Priorities

As a Health & Fitness Consultant it is my job to promote a healthy lifestyle, fitness, a better way of life. I show people how to incorporate fitness, cleaner eating and personal growth into their daily lives which teaches them how they can live a happier, more fulfilling life. I love teaching this to others. I've learned so much about myself along the way.

Today is Black Friday. There are tons of people all over the U.S. swarming the retail world for all the 'great deals' on tv's, gadgets and well...in my opinion...JUNK! Useless crap that no one NEEDS. What has become of people's priorities? They can spend hundreds of dollars on JUNK, yet they claim they can't afford to eat nutritious food or afford a fitness program that actually costs LESS than the crap they're standing in line for or camping out for days to buy. What is WRONG with this picture?

People have become so distorted in how they view their priorities. THINGS have become more important to them then their health or the health of their family. It's really a shame and very heart breaking.

If only they would see that if they would invest their money wisely...so many more rewarding things would happen for them. I do my best to show them, lead by example. Sometimes I don't feel like I do enough. But I am only one person and I do what I can. It's up to them to make the changes. To decide to make better choices. If they don't, that's not my fault...it's on them when they don't feel well or end up in the doctors office for an illness or disease that could have been prevented.

I pray for these people. I pray for them to change their priorities and choose HEALTH over JUNK!

A Quick Update with Photos

I haven't posted about our CLX or ChaLEAN Extreme progress so I thought I'd show off a few photos of our lifting days and talk a little about our progress.

We just finished week one of the Push Phase, which is the 2nd phase of the program. We actually just finished this morning in fact, with the Recharge. That's where we stretch and work on our flexibility. I am so NOT a fan of yoga but as I keep being told...learn to enjoy it! I'm trying...

Here are some photos of our workouts:

The Compound Effect

A few weeks ago a friend commented on a Facebook status I wrote, that said 'Where did Amy Leever go?' You see, in the last 3 years, I've done a lot of changing. The most changes have happened over the course of this last year. I've been doing a lot of Personal Growth and learning about myself.

I've been reading a lot. Books like "First Steps to Wealth" by Dani Johnson, 'Money Makeover' by Dave Ramsey, 'The Slight Edge' by Jeff Olson and most recently I started reading 'The Compound Effect' by Darren Hardy. These books have given me some really interesting insight to my life.

I know, I know -- these 'self-help books are a bunch of hogwash', 'these things are a scam. They only want your money', 'these so called 'experts' don't understand my situation', etc. I have had the same exact attitude once. But that's the point! The only way to change your life is to change your thinking. Step outside what you've been taught to believe in and try something new. Open your mind and grow up!

My daily choices have gotten me where I am today...If I gain some weight it's because of my daily choices, if I am tired and cranky, it's because of my daily choices. If I am out of money and can't pay my bills, it's because of my choices...see where I am going?

What I'm learning is this: I am the only one responsible for how things are in my life. I am responsible for how I act, how I feel and how I think. No one else is to blame. It's the same lesson I've been reading in 'The Compound Effect'...

"No Man's Land"...

This is described as the place where you aren't really unhappy, but you aren't really happy. It's the place where we numb ourselves to our dreams, wants and desires to fit into the time, energy and money we currently make or have.

Complacency is what it's called and something we should all fight against. Fear of being uncomfortable has gotten us a life full unmet dreams, expectations and never reaching our potential. Sometimes it happens so subtly we don't really notice until years later, but all the small, seeming insignificant decisions we made each day over the years have gotten us to the point where we are now.

Our choices, behaviors and habits will determine our future and are an accumulation of our life as we know it now. The good news is that we can always start making better choices, create better habits that create different behaviors and the beauty is, it does not have to be one big change...small steps will make a HUGE difference in the long-run.

The Compound Effect is always in motion, positive or negative - we are either Moving Forward or Sliding back.

