Making the decision to go "ALL IN?"

Many of you have been following my journey for the last few months.  So far, I have not been the person to have jaw dropping results on the outside, but I can tell you, I am experiencing an amazing transformation on the inside!

Since committing to my health and fitness in September, 2016 I've experienced so many positive changes.  I have an overall improved sense of well being.  I'm more focused.  I have more energy.  I laugh more.  I'm improving my relationship with food, which I didn't realize was so poor in the first place!  It's crazy whats revealed to you when you really start focusing on improving all aspects of your life.

I posted a few weeks ago that I'm in the midst of a stressful season at work and for me that means stress eating, extra cocktails and more frequent take out.  As a result, my results were inching in the wrong direction.  In the past I would've let this continue to be an excuse and eventually throw in the towel because I wasn't getting anywhere.

Not this time.  I evaluated the situation and decided I needed to go "ALL IN!"  I was putting in the work to move my body, but I know that is only 20% of the equation.  The other 80% comes from what I put in my mouth.  I started following the Whole 30 principles on January 19th, and I'm happy to say, my results are no longer moving in the wrong direction!

Even though the month started out a little rocky, I ended January with a loss of 6.5 pounds and 8.5 inches!  I'll take it!

Since starting this journey, I've dropped 15.6 pounds and 14 inches!  When I look at these pictures, I see the biggest difference in my face.  Not just the change created by weighing less, but a change from the inside out.  In the picture on the left, I was not happy.  I felt stuck and didn't know how to turn things around.  I failed more times than I can count at getting my health and fitness back on track.  In the picture on the right, I'm happy.  I'm keeping myself on the priority list.  I'm ALL IN and it feels amazing!

With the help of the tribe of women that participate in my Challenge Groups, I think I finally have this thing figured out!  I'm ALL IN for the long haul!  My Self Love Challenge Group starts February 1st.  I have a few spots open.  If you're ready to put yourself on the priority list, send me an e-mail to sueharkerfitness@gmail.com or complete the support and accountability application below.  Once thing I know for sure...

Together we are stronger,

Sue

https://sueharker.wufoo.com/forms/join-my-support-and-accountability-group/

Do you have a Soul Mate Workout?

I was not an athletic kid growing up.  I played softball for a few years, but my standard position was right field if that gives you an idea of my athletic ability.  In my early 20's I tagged along to the gym with a co-worker and quickly fell in love with group fitness classes.  At the time step aerobics and leotards were all the rage.

Over the years I experimented with many different classes.  Some I loved...some I hated.  I loved body pump, pilates and anything that involved strength training.  I hated spinning and running with a passion!  I'm telling you right now, if you see me running...I am running for my life because someone is trying to kill me!  I'm not kidding.  I can power walk for miles and miles, but I have a hard time running down the street!

As my family grew and my career became more demanding, I no longer had time for the group fitness classes offered at the gym and began working out at home with fitness DVD's.  This led to my discovery of Beachbody and their wide array of fitness programs.  I purchased P90X nine years ago and was hooked.

Today, I've tried most of the Beachbody programs.  My love for these programs, Shakeology and the accountability of the Challenge Groups is what led me to become a Coach.  Many people that I speak with tell me they just don't like to work out.  To that I say...you just haven't found your Soul Mate Workout!  If I only tried spinning or running I would probably feel the same way.

So, I challenge you.  If you hate to workout, or don't feel like your getting the results you're looking for with your current program, let me help you find your Soul Mate Workout.  What's your style?

♦  Cardio Conditioning
♦  Strength Training
♦  Weight Loss
♦  Dance Inspired
♦  Yoga
♦  Mixed Martial Arts

There's something for everyone; male, female, beginner or advanced.  Maybe you can't decide.  Or want to start with a beginner program and advance to something a little more challenging after completing a round.  Beachbody makes it so easy with the All Access Beachbody on Demand Annual Pass.  This pass gives you streaming of every Beachbody program available along with future releases for one year!  So, al a carte or all access, we'll find a plan that works for you!

