It's COMING!! Announcement news....Finally!

We have neared the end and we have set a date!!!  After reading, re-reading, re-reading, and re-reading, discussing, hair pulling, and then re-reading again.....No, that is NOT an exaggeration, we have neared the end of our decision process and have set a date.  Mark your calendars for November 1st everyone!  Please make sure to check out the website www.recipeforfitness.com for all the much anticipated information!  On that day we will be posting our decision of who will be participating in the Recipe For Fitness pilot project as well as a few additional surprises. WE LOVE SURPRISES! 

Chelle and I would like to take this opportunity, once again, to thank you for the overwhelming response to  be a part of this journey.  We are inspired and in awe of the strength and courage that you have as a group of dynamic individuals all with unique stories.  It is our pleasure to be on this path with you towards a healthier more active world.  Just remember....TOGETHER....we can move MOUNTAINS (ooooo that gives me a good idea for a workout!) 

ZUMBA Dancing With the Girls for the Girls!!!!!!

This past weekend I had an opportunity to get my groove on for a good cause....
The Party in Pink Zumbathon!

(apparently the paparazzi caught up with me while I was not looking)



"Cause this is Thriller....Thriller night...."



We Boogied for the Boobies for 2 hours! 

You can't go wrong with calorie blasting dancing to great music with 8 different crazy, fabulous, instructors if it means finding a cure!



Thanks Ladies for a GREAT workout, a GREAT time, and a GREAT party!



Halloween Karma (Pt II)...Sweet Revenge is Mine!!!! >-)

For the background information on this post please make sure you check out Halloween Karma (Pt. I)...What a B**ch

Please note that the working title for this post was.....
"Chelle's New Before and After Photos"

This was Chelle before tonight's TBC class.....

Awwwww isn't that nice...she brought me a present. 

And this was Chelle after class.....

P.S. - Her next blog post may be a little bit delayed.....Muwah ah ah ah ah!!!!!

Halloween Karma (Pt I)...What a B**ch!

The only thing crazier about a weekend is adding Halloween prep to all the “normal” weekend activities that must also take place.  Needless to say I CANNOT believe that the weekend is over already!!  The good news though……costume shopping is DONE for both myself and my husband!  What are we going to be you ask?  Well, I will tell you.  Halloween for the longest time has been one of our favorite holidays.  Mike and I have a blast putting costumes together and we are big on making them look as authentic as possible.  However, after many years of costuming, we have run out of ideas.  Some couples have trouble picking out baby names….well, we have become the same way with costumes.  We pass hundreds of ideas back and forth, only one person likes it, and after of hundreds of suggestions you have nothing.  Then that perfect idea comes along.  The mere suggestion of it makes both of your faces light up and say YES! That is it! 




Photo courtesy of Filmjackets.com

   

Photo courtesy of Cinemagora





For Mike and I, this year, that idea was to go as Indiana Jones (hubba hubba) and Lara Croft (from the Tomb Raider video game and movie franchise).    

Now, the real challenge begins…you have to put the costumes together.

This would be a great time to thank, of course, none other than the other half of my brain, Pinky/Chelle, for helping me get the ball rolling on Friday evening with ideas and SHOPPING for costume parts.  What a great way to kick off the weekend!   I assure you there is nothing scarier than when the two halves of the brain come together.  Shopping, at least for Chelle and me, can almost always be defined as…. “Two mad women on a mission overflowing with laughter, craziness, and insanity that like to suck unsuspecting store workers into our antics”.  I am sure that one of these days the stores are going to catch on, see us walking across the parking lot, and run to lock the door before our hands manage to reach the door handle.

Our last stop of the evening was the craft store.   Not having any luck with one of the pieces of my costume, we decided we would go get the parts so I could craft it up.  As we walked through store, we gathered up all the supplies I needed and reviewed what was left on my list to hunt down on Saturday.  Then we approached the register.  The clerk, a late teens or early twenties young man in college, doing his best to maintain great customer service decided to start up a conversation with us centered around our items.  Intrigued that they were for a Halloween costume, he of course inquired further.  Here is how the conversation went……

Clerk:  “So what are you going to be?”

Tab:  “Well, I am going to do my best to put a Lara Croft, Tomb Raider costume together.”

