthy food,

Janelle

A New Vocabulary

Ok so this "healthy" thing sure has a new vocabulary.  This goes for both the "clean eating" world and the "workout" world.  Today was my second Women's Conditioning Class with the fabulous, beautiful, talented, godly, fun, encouraging Leslie Raper (I'll blog about her later...).  I learned some neat, new things today.  I wanted to share them with you in a fun format.

Old Way of Thinking Vs. New Way:
"Clean and Press"-I used to think that involved laundry.  Today I learned that it was a weightlifting move.
"Bosu"-Maybe that was a type of noodle used in Thai cooking.  Today I learned it was a half of a "stability ball" used for balance, exercising and all other kinds of "delicious" torture Leslie creates :-)
"Medicine Ball"-In my college days that might have been the name of a bad drink...lol.  Today I learned that they come in various weights and are much heavier than you think after using them for various exercises.
"T Twist"-Not a type of pastry....a twist involving the thoracic whatever.  I'm not even sure I know what I'm talking about.  All I know is that we had to do a push up and then do this twisty thingy.
"Lady Gaga"-What happens when I've had a hard day :-).  Good workout music????  Still not sure about that one.
"Bicycle Crunches"- What  might happen when you back over your kids bike in the driveway.  Today....a very painful move on top of this torture device known as a "ball".  Oh if you could have seen me today.  You would have laughed.
"Core"-What is found at the center of an apple.  Now I know it's something muscular I'm supposed to have.  Oh it will be YEARS before I find my "core".  No really somewhere in me is this fabulous size 10. 

These are just a few from the "workout" world. 
Ready for the "clean eating" realm?

"Organic"-Something that my eleven month old boys produce.  Locally grown produce and other items.  Ones that are healthier for me (although often more expensive).  I'm learning.
"Quinoa" (pronounced Keen-wa)-I thought that might have been something a ninja said while attacking.  Come to find out it's a complete protein and a "super-grain". 
"Range-fed"-This doesn't mean a meal that I put on the table after cooking it for my family.  It means that beef, chicken, turkey etc. are raised only on natural foods, grains not corn or other filler foods.  Also they haven't been exposed to harmful antibiotics and other environmental hazards. 
"Kefir" (pronounced Kee-fur)-A famous actor (sorry couldn't resist). A pro biotic, natural drink made of fermented milk.

Hopefully you've enjoyed my playful take on things.  In all honesty I am learning everyday what living a healthy life means.  New vocabulary.  New ways of doing things.  New mindset.  New.  New.  New.  It is hard.  It is humbling.  It is overwhelming at times, but I enjoy learning.  I'm a good student.  I always have been.  I pray that I can retain what I'm learning AND keep pressing in for more knowledge everyday. 

Thanks for stopping by friends,

Janelle

Here Are Some Pics....

So here I was in November of 1994. I had these glamor shots made to send to my boyfriend at the time. He was a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan. This "me" seems lost forever in SOOOO many ways. This is a good AND bad thing. I'll blog about that later.

And here I was on Oct. 31, 2010 the day I REALLY started down a new path.  This path to health, wholeness and FREEDOM!!!  Big change huh???  Nevertheless...here I am.  Same in so many ways and different in others.  Just thought you might like to see.

"Let's Start at the Very Beginning"

"A very good place to start..."

This post is going to be lenghty but hang in there. I have struggled with my weight my ENTIRE life. As long as I can remember and even chronicled through photos of my past I have been "chubby" or some variation of overweight. Maybe I'll share some of those "cute fat kid" photos :-).

I am going to be BRUTALLY honest in this blog. Honestly, what do I have to lose? (Except a LOT of weight...lol) When I married Nathan on May 20, 1995 I was 210 pounds. So fifteen years and 5 kids later on Oct. 31, 2010 (when I finally made up my mind to start this journey), I weighed in at 285. YIKES. How does that happen???

You know I've been on a journey my whole life. It's not as if I'm staring a new journey. I'm just choosing to walk a different direction. This isn't going to change who I am in the eyes of Christ which is my TRUE identity. This transformation process is simply going to bring me closer to the reality of my eternal home and allow me to be ALL that God created me to be. John 10:10 (New Living Translation) says" The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." That's my desire to have a RICH AND SATISFYING LIFE. Please don't mistake what I'm saying here. I don't think that when I hit some "magical" number on a scale that instantly the heavens will part, the angels will sing and I will have ARRIVED!!! I am blessed beyond measure. I have a wonderful life and I am grateful, but I know there is more for me. Christ wants ALL of me. He wants me to be FREE and HEALTHY!!!

Here's a new favorite song of mine. I think it is going to be my "theme song" for this next phase of my life. Check it out "Daring to Be" by Natalie Grant


In the next post I'll tell you about how I came to start this new path on my life's journey and share some photos. Until then...

I'm not who I was and not yet who I will be...

Janelle