If you're up to the challenge, reach out to me at sueharkerfitness@gmail.com and we'll find your Soul Mate Workout!

Sue

What is Whole 30?

I was first introduced to the Whole 30 in May 2013.  We had just completed a move to the west coast of Florida and after five months of commuting back and forth every week, I was looking for something to help get my food habits and weight gain under control.  I read the book "It Starts with Food" by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig.  The concept made a lot sense, but I have to tell you, when I read the part about no alcohol for thirty days I thought "oh hell no..."  I wasn't prepared to give up my sometimes nightly habit of drinking a glass or two of wine.  So, I kept looking and didn't find anything that I was ready to embrace or remain consistent with long enough to see results.

Fast forward to January 2015 and I was still struggling with the same poor food habits and extra weight.  I shared the book with my sister and we decided to tackle the Whole 30 together.  Starting January 1st for 30 days we'd commit 100% to the Whole 30 rules.

What are the rules you ask?  Brace yourself, they might seem harsh at first:

Yes, you read that right...no sugar, no alcohol, no dairy, no legumes, no grains, no cheating!  If you slip on the rules, you have to start the 30 days all over again!

By eliminating these food categories and slowly reintroducing them after the 30 days you determine which foods have a negative effect on your body.  I discovered that I'm sensitive to dairy.  I can tolerate gluten, but I have no breaks when it comes to crackers and chips, so its better for me to stay away from these foods.  I also came to the realization that I love wine, but wine doesn't love me.

Now that you know what you can't eat on the Whole 30...what can you eat?  Whole foods, such as lean proteins (meat and chicken), seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit and natural fats.  These foods promote healthy immune function, a healthy gut, minimize inflammation and healthy psychological and hormonal response.

In other words, after the carb and sugar hangover lifted, we were feeling fantastic!  I not only lost weight, but I was sleeping better, my skin was clear, I was able to focus and didn't feel so overwhelmed in stressful situations, I was happier and didn't have that dragging myself through the day feeling.  I lost 14 pounds during the Whole 30.  This was the spring board to a total 30 pound weight loss aver the next few months.

Unfortunatly, I did what most people do when they experience weight loss.  I went back to my old habits and didn't remain consistent with what worked for me.  I didn't want to feel deprived so I ignored the things I learned the first time around and found myself right back where I started.

I recommitted to my health and fitness in August 2016 and have made big strides in my progress.  I workout daily and drink a nutrient dense meal replacement shake that actually curbs cravings for carbs and sugar.  I still find myself indulging in foods that don't work for me during times of stress, so I decided to complete a second round of Whole 30.

This time around, I've changed my mindset.  Instead of feeling deprived because the things on the rules list are off limits, I'm thankful to feel so good when I don't indulge in these foods.   A few benefits that come to mind...I get to sleep well every night instead of waking up at 2:00 each morning and fighting to go back to sleep for hours.  I get to have more energy and radiant skin.  I get to have less brain fog.  I get to drop these extra pounds that make my clothes fit tight.  I get to be happier in my own skin.  How can I feel deprived with all those positive things happening?

The Whole 30 is intended to be a reset for your body.  If you're experiencing any of these things, the Whole 30 could be right for you:

👉  An unhealthy relationship with food
👉  A sluggish metabolism
👉  A disrupted digestive system
👉  An overactive immune system.

I haven't decided exactly what life will look like after this round of the Whole 30, but I will be sticking closer to the rules than I did the first time around!  This time, I'm making a lifestyle change!  My health it to important for it to be any other way!

I'm planning on hosting a Whole 30 Support Group in the near future.  Are you ready to see if this could work for you?  You won't know unless you try.  If you're interested, comment below or send me an email to sueharkerfitness@gmail.com.

I am Whole 30!

Sue

Be a Self Love Warrior!