THERE IS NO STANDING STILL
(Thank you Darren Hardy! - The Compound Effect)

Isn't that eye-opening? When I read that, my heart skipped a beat and it really had me thinking about all the choices I've made throughout my life. And I started thinking wow...so all this time I thought it was the governments fault I've always been poor. It's the way life is, and I'll never expect anything different because I was born to a life of hardship and poverty. When all along it's been ME. My choices that got me where I am.

When I weighed in at 220 pounds, lost, broken, sick, in pain, depressed, miserable and ready to end it all permanently...it was all because of my BAD choices that put me there.

My bad choices with finances and not having a solid plan in place has left us in debt and always struggling to make ends meet. We are always living hand to mouth because we've made poor choices with our money. We've let money enslave us, rather than making our money work for us.

When I decided to take control and fix all that. My choice to change helped me lose 50 pounds, change my body, change my life and change my mind. It had nothing to do with the economy, the government or someone else's choices -- it was all on me!

The economy still sucks. The government still can't figure out what it's doing. But me...I'm happy, healthy and building a business. I'm prospering. I'm successful. I'm learning new things and making new friends. That's all on me too!

My choices, my behavior and habits have determined my future. The small, insignificant decisions I make each day are accumulating. And one day they will all snowball into the vision and dreams I have set for myself and for my family.

The more I learn, the better I can put the lessons towards getting out of debt and make a better life. I will live like no one else, so then later I can live like no one else. That's all a mixture of the Personal Growth I've been going through. So 'what happened to Amy Leever?' -- I've changed my way of thinking, so I can change the way I live. I've stopped blaming other people and circumstances and have taken responsibility, put it where it belongs; on me.

I am the ruler of my own destiny!

My WHY - A Story About Me & Beachbody

My Story:

I'll start with a little back story and lead up to what I want to say: My story started years ago, let's just say since I was a teenager I was insecure about who I was, I had no self-confidence and many people including some of my peers would tell me I was lazy, stupid, and a 'loser'.  So I grew up believing I was too lazy, too stupid, not good enough. I made some pretty poor choices that lead me down a very traumatic path all the way through my 20's.

Noone knew how miserable or hurt I was because I put on a good, brave front. I hid my  feelings and shame pretty well. No one cared enough to see past the fake smiles and sarcastic attitude. So I kept it to myself - the pain, the hurt, the humiliation, the belief that I was a failure of epic proportions. FOOD kept me company and always made me feel better.

I had a baby at the age of 18, married a guy I didn't really love before I was even graduated from high school. Separated and headed for divorce barely a year later. Single motherhood and a job as a waitress led me to make other choices I ended up regretting. Then, I met the man I know I was meant to meet and fall in love with, Jorie Leever. But before our happiness was found, we had some major issues to overcome first; his meth addiction, my dead marriage to a man who literally disappeared and couldn't be found for four years. I had another child, with Jorie. Trying to build a life together while also dealing with lies, deceit and addiction. Call me a glutton for punishment I guess, but we were meant to go through all that together, I believe that. I finally got my divorce and we moved on. Jorie, and I got married and had one more child before we decided it was time for a clean slate. We packed up all our stuff and headed west to Oregon. I am a Michigander at heart, He's an Oregonian at heart. I was ready for a brand new start, so I cut ties with my family and we moved 3400 miles away, headed for a brand new life.

Life began to change and get better for us. He got clean and has been sober ever since. However; for me I was left a cynical, sarcastic, insecure, jealous, depressed and anxiety ridden person. Again, I hid it well. No one, not my new family, the friends I was making or even Jorie's friends from high school that he was able to hang out with again, knew what I was feeling inside or how I was using food to comfort myself. All they saw was Jorie's wife getting fat, then lose weight, then get fat again - I put on a great show for everyone. I had a really scary car accident with all 3 of my children in the vehicle with me. I drove a mini-van at the time, and it was my mistake of course, that sent us spinning and on our side. Thank God, all of us were ok physically. No serious injuries, both my van and the other car were totaled. I gave up driving after that. Too afraid I'd cause another accident. I totally blamed myself. So I made excuses not to drive. The fear was just too much!