Clerk:  (giggling) “Oh”

Tab:  (politely smiling) “What is so funny? You are making me self conscious here”

Clerk:   “I know about the history of that game character.  Did you know that the software engineer of that game made a mistake when he created it?  Yeah, he put in a 100 instead of a 10 for her chest size”

Tab:  (looking down at myself) “Yeah, I had heard some rumblings about that. “ (I look at Chelle and mumble)  “I am afraid that things may not totally be authentic in that respect”

Now, Chelle and I can only figure that what we heard next was the product of an under-developed internal filter as he focused on a picture of the character while also trying to be helpful.   As a result, his innocent brain and our gutter brains went in separate directions when he then BLURTED out…

Clerk:  “Yeah, you are probably going to need A LOT of tissue paper for that costume!”

Chelle and Tab’s mind bubble conversation: (looking at each other in amazement)  “Did he just say what I think he said?   Yep, he sure did.   Does he realize what he said?”

Apparently not, because the conversation did not stop there…

Chelle:  OMG! Hahahahahahahahaha!

Tab:  (smirking, and giggling) “Yeah, uh….thanks.”

Clerk:  (with a very naïve, confused look that indicated that he could not figure out why we were laughing) “I’m just saying she is big, and that would be the hardest part of the costume to do”

Tab:  (laughing) “Yeah, I got it….give me my receipt…and shhhhh stop talking”

Chelle:  ROFLHAO!  (Rolling On the Floor Laughing Her A** Off)

Clerk:  “Have a great night...and good luck with your costume.”

Tab:  (once again, mumbling with giggle) ”Yeah, yeah, thanks…..for nothing”

As we walked out the door, we burst into complete hysterics.  While trying to keep from having an embarrassing accident in our pants, Chelle manages to catch her breath as she looks at me and says…..

Chelle:  “Well, I guess you better add tissue paper to the list of things to get!”

All I have to say to that is….”Yeah, just wait until Monday’s Total Body Conditioning class!  Revenge is mine! "

When Your Body Betrays You (Pt. 2)...A Trainer’s Perspective

Before you read this post, I invite you to take a look at Part 1of this entry on Chelle's blog from today:

Recipe for Fitness:  When Your Body Betrays You - Part 1

This is not a hard post for me to write, and I dedicate it to EVERYONE that has ever had to fight through pain, fight through injury, been faced with physical challenges, and has had a perceived “bad” workout as a result. 

SCENARIO:  You go to the gym…ready and determined to give it your all…the mind is ready to push the body physically and then BAM!!!!!!!  The body says, “NO WAY!  FORGET IT! I am not on board for this today!”   You try and try, you modify, you stop and rest while running a through a gamut of emotions:  frustration, anger, disappointment, and sadness.  Through sheer mental determination and exhaustion you meagerly finish, hang your head and leave ticked off while mentally beating yourself up and feeling like you just wasted your time.  (I am not far off here am I???)

Now, what originally may seem like a bad workout may, in fact, turn out to be the workout of your life in disguise.  It all depends on how you focus your perspective and mindset.  Workouts are more than training and challenging the body.  You see, they also train and challenge the mind.  Every workout we experience involves a mind-body connection.  Regardless of whether or not the physical can keep up with the mental, by keeping your mental perspective focused and positive, you can’t lose.  Out of our weaknesses (both physical and mental) springs strength (if you let it).  The nature of a workout is to break our bodies down so that they when it repairs itself it can adapt and come back stronger, ready for the next challenge.  You cannot lose if you come out of a workout knowing in your mind, heart, and soul that you have given it everything you could that day.  If you can walk out of a workout and say to yourself….”Today I may not have been as strong as I have in the past, but I did not give up, I did everything I possibly could, and I left NOTHING on the table” I repeat…..YOU CANNOT LOSE.  You are still aloud to walk away from that workout with your held high, because in your heart you know you that even though it was not the physical exhaustion you were looking for, you have also just had one of the most mentally challenging workouts you could face.  Sometimes, this kind of workout is the best kind.  By having a day like this you have just helped condition and strengthen the mind.  As a result, the next time you are faced with these same challenges you are going to be even MORE prepared BOTH physically and mentally to charge forward and face it head on with even more determination and persistence.

Make no mistake about it….when it comes to working out, some days you are going to be the windshield, and some days you are going to be the bug….but regardless of what you are that day, there is ALWAYS something positive to take away. 

Don’t allow the mental game of one workout get you down and keep you from your dreams and your goals.  Use the challenge of that workout to fuel the fire for the next one.  Stay positive, stay strong, and stay focused.  LEAVE NOTHING ON THE TABLE TODAY!

Goal Setting: The Art of Being S.M.A.R.T

Yayyyy Monday! It’s a new week with new challenges, and maybe even some new GOALS!  How many of you have ever experienced this scenario?  It is Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and you say to yourself…..

