There Are No Limits and There Are No Excuses...

A mantra that I have adopted over the past year, as you can tell by my blog name, is "The Power to do." Many of us do not realize we all possess the power to do many things in our lives. Some of us come to this realization more quickly than others. Some may not realize this power, but we all have it. Health is powerful and becoming healthy is contagious. This has been the case in my family. I have two brothers who have both lost a substantial amount of weight, an active husband who became 25 lbs lighter due to healthier eating and three daughters who are willing to try new things. This post is about my brother who has experienced the most drastic weight loss out of everyone in my family.

My middle brother, Darren who is 44 years old, has gone up and down with his weight over the last decade or so. In our family, the males have a history of heart issues. My grandfather, great uncles and my dad have all had problems with their hearts. When Darren's weight skyrocketed to approximately 275 lbs, he decided that something had to be done. He slowly started to lose weight by eating in moderation and being more mindful of what he was eating. As the weight started coming off, he made a discovery. He found that he could MOVE again. He began cycling on a regular basis and using the treadmill as well. It would be no shock to anyone these days to find Darren riding 35 miles in a single day and stopping mid-way for a morning yoga class (taught by his sister, of course). While vacationing in Hawaii, and without a bike, he decided to run. That day he ran an amazing six miles. He has now added some road runs to his routine, even though cycling is his first love. He may be taking on the role as cross country coach at a local high school. His main fitness goals are improving his cardiorespiratory endurance in order to maintain a healthy weight and a healthy heart.

He has cut fast food from his diet which once was what sustained him. He has a fabulous garden with chickens that roam through it and produce high quality free range eggs. Fruit and lean protein are now a mainstream part of his diet. He now eats to live instead of living to eat and truly feels that moderation in one's diet is key. Food is his fuel and not his comfort. He commented that losing weight is painful but now he is through it and he is finally living. He also commented recently that "There are no limits and there are no excuses." This is a motto we should all focus on each and every day.

Now, be inspired and "get living." :)

Darren- before his weight loss.

Darren today. More than 100 pounds lighter.

There is no secret...

I hear from many friends and acquaintances all too often, "I can't seem to lose weight. I exercise x amount of days and the weight will not come off." My response is what are you eating? What is your daily caloric intake? I exercised for years and did not watch what I ate. The result of that was a huge weight gain where I topped off at 180/185 pounds. Come on, really, what ARE you eating? Don't lie to me and most especially don't lie to yourself. I spent too many years telling myself how healthy I was. So you say you are consuming 1500 calories a day. Does that include the handful of crackers, cereal, those few cookies, that glass of wine or those few tester bites you had while you were cooking? You can be way up past 2000 calories in no time. Be real.

My main reason for beginning this blog is to encourage people, particularly women, to find the power within themselves to accomplish the goals at hand. You can lose weight or whatever goal it is that you have set. There is no secret to being healthy. Please do not take pills or drink that "magic" shake or go on that special diet. You know what to do. It is common sense. Burn more than you take in and make sure you are taking in healthy unprocessed foods and are exercising daily.

Don't make any excuses. You will run out of tomorrows and new years. Don't wait till the new year begins to make that choice to be a healthier you. Each day is a new day; each hour is a new hour. If you made a mistake this morning, dust yourself off and keep going. You do not have to eat those cookies because YOU have the power to make a good choice. The choices you make affect your future.

I apologize if my edge is harsh, but my motive is to encourage you to take those simple steps to becoming healthy and fit. YOU have the POWER TO DO. Don't let anyone else tell you that you don't.

I did it and you can too. Here is my proof. The first picture was of me in 2007. I weighed approximately 180/185 pounds. The second picture is of me in late November 2009. My current weight is 132 pounds.

This is Just the Beginning...

I am starting this blog as a source of encouragement for others. I am in the midst of my journey of life and have found that I have the power to accomplish things in my life that once seemed impossible. You too can be powerful and strong...you control the choices you make. YOU have the power to do whatever you want to do. I found the phrase "power to do" in a local community magazine. I had recently lost quite a bit of weight and at that point I realized that I had possessed the power for so long but never released it. I remember sitting there staring at the phrase in print and amazed at the things I had accomplished. The most important aspect of my achievements is that I accomplished them on my own.


My Recent Accomplishments

Weight Loss

I recently lost over 40 pounds. At one point, I felt I was destined to be big forever. I accepted that was who I was meant to be. I accepted the phrase "big boned." I was in denial. I was bitter and I didn't even realize it. I had always been interested in health and fitness and had never quite made the decision to plunge into it head first. It was the beginning of spring 2009 and I had recently started drinking kombucha tea which is pretty pricey at $3.25 a bottle. I had just finished that bottle and was reading the label and all of its benefits. Then it struck me. Why am I drinking this? I weigh 180 pounds (that was my starting weight) and I eat way too much crap. What is the point? I can't just add one little thing to my life and expect it to change me. It was then that I decided that I had to figure this out on my own. I didn't want to join a gym but I did want to be healthier. I had worked out previously, mostly running, but it was never consistent enough to yield results. I had to do this for me and for my family. My teen daughter is a track athlete and I have two small girls that I stay at home with. I had to be healthy for them....I wanted to be a strong and healthy role model for them. My husband has always been into fitness. I knew I had to do this for him too. I had to do it for me. I needed to feel better. I needed more energy.

I discovered the secret. The secret is that there isn't any secret. I knew what to do. There was no pill or magic diet. I had to eat healthy and I had to work out. I had to commit. I did just that. I started shopping at health food stores and farmer's markets. I worked out every single day in my living room when my little ones were napping. I did it. I am now 136 pounds and am smaller than I was in high school. I am not big boned or destined to be large. I am healthy, strong and happy. I found that health extends into all of the other areas of your life.

Community Involvement




I recently was the team captain for Team Sassy. As a team, we raised about $2300 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and participated in the Race for the Cure. It was a great feeling.




I have also recently become involved in donating food to local food banks.


It's a good feeling to help others and it's a great way to be a role model for your children.

Athletic Accomplishments






I have ran a few 5k's. My average time was 29-30 minutes for a 5k which is 3.1 miles. When I ran the 5k a few weeks ago, I ran the race in 26:10 which is 4 minutes faster than my previous times. I came in 9th out of 27 women in my age group. What a great moment it was when I saw those race results!



Those are my most recent accomplishments. I will have many more to come. I am excited to share this blog with others and even if I inspire just one person to unlock their power within, then it is worth it. Enjoy!