All things considered, life was going so well for us with our new life that Jorie got a huge promotion at work that moved us all the way to Tampa, Florida. It was amazing. I fell in love with Florida, and at the same time that is where my life began to unravel, ironically. I couldn't hide it any more. The jealousy, the insecurity, the shame, the depression, the anxiety...it all started to come out. Over flow, I couldn't control it or hide it any longer. It was taking over my life. I became a hermit. I wouldn't leave the house alone. I didn't want the neighbors to see me or talk to me. I wouldn't walk 50 ft to my mailbox to get the mail.

My weight ballooned. I could see it in the mirror every time I'd look at myself. I began avoiding mirrors, windows ... anything with a reflection. I hated having my picture taken, but I'd put on a fake smile because living in Florida...we wanted pictures of family outings to the beach and things like that. I was so embarrassed to have to see those photos afterwards. I hated myself. I hated what I was doing to myself. But I had no idea how to stop it or where to go or who to talk to. I didn't trust any one or any thing, so I just kept eating and hiding.

I did try to step out of my comfort zone and I found a couple ladies in the area we lived in. We began walking. And that helped. I wouldn't walk by myself, but I found I could trust and relate well to these ladies, so I'd walk with them. And I could tell I was losing some weight. But things and schedules got in the way, and walking became less & less. But at least I was beginning to figure out what I needed to do.

The economy went bust, so did Jorie's job. We tightened our budget, he took odd jobs. The anxiety and depression almost killed me at that point. Knowing we were going to lose our home, having to scrape every penny, nickle and dime we could to at least eat - I couldn't handle it. But I did what I needed to do and clawed to as much reality as I could. I had to hold it together for the kids. So we did what we could, sold off everything we could or gave away the rest. Kept only what was truly irreplaceable and moved back west to Oregon. During all this, things were starting to change for me. I'd been looking around online for weightloss help. Without telling anyone what I was doing. I found this site called SparkPeople.com. I signed up for a free account. But it never went further - because of the move and all the upheaval surrounding the loss of Jorie's job.

When we got to our new destination, Jorie was unemployed for over a year. I was battling my demons, and having people tell me I needed to find a job. If Jorie couldn't work, then I needed to. I couldn't work! Not when I was too afraid of my own shadow...and I couldn't explain it, they wouldn't understand...how could they when I didn't understand!? So I hid, I made excuses, I continued to eat.
One late summer afternoon, I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. The girl was so gorgeous and skinny. There I was a fat & miserable - pasting on a fake smile. When all I really wanted to do was die.  Everything became crystal clear at that very second.

I NEEDED to change and ONLY I could do it! No one could do it for me. No one could fix it for me. If I wanted to change my life, it was up to me! My starting weight: 220 pounds. That was in August of 2009.

I went home and I logged on to SparkPeople. I figured out what I needed to do. My husband and children didn't believe me when I told them I was changing the way I ate, what I ate, how I ate and fixing my problems with depression & anxiety. They really didn't know what to do when the next thing I did was clean out all the cupboards, the refrigerator & freezer and tossed out all the nasty, crappy, processed foods. I made a list of all the healthy stuff I needed, made a menu plan and I went head first into my new life. I began exercising by walking on a treadmill we'd picked up for $50. I bought some hand weights, and a few other at home fitness equipment, along with some dvd's I could use to workout. And I began my fitness journey.

I didn't let anything stand in my way. Once I began getting stronger, I started taking my walks outside. At first it was only up & down the driveway (almost a 1/4 mile), then I'd walk our road. Eventually I started jogging - tried the C25K program and even Jorie was doing that with me. I began shedding weight. I felt better, I was looking better. I began looking for ways to fix my anxiety and depression. No health insurance and no money; I couldn't seek professional help, so if I was going to fix myself, I was going to need to find a way to do it free.

My first step: I talked about it! I finally opened up to my husband about everything! His old drug abuse, my insecurities, my jealousy - everything! We began working out all that old stuff and I could finally see, that I was my own worst enemy. I let everything that had happened to me over the years control me, when what I should have done was find a way to react to it better. I made the choice to let it fester all those years. I made a choice to let the words of peers and family hurt me and make me feel unworthy. Instead, I should have ignored it and stayed positive. But I didn't know any of that back then. Learning it and applying it is what changed everything for me.