“I will start my new path to fitness this Monday!”  Or…

“This Monday is my day to start my new goals:  I am going eating totally clean, I am going to go to the gym, and I am going to lose weight”

The week kicks off and you are Gung Ho charging forward with your new “GOALS”.  However, about half through the week you notice that your enthusiasm and interest starts to taper.  It could be that you got very busy at work, at home, or with the family.  It could be that you got tired from getting up early to go to the gym and you really wanted extra sleep (gotta LOVE the snooze button).  It could be that the food that you prepped for yourself no longer sounds good and you are talking yourself out of eating it while turning back to your “normal” unclean eating patterns.  Whatever has happened you have now turned your back on your supposed “goals” and by Friday you are right back where you started…. ready to set the same “empty goals” for the following Monday.   Yes, that is right….EMPTY GOALS!   95% of the time when I ask someone what their goals are I get the following types of answers:

“I want to lose weight”

“I want to feel better in my clothes”

“I want to get stronger”

To these statements I say…….NOT GOOD ENOUGH!  While these are all ok answers, on the grand scale of setting goals, they are only the beginning.  In response to all of the statements above I ask two questions….First, “You say you want to or you will?”  Second,”How and when will you know IF you have achieved this?”  The answers I get to both of my questions usually sound something like this……”uhhhhhhhhhhh, I’m not sure.”    Again I say……NOT GOOD ENOUGH!  By not defining our goals appropriately and not being sure that you WILL achieve them, we run the risk of making them too general, losing the motivation to finish them, and never really knowing what they were in the first place.   By clearly defining the specifics of a goal, we can help ourselves stay focused and on track. Thus we increase the chances of achieving exactly what we want…. when we want.

So what makes a well defined goal?  All you have to do is remember one word….”S.M.A.R.T.”!  When you set out to WRITE DOWN (Yes, you should absolutely do this) your goals they should contain the following building blocks:

·         S - They should be SPECIFIC. 

Make them detailed and unambiguous so that you know exactly what you are trying to achieve.

·         M – They should be MEASURABLE. 

There needs to be a means in which you can measure progress and know that you have achieved your goal.

·         A – They should be ATTAINABLE. 

A goal needs to be something that you know that you can achieve.  You definitely don’t want it to be too easy, but you also don’t want it to be out of your reach.

·         R – Goals need to be REALISTIC. 

Make sure that you give yourself enough time to achieve the goal and that it suits your interests, needs, and abilities. 

·         T – Make sure a goal is bound by TIME. 

Set deadlines & timelines for goals to help keep you on track & focused towards the finish line.

Now, when we revisit the above our goals and make them "S.M.A.R.T." they start to look a little bit different:

“I want to lose weight” becomes:   

“I will lose 10 pounds in 3 months by my birthday on December 31^st, 2011.”

“I want to feel better in my clothes” becomes:   

“I will drop 2 dress sizes in 8 weeks before my wedding on April 4^th, 2012”

“I want to get stronger” becomes:   

“I will be able to do 50 push-ups without rest by February 28^th, 2012, after training for 8 weeks”

See the difference???? Now….here is your homework ;)  Review the latest goals you have set and see if you can plug them into this formula.  (RE)WRITE THEM down if you have not already done so and post them somewhere so you can be easily and constantly reminded of them.  When you start to lose your drive and focus, take a look at them to remind yourself of where you are going, what you want, and why you want to get there.  Then make no excuses and take the next step closer to GET IT DONE!

Have a great Monday and a great week!!!

Cardinal Rule of Shopping.....

One thing I re-learned and solidified in my mind this weekend…..There are certain things that should not be shopped for alone!  Now, normally, I would not mind shopping alone, however, through years of mall hopping I compiled a list of items that should NOT be shopped for without some serious back-up on your side.   When I say back-up, I mean a shopping partner that is tasked with the duty of keeping you sane and realistic as you stand in front of the funhouse mirrors in the department store dressing rooms. What are they thinking with those things?!?!?!?!?! (NOTE TO SELF:  Next week begin plotting the “Down with Dressing Room Mirrors” protest)

So what are the items you should not seek out alone???   I am glad you asked…….They are as follows:   bathing suits, jeans, and formal wear.  I ventured into in the formal wear category last weekend looking for a dress to wear for my brother’s wedding that I am going to this weekend.  Good news though....I must have burned 2,000 calories at least trying on hundreds of dresses and I did find one that is going to work :D  However, without a trusty sidekick, I assure you completing the task took way too many hours then it should have. 