February is the month to celebrate LOVE!  What if we focused not only on our love for others, but our love for ourselves?  Do you remember being in elementary school and decorating boxes to hold the Valentine cards given by your classmates?  I would carefully pick the best cards for my closest friends or boy crush and then decorate the envelope so they would know the card came from me.  What if we gave the most beautiful card to ourselves?  Would a gesture of self love make a difference in how we feel about ourselves and others?

We spend so much time focusing on the things we'd like to change, why don't we spend a little time loving ourselves through every step of the journey?  If you had support to help you meet your goals and a group you were accountable to that celebrated your successes and asked where you were if you didn't show up, would that make a difference?

My Challenge Group for the month of February is all about Self Love.  This group is for anyone who has made getting healthy a priority and would like to become a Self Love Warrior in the process!

💗 We will pick a Beachbody fitness program that suits your needs (time commitment, fitness level, intensity, etc.).

💗 You'll commit to improved nutrition by replacing one meal per day with Shakeology.  This is not a weight loss or protein shake but rather a nutrient dense meal replacement that will give you natural energy, boost your immune system and keep you full for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

💗  You'll be added to the private Challenge Group where you'll have 24/7 access to daily motivation and accountability, clean eating recipes for you and your family, easy snack swap ideas, tips for creating and sustain your goals, and much more!

Are you ready to be a Self Love Warrior?  My transformation started when I joined the first Challenge Group.  What are you waiting for?  Let's start your transformation now by emailing me at sueharkerfitness@gmail.com.

Here's to loving yourself!
Sue

Is a Challenge Group right for you?

My fitness journey has taken many twists and turns over the years.  I was always in search of the next program, class or gadget that would help me achieve the success I was craving.  Yes, I will admit, I actually purchased a Suzanne Somers Thighmaster in the 90's.  If you're too young to know what that is, Google it...it's ridiculous!

I would continue to fall into the proverbial diet cycle.  I would make a decision to start on Monday.  I would clean up my eating (restrict calories), decide on my daily workouts and start with a determination that this time I would stick with the plan.  Then life would happen.  One of the kids would get sick.  Things would get crazy at work.  I would feel deprived by this new plan I implemented and would fall head first off the wagon.  Sometimes it would take me weeks or months to come up with a new plan just to start this crazy cycle all over again.

What I didn't realize through all of these failed attempts is that I was missing accountability and support.  A few months ago I was asked to join a Challenge Group for a new Beachbody at home fitness program that was released over the summer.  Because I was always in search of "the thing" I'd already purchased the program, so why not try the Challenge Group?  I remember being apprehensive and vulnerable, but I soon realized the other women in this group were just like me.  I loved this challenge and thrived in the group setting.

This is what a Challenge Group looks like.  There are three components:

1.  Fitness:  Beachbody has a wide array of at home fitness programs by world class trainers.  You work with your coach to determine which program fits your specific fitness level and goals.  There is something for everybody.  Beginner to advanced.  Dance to power lifting.  Yoga to extreme cardio conditioning.

2.  Nutrition:  Each program comes with an easy to follow portion control meal plan that will change
the way you look at fueling your body.  You commit to replacing one meal a day with Shakeology, a nutrient dense meal replacement shake that tastes like dessert but has all of the vitamins and nutrients needed for the day in one meal.  My body is loving the improved nutrition.  My cravings for sweets and carbs are gone!

3.  Accountability and Support:  The Challenge Group is held in a private Facebook group.  In this group, like mined people all come together working towards becoming the best version of themselves.  These ladies, most who have never met in person, cheer each other on through their successes and lift each other up through failures.  Daily posts are shared to challenge you and keep you growing in your journey.  You declare your goals to the group and if you don't show up, someone is going to come looking for you.

I feel like I've found the pieces to the puzzle I was missing through all of the past failed attempts.  I've always been a fan of Beachbody workout programs, so the fitness component was the easy part.  I lacked the consistency to keep going.  Improving my nutrition and taking away the cravings keeps me consistent with my diet.  The accountability I found in the Challenge Group is something I've never had before and was such a game changer for me I decided to become a Coach so I could help other women find their way on their journey to their fit and healthiest self.