I began reaching out to more people who were on the same path as me. Trying to lose weight, learn how to eat right, exercise and get past mental blocks. I never realized until then that there were so many people just like me! People who needed love, support and understanding. Once I found that foundation, I became a whole new ME.

So I started stepping farther outside my comfort zone, looking for ways to make money. I realized I loved being a stay at home mom, but I also needed/wanted to help my husband make ends meet. So I began researching ways to do both: Stay home and still bring in money.

I developed my own brand. The Fit-Nut. It came to me one day, I was thinking about fitness and nutrition. That's what I wanted to do. That's how I was going to be able to stay home and earn money too. Fitness (Fit) and Nutrition (Nut) The Fit-Nut. Around the same time I was making new social media friends on Facebook. A lady named Carolyn Wilhelm sent me a message talking about Beachbody. I was leery at first. Figured it was some scam, so I held her off.  I toyed with the idea, looked up her website. Talked to her quite a bit about it. Asked a lot of questions.

My Beachbody story was just beginning to form though I hadn't joined yet. The weight was still coming off and I was getting leaner, stronger, healthier. People were saying things to me, I'd never heard before. They were proud of me, They were amazed how good I was looking, telling me to stay strong and keep up the hard work. For the first time I felt like I had support and I was enjoying the freedom from the depression. Many things were still holding me back, but I was slowly learning to overcome my fears and learning how to fight back. The better I ate, the more I exercised, the better I felt both physically and mentally. I'd lost 50 pounds. That was in July of 2010.

The aches & pains were gone. And I was healing mentally from all the past hurt & mistakes. I got another message from Carolyn about Beachbody. This time I took it a bit more seriously. I began researching the company. I began getting to know the people who are Beachbody coaches. After 6 months of debating and thinking, I finally dug up the courage and took a leap of faith. August of 2011.

Building a business is hard! I'm not a business woman. I'm not a salesperson. But it's FUN! I love what I do. I'm able to stay home and be a homemaker. My dream! Yet, I'm making money too. I'm getting paid to workout, eat healthy and share that with others. It's the best job in the world!

In July of 2012, Jorie and I made a commitment to do the program Power90 together. We've stuck through it and I'm seeing results, even if they are subtle. But, while I workout every day, I still found that I was slipping back into old habits and gained 10 pounds. I'm back on track again, but You see, I'm far from perfect. I've learned that I'll have setbacks and that's OK. It's how I chose to handle it that makes the difference. For me to 'coach' and help others, I need to be honest about that. It's not about being perfect, it's about making progress. It's about making healthy choices every day and NEVER giving up even when things get a little out of control.

My Doubts:

My doubts about all this come from my past. Actually they come from my parents. Let me explain: My mother has been obese since my early teens. When I was very young she was trim and healthy, but something happened to her and she gave up on herself. I watched her turn to food and thus, that's where my love affair with food began. She is now in her mid 60's, she has diabetes, she has osteo-arthritis - all the cartilage in her hips and knees has been eaten away, she has heart disease & has had that all her life, she's in a wheel chair to get around, pretty much bed-ridden the rest of the time, on oxygen, has had numerous mini-strokes and basically she's very sick, miserable and refuses to do anything about it to change. Nothing I say gets through. She tells her doctors to mind their own business and leave her alone.

My father has COPD and is a retired trucker. He used to be a very thin man but over the years he's gotten lazy in the 'fit' department and eats like crap too. Can hardly breathe, but he refuses to do anything about it. Says he's just too old.

Obesity runs in my family. Very serious, morbid obesity, Heart disease, diabetes, cancers, strokes -- Yet, I can not make my family healthy! Therefore doubt sets in. If I can't get my own parents healthy, how am I suppose to 'coach' others? Isn't it my responsibility, as a coach, to get my parents to drink Shakeology, and get them on a fitness program that will save their lives? The answer is NO! I can't make their choices for them. I can only do my best, and try to keep talking to them in hopes they'll make the healthy choice soon before it's too late.

