See Me Accomplish My Next Goal Using B.S.

Hello family & friends,

My heart is extremely happy right now. Last Friday, I went to the doctor for my 6 month check-up since being diagnosed as pre-diabetic. He greeted me with a high five because I had lost 30 pounds since they originally saw me and 11 of those pounds had been in the last month. I am still waiting on my lab results but the doctor felt due to how much weight I had lost that I would be out of the pre-diabetic range.

I left the doctor's appointment and ran some errands with my sister & best friend, Karla, and we made a stop at Old Navy. I haven't been able to shop in Old Navy since 2001. However, feeling real good and confident about my recent weight loss, I decided to see how close I was to being able to shop in a "regular" store again.

After trying on several items and purchasing two, it is with great pleasure that I can share that I can fit an XXL in Old Navy, which is a 16/18.

This great news and these feelings have inspired me to push to lose my next 10 pounds towards my remaining 70 pounds that I want to lose. So I reached out to my dear friend and fitness expert, Calvin Williams for more motivation.

This week, he's motivating me to use B.S. to get to MY NEXT LEVEL.....

B.S. - What's Your Definition?

We all face adversity, whether it be with our jobs, personal lives or with health-related obstacles. How you deal with these issues will ultimately define your future success. I like to think of the abbreviation "B.S."

Now you probably know what the most common use for this abbreviation is but that is in a negative context and describes anger, frustration and ultimately gets you no positive direction. I've come up with a simple alternative using this same abbreviation that can help you take a positive direction when facing adversity.... Breathe then Smile (B.S.)

Next time your boss at work calls you out for an error that you've made and you think, "That's B.S."...well take that negative energy and flip it... Breathe then Smile and fix the error and look at it as you learned what not to do the next time. 

Next time you feel you are not appreciated in your relationship and you think, "This is some B.S." flip that negative energy... Breathe then Smile and go buy tickets to a comedy show for you and your significant other and share a laugh together.

When you hit a plateau in your exercise program and can't lose those last few pounds or you can't crack the starting lineup for the team you play for and you think, "Man that's that B.S." ...flip that negative energy... Breathe then Smile and realize that anything worth having is worth working hard for. Crank up your training and practice to another level challenging yourself to new levels, so that 10 pounds lost is just the goal you will pass on the way to 20. So that goal of cracking into the starting lineup is just a part of becoming an all-conference player.

As humans we are encompassed by our thoughts and beliefs, meaning you usually believe the things that you think. Then what you believe usually becomes reality...so if you think a situation is B.S. in a traditional meaning, it ultimately will become that. 

If you think you might fail, you probably will. So why not change your own thought process and when you think something is B.S... Take time to Breathe and think how you can become successful then Smile once you realize that you "can", no matter what adversity you have faced. 

Take the power back of a potentially negative situation, flip it in a positive manner by first Breathing then Smiling...Control your thoughts and beliefs and they will manifest into your reality!

In Warmest Regards,

CW

See Me... In My 6 Month Check-Up (Pictures Included)

April 2012 - Right after being diagnosed as Pre-diabetic

   

6 Months later - October 17, 2012

Hello all, I woke up this morning unsure of what I would post today. While at work I looked at the calendar and realized it had been exactly 6 months since my visit to my primary care doctor on April 17, 2012 and I knew then what I would share. To help me with this 6 month check-up post, I asked one of my biggest supporters, my co-worker Tommye, if she would take a picture of me today because I wanted to compare it to the picture she took of me in April at a company event. Can you see it?

If you've been reading my blog since day one in April, you know this journey hasn't been easy for me. My diagnosis came at major transitions in my life which was a fight for me. I had to learn not to find comfort in foods that previously brought me at a temporary peaceful place. 

The second thing I had to deal with was learning to make myself a priority and not letting my schedule and assignments hinder me from taking care of myself whether through exercise or diet. While this is still a work in progress, I am doing a whole lot better.

The third thing I've dealt with is my emotions. A lot of times, they were the cause of my own setbacks. Whether it was feeling like love wouldn't find me because of the way I looked, being self-conscious of where I had allowed myself to get to, and being frustrated that I couldn't conquer this battle like I had succeeded at everything else in my life.

One thing I am CONFIDENT in 6 months later is, I AM IN A BETTER PLACE IN MY LIFE. God doesn't make junk and even though I'm still single, I AM HAPPY! I've LET GO of emotional baggage that I didn't realize I was carrying or that I thought I had previously let go.

I still have a ways to go before I get to my destination but I will keep pressing forward. I am looking forward to the pictures I will post in the next 6 months. Until then, I'm working on my next 10 pounds. 

Thank you to all my supporters and those who offered words of encouragement. I literally feel your presence when I need it most and some of you I can hear when I'm tempted to give up during my workout or eat the snack I really don't need.

Whatever your journey or passage is in life, PLEASE make the first step to getting to a better and happier you. Set a goal and make it happen...

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible" ~ Tony Robbins

See Me Through My Reflection (Video Attached)

On Oct. 6, 2012, I worked as the Production Manager for the 20th Anniversary Women's Only 5K Walk & Run. This fundraising event raises money for the Mammography Scholarship Fund, which provides free mammograms to women without insurance or who cannot afford the life-saving test.

For the last couple of years, I have either participated in the race or volunteered and last year I was a public relations intern and worked the event as a media relations representative. Earlier this year, I became a full-time employee of the Cone Health marketing department. This department is responsible for organizing this wonderful event and it gave me a more hands-on involvement from beginning to end.

On today, my dear friend Henreka (remember her from previous posts?), found a picture of me in the background from this year's race and it made me go back and look at previous years.

Since I've began this journey of total wellness, especially physically, I have heard so many people tell me that they can see a difference. However, I could never fully see what they saw, until today. Which ironically, was much needed. I spoke to a friend, Rodney, last night who works in fitness about my desire to lose 10 pounds by the end of the month and his suggestion, "Stop saying you're going to lose and START saying, I need to lose" By saying NEED, it will become a mental priority for me and then I will take action. I started today saying, "I NEED", by the middle of my day a trip down memory lane added MOTIVATION TO GET ME MOVING, and by the end of my day, I found myself in the gym TAKING ACTION!

Are you curious of my trip down memory lane and how it motivated me to move from I NEED to I WILL? 

Here's what I am calling my OWN Women's Only Milestones....

I look forward to hearing your feedback, I'm working on losing my next 10 pounds so your words are MUCH NEEDED!!

Thanks for all your love and support,

~ LaWanda

Month of "The Survivor"

Hello all,

This will not be a long post but I want to keep my promise of posting a message every week, I didn't want to mess up my first week. 

This month is about acknowledging Breast Cancer Awareness and Domestic Abuse Awareness. Both of these two things have taken many women and men away from this earth. I know plenty of women who have survived both. Some were able to fight and win in the beginning and some fought to make it out in the end. Some with severe scars and others with regained strength and beauty that you would never know what hell they've been through.

It is the very strength and fight of these women that have inspired me in my own journey to total wellness. I know that you, my dear friends and family, will also gain inspiration in these stories.

I will use this month to recognize and honor these women who have survived both diseases. So if you or someone you know are a survivor of either, please contact me. This month is about you and your journey to wholeness.

Remember, YOUR TEST CAN BECOME YOUR TESTIMONY!