Oh, and just a side story…at one point I got so defeated I decided that I was going to leave one mall and go to another.  As I trudged to my car, I was deep in thought of the best place to go and how I was going to get there.  Well, when I got to my car I pulled my little backpack/purse of my shoulder and immediately became mortified.  OMG!!! I couldn’t believe it!  I actually walked through the ENTIRE MALL only to find that I had been doing so with the strapless bra I brought with me half hanging out of my purse!!!!  Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?! I believe that is what they call icing on the cake. With tears in my eyes, all I could say to myself at that point was… ”You will laugh about this later; you will laugh about this later; you will laugh about this later.”  Ok, so maybe after the initial shock and feeling mortified, I high-tailed it out of the parking lot.  And…..5 minutes LATER, after I was sure I was clear of the building…..I LAUGHED (What??? Technically it was later right?).

On a final note, I just want to say how awesome it is to see the overwhelming response to the 12 week program that we are getting ready to kick off.  This is only the start of something great for everyone, I assure you.  If you are still planning on applying, you have until Saturday, October 15^th at 11:59pm to get your information to us.  It is a very easy process with the online form.  Just go to http://recipeforfitness.com/application.html , fill out the application and click submit.  If you are just tuning in and have no idea what I am rambling about, take a look at Chelle’s blog titled:

It’s Time to Take Over the World….

http://blog.recipeforfitness.com/2011/10/its-time-to-take-over-world_3983.html

Tuesday Motivation:  Get ‘er done and leave nothing on the table today!  It will leave you with less to clean up later.

Everyone have a Terrific Tuesday!

Wait!!!! I forgot my parachuuuuuuuute!

Well the time has come my friends… I have walked into the building, got in the elevator, pushed the button to the top floor, climbed out on the roof, crept slowly to the edge, I have looked straight down for a long, long time, and yes...  I have now JUMPED (without a parachute)!  I am now officially a blogger.  The person that is mostly responsible for my very recent (like what is it now.. two sentences????) jump is a former client of mine, a fabulous success story, my teammate, but mostly one of my best friends for life.. Chelle Stafford.  I have watched in awe over the past few years as she has poured her heart and soul out to you on the page humorously, openly, and candidly about her journey.  I am so proud of the person that she has become and it has been an honor to be part of her success.  I have always wanted to be able to reach out to others in a similar way that she has seemingly mastered.  Together, she and I decided that it was time for me to stop watching from the sidelines and get in the game.

Some of you may already know me from Chelle’s posts and the website.  But, there may be those also that just found us for the first time and have no idea who we are or how we came together (That will be a post for another day.  I can’t wait to tell you my side of the story.)  Allow me to (re)-introduce myself briefly.  My name is Tabitha Citro and I am a fitness professional that is mad crazy about helping others get healthy.  I am a certified personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and a group fitness instructor.  I have been in the fitness industry for about.. hmmmmm.. WOW! 12 years already?!?!?!?!?!

Health and wellness is a total package for me.  I believe in developing the mind to help strengthen the body and enrich the spirit.  My professional philosophy centers on adapting and adopting permanent lifestyle changes to accomplish and maintain immediate goals with long term success and balance. I love passing on the tools and discipline needed to help others set, achieve, and maintain their goals and have fun while doing it.  

My personal philosophy is to live, love, learn, and have fun doing it!  I am a shopaholic (as you might know from Chelle) that has a soft spot for Godiva chocolate, purses and shoes (figured that one out during my recent move.  Couldn’t believe how many pairs of shoes I had to pack... YIKES!)

During my own personal fitness journey I have trained for and competed in Taekwondo, country/ballroom dance, and the 2006 Arizona Natural Figure (body building) competition. I, like many others, struggle to find the delicate balance between my ideal body image, exercise, and food (did I mention I love chocolate and pizza?).   Like you, for me it is very much a rollercoaster ride with many peaks and valleys.. but that is why they call it a journey.  The road is never going to be completely straight right???  How boring would that be?

Now for the exciting stuff! In addition to this blog, Chelle and I have just today launched a project and we need your help to make it a success.  If you haven’t already, please check out Chelle’s latest post...

”It’s time to take over the world”

http://blog.recipeforfitness.com/2011/10/its-time-to-take-over-world_3983.html  

It is a long one, but the information inside is PRICELESS! We are psyched, committed, and ready to help you transform into the person you have always wanted to be.   With that said...

I wish everyone a Super Friday, and I leave you with one of my favorite sayings:

Dare to DREAM, turn those dreams into GOALS, and work to make them a REALITY!