My job as a coach is to share, recommend, support, inspire and be accountable for MY choices. Set an example for others to follow. I can only control me.

I think that makes me a good coach because knowing I can't make my parents choose to get healthy, makes me determined to help others who DO want to get healthy. I will fight even harder to find the ones who WANT my help.

This is my Why:

Freedom! I now have freedom from my past. Freedom from depression, anxiety & obesity. Freedom to be a Homemaker and build a business that I can be proud of. Freedom to pay it forward and help others. Freedom to be myself. Freedom from hardship. My freedom is limitless!

Becoming a coach has given so much more than a weekly pay check. It's given me a purpose.

Goals for May 2012

Something I try to do at the beginning of each month, just never thought to put it out there for the world to see. This time, I figure there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of people seeing this eventually so why not use that as my accountability. The list is just 10 of the goals for the month of May. I have other smaller, more focused goals, but those are just for me to see. 

I'm wondering how many out there write down their goals and do what they need to do each day to accomplish those goals? - If you are one of those people, comment below, I'd like to hear from you.

Time to Face the Truth

I posted this on my Facebook but I decided I needed to blog it too. I MUST reach as many people with this as I possibly can. Someone, somewhere will read this and it'll hit home. It'll turn that light bulb on and light their way to freedom, to change. It has to!

Honesty Time: Saw this post on another friend's status and had to share -- "You say you WANT it, but what are you WILLING to do to GET IT? If you say you want it bad enough, you won't allow some lame excuse to get in the way. You have to find a way to get it and don't settle for anything less. You deserve to feel your best, look your best and be your best, BUT that won't come when you harbor EXCUSES! What are you WILLING to do to change?" -- now adding a bit of my own words --

I've used every single excuse in the book from 'I can't afford it', 'I don't deserve it', 'my husband wouldn't agree to let me do that' ... ALL OF IT WAS HOGWASH! When I finally DECIDED it was time to change things -- guess what? All my excuses died! I found the money, I changed my thinking, I changed my whole entire life. You've all been a witness to it! You've watched me change, grow, learn and become a totally different person -- Well, no, that's not true -- I've become the person I was always meant to be but better; confident, successful, strong! Because I stopped making those lame excuses. I was WILLING to do whatever I had to do to get what I wanted. I didn't let the lack of money stop me, and many of you know we've been dirt poor without a pot to pee in! I still found a way to get what I wanted! I didn't let my negative mind stop me. I didn't let anyone tell me I couldn't - because I'm my own person and I make my own choices. I DECIDED it was time to CHANGE. For those of you who say you want to lose weight, you want to get healthy - What are you willing to do to make it happen? What are you willing to change to get what you want? This isn't rhetorical - I want answers below.

That was the post I put up on my Facebook. And yes, it's preachy. It's blunt. It's honest. It is a NEED of mine to tell as many people as I can that if they change the way they think about things - CHANGE will happen. Change is scary! It makes you do things you've never done before -- like learn something new, grow, try new experiences, find new ways of doing things.

I'm not saying it's easy - it's NOT easy! I've had to deal with some pretty hardcore, nasty issues and fight my way through some pretty horrible, traumatic events to get where I am now. I've shared much of my struggles in public on Facebook. Friends, family, old classmates ... they've all been witness to my depression, anxiety, weight gain, weightloss, family issues, losing everything we had and work our butts off to get it back. I haven't kept it a secret. I've had not only a body transformation with weightloss, but I've had a total LIFE transformation.

And it's all because I decided to change things. EVERYTHING in fact! We still struggle with money. Every week we wonder how we will stretch what little money we have to get everything we need and want. I don't make a ton of money being a Beachbody coach (yet) and my husband doesn't make a ton of money at his job either. BUT one thing is for sure: We ALWAYS get what we NEED and WANT in the end. We believe things will work out therefore they do. We MAKE things happen for us and for our family. Not EASY! But worth every drop of sweat and every second of time we put into making our life what we want it to be. 