If you're ready to give it a try, send me an email at sueharkerfitness@gmail.com.

Let's do this!  Together we are stronger!

Sue

Love Yourself...Exactly Where You Are

If you read magazines, watch TV or browse the internet, you are being bombarded with images of beautiful models with clear skin, zero wrinkles and perfect bodies. It's so easy to compare yourself to these perfect images and feel like you aren't good enough; like you should look different, or weigh less, or change something about yourself.

I've always been a magazine lover and I can remember getting my first subscription to Seventeen magazine as a teenager.  The pictures always showed smiling, well put together girls.  It didn't occur to me then, but I remember looking at the pictures and wishing I could afford those type of clothes, or that I could apply make up as well.  Of course that was in the 80's before the creation of Photoshop.  Today, a photographer can take a perfectly flawed person and make them look like a supermodel.  We've all seen the comparison pictures on the internet.

This week I had my own Photoshop experience.  I needed a new head shot for work.  After taking the picture the photographer asked "how young do you want to look?"  I told him to "clean me up."  As I sat and watched him work his magic; it really hit home with me.  So much of what we see and compare ourselves to isn't real.  It's a fantasy created with an expensive program on a computer.

When I look at my before picture, I see wrinkles created by smiling so much over the years.  Yes, my eyes are squinty; but that's me.  I haven't always taken care of myself as well as I should, but I've lived 47 full years.  Why would I expect to look like a 20 year old, or a 30 year old for that matter?

So my message today is don't compare yourself to others.  Even if you're working on becoming your best self, love yourself through the process.  Aging is a privilege denied to many.  Choose to age gracefully and be authentically you.

Love yourself exactly where you are!

Sue
sueharkerfitness@gmail.com

#selflovewarrior
#teambalancedlife

Finish What You Started

I'm a self proclaimed "Serial Quitter."  I became an expert at quitting.  I quit a wide variety of things, but most often it involved my health and fitness.  I was great at starting.  Day one was always fantastic!  I would start with drive and determination to see it through.   I would prepare myself with the latest program or gadget to insure success.  Sometimes my determination would last for a few days, sometimes it would be a few weeks, but inevitably it would get hard or I would lose interest and decide this just wasn't for me.  There had to be something else out there that would suit my needs and help me see faster results.

I was looking for instant gratification.  Years of poor choices brought me to the place where I felt the need to change.  A few tough workouts and tracking points for a week were not going to be enough to reach my goal.  I had to figure out how to stop quitting and finish what I started.

I was listening to a podcast by Chalene Johnson and she shared a few tips on this very subject.

1.  Be more selective.  What things really make sense to start?  Is this the right time to start this project?

2.  How much time will this really take?  How interested am I going to be with this in the long term?

3.  Give yourself short term objectives.  We like the way we feel when we start something.  Create shorter term objectives to create the same feeling.

4.  Stop being a jumper!  You know when you start things you're going to jump.  JUST STOP!  Just finish what you started!  When you're honest with yourself you can stop blaming others.  It wasn't that the program isn't right for you.  The truth is...you jumped!  You quit early.

5.  Have accountability.  Give people permission to call you out.  Put a fortress around your focus.

6.  Know your triggers (food, alcohol, distractions, people, etc.) and steer clear of them.

7.  Put yourself on the priority list.  Make taking care of yourself a non-negotiable part of your day.

There are no shortcuts on a journey worth taking.  The only secret is to keep going!

I'm now a "reformed quitter."  I still struggle with jumping sometimes, but I've found a formula that works for me.  Fitness, balanced nutrition and accountability.  I will not quit!

If you struggle in this area of your life and would like some support along the way, reach out to me at sueharkerfitness@gmail.com.

Together we are stronger!

Sue