I believe we will be rolling in dough soon. We will have all our dreams come true. It'll be hard work, there will be times it'll seem impossible, but I know in my heart - we will have the things we want and our needs will always be met. I know because I'm positive. I surround myself with positive thinking and in turn positive things happen. Good things happen.

I was meant to help people change their lives. Whether I get paid to do it or not, I'm here to guide people towards the things that will change them. Weightloss, getting fit, getting healthy, organizing their time and life. Whatever it is, I want to help them. Help YOU! But before I can help - there is one question you have to ask yourself: What are you WILLING to do to change? 

And that leads me to closing this -- You must be willing to change everything. You must have an open mind and decide it's time to let go of the excuses. Let go of the negative thoughts and feelings. Let go of the fear of change. Let go of the fear period and be ready to let good things happen. Be ready to learn and grow. Be ready to let positivity and faith in. 

Closing statement:

Paving the Path to Personal Growth

Action is the only way anything ever gets done. Sitting around and waiting for life to happen to you will only guarantee one thing: that you're not going to end up with a life you love. By waiting, you can react to what's tossed your way and nothing more. It's easy to take a passive approach to life without taking chances. It's easy to fall into a rut and do the same things the same way all the time. Change is sometimes hard, but it's change that will reveal all the wonders that life has to offer. You can break out of your set ways by taking action. Try doing the same thing a different way. Jump in with both feet and learn something new. Ask a friend to teach you a skill they're good at. Grow as a person and your world grows with you. 

Quote:
"When you stand still, you reject the struggle, and you refuse to change and grow. Ultimately, you reject fulfillment, happiness, the dance for joy and everything else that is eternally good."

- Matthew Kelly, classical actor and game show host


Side Note from Me:

I'm slowly paving my own path to a life I want. I started with taking control of my health and weight. With each pound I loose, I feel more confident about other things in my life; Step #1. 

I'm slowly paving my way to a successful business. Something I've dreamt about. The dream is taking shape and I'm smoothing the edges; Step #2.

Insightful Inspiration

No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change.
- Barbara De Angelis

Self-disciplined begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.
- Napoleon Hill

If we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.
- Anthony Robbins

Regrets are the tears of choices not made and of good deeds left undone.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

I read those quotes and thank the good Lord I made the choices I've made in the last 2-3 years. Rock bottom was a nasty place to be and if I hadn't have taken control of my own happiness, only He knows where I'd be.

I truly wish I could express enough how important it is to take a step outside the comfort zone and just take a leap of Faith. I come across so many who want a quick fix. Who can't just say: 'Why the heck not, it's only money!' They let fear hold them back from experiencing something that would change their life immensely.

I understand, I did it too. Until I had nothing left. Until I was so broken and lost, it was either death or do something different. So I leaped into the great unknown - then my Wings of Faith took over. Three years later, I'm slimmer, happier, healthier and the things I've always wanted are falling into place. No it's not easy. No it's not happening over night. It's consistency and self-discipline. It's making tiny, insignificant choices, daily that compound over time into something bigger and more meaningful. It's doing the things that many people won't do. The things that won't hurt if I don't do them, but if I do them, those things will get me one step closer to my goals. I go against the norm. I find ways to step outside the comfort zone. I'm not always perfect. I'm not always sure. But I keep doing them anyway.

I am the master of my own happiness. I am the only one who can control my actions and reactions. I don't say 'I can't' anymore, I say 'I will find a way'. I won't let a lack of money control my choices; it is just money - it comes, it goes. Why let it control you? Find a way around it. Get creative. Think outside the comfort zone. YOU have the power. YOU have the control.

That's my secret. That's how I do it. That's how I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off. That's how I've re-built my life from rock bottom - up. That's how I've become my own boss. That's how I'm creating my own destiny. I have the Will. I have the Faith. I have the Power. I have the Control - One choice, one step, one goal, one day at a time.

Will you take the leap of Faith and join me?