Coaches

Coach Nell

"Those who think they have no time for healthy eating, will sooner or later have to find time for illness."  -Edward Stanley 

Let me quickly introduce myself before I share my story.  My name is Nell, I'm 26 (27 in a few days) and an elementary music teacher in Kentucky.  I have been married 4 1/2 years and have a long-haired miniature dachshund named Baxter.  My husband plays guitar for a local country band, so we travel on weekends for shows.  We love music, traveling, going to the gym, and cooking new healthy recipes!  Which brings me to the quote...

Mochas I was discovering quickly that eating whatever I wanted was leading to illness in May 2011.  I was 25, had acid reflux, high blood pressure, and heel spurs!   What 25-year-old has those problems!?!?  My husband and I would eat a large order of bread sticks, large pizza, and a galloon of icecream in one night and not think twice.  It was then  I made a commitment to myself that I would be completely honest and write down everything I ate....YES EVERYTHING!  I have not missed a day since then and credit most of my success to that.  If its important to you, you will find a way...and my health is important to me.  THAT is why I am your NUTRITION COACH!

When I joined SparkPeople I weighed 275 lbs and was a size 20.  It took 2 1/2 months and 50+ pounds for anyone to notice that I was losing weight, but that didn't stop me because I was doing this for myself, NOT OTHERS!  By December 2011 thankfully this BLC Challenge made me realize that I needed to become honest with myself about my exercise habits.  I couldn't just eat healthy, I needed to make exercise a priority as well.  I don't have "cheat" days because there is nothing to cheat on.  I'm not on a "diet" or not eating carbs, I am just eating healthy and staying within a calorie range that is recommended for the goals I want to achieve.  All things in moderation!  

I have so many people come up and ask me for my "secret" and I look at them and simply say: "If there was a secret, everyone would know it by now.  There is no secret it takes time and hard work!"  After all, you can't change someone or something that you don't truly want to change.  Meaning you can't just want to lose weight and wish for it, you have to be willing to put in the work and time to make changes and not just do what is convenient.  Its not always going to be easy, but I promise its worth it!

So Mochas, I am here to answer any and all nutrition questions.  I will be looking over your nutrition tracker regularly and offering my suggestions.  You can't outrun your nutrition, I PROMISE!

Coach Jeanine

"The difference between who you are and who you want to be is WHAT YOU DO" -Bill Phillips

Seems simple, right?  Things can't change if we don't create an atmosphere for them to.  We are all in this BLC with a common goal...to lose weight.  Ugh, yes!  Our deaded day to day battle!  Whether we need to lose 5 pounds, or 50 pounds, or 500 pounds...the process is the same.

WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO LOSE IT!!!!  We are all fortunate to take these positions in this BLC and even more fortunate to be able to do this as a team.  No one is alone in this battle, we will fight it together.

I am Coach Jeanine and my focus for my Mighty Mocha Hunters will be PARTICIPATION.

Out BLC's are designed, not for convenience, but to drive people who are willing to put weight loss as a priority in their life.  And the way we do this is by following our BLC guidelines and PARTICIPATING in EVERY aspect from exercise, to tracking, to posting...and, most importantly, our challenges.  We are in this as a TEAM and every single one of us is accountable to our teammates to participate and do our part.  We are only as strong as our weakest link.  We expect everyone to step up, keep the BLC priorty, and to be a part of your team's success.  There are no excuses, only results.

You've go to say, "I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it.  It's called perseverance."  -Lee Iacocca

We will all be there to encourage, support, and push you...but in the end, it is YOU who has to do the owrk.  It is YOU who will put in the time, blood sweat, and tears.  It is YOU who will keep this battle a priority.  It is YOU who will have to overcome that voice in your head that says 'I'll do it tomorrow' or 'this is too hard.' It is YOU that needs to stay out of your way.

YOU and your efforts are the key to the success of OUR team!

So count on me to make sure you are participating.  Posting, tracking, nutrition, exercise, hikes, and all challenges.  Most of you know I am a 'points whore' and while I don't expect perfection....I WILL ALWAYS EXPECT PARTICIPATION!

So leave any excuses at the door and welcome to your BLC 21 Mocha Hunter!!!!

We're gonna rock it strong and finish fabulous!

Coach Roxy

                               

 

Since my teen years, starting from the age of 13, my weight has always crept upwards.  I graduated with my weight being 186 on my 5'2" frame.  I never paid any attention to it.  Thought I needed to lose, but no biggie.  I got married 4 yrs later, close to the same weight.  After getting married, I felt that maybe I should start losing weight, but didn't really know how to go about it.  I bought a plan called the Protein Power plan which helped me shed 20 lbs in two months, BUT I loved bread and pasta, who can live without a potato every now and then.  Is this realistic?  Could I spend the rest of my life like this?  Uh no.  then came along my girls. One at a time.  I only gained 25 lbs with each pregnancy and lost it right after.  But with each pregnancy  I was borderline diabetic.  I had to see a nutritionist and take the awful glucose tolerance test.  I was encouraged to walk 20 mins a day.  

It wasn't until I turned 30 (dreading every second of it) that I started feeling pain in my feet every morning I would get out of bed.  So, I thought I would start taking over the counter weight loss pills.  I tried a few, would lose 5 to 10 lbs, then it would come back on.

I was asked to volunteer teaching health class at our school, and I agreed.  I have medical knowledge and what better way than to teach it.  The only trouble was teaching nutrition.  So, I asked a friend who is a nutritionist if she would come in and explain the whole food pyramid thingy because I was totally lost.  So, I would listen to what she told my class on how to eat, portion sizes, and exercise.  Still, I didn't apply it to my life.  

It wasn't until I was in the emergency room for abdominal pain that turned out to be a grapefruit-sized borderline cancerous ovarian tumor did I really start to pay attention to my weight.  I was getting weighed at every visit!!!  And that was frequent.  Then I watched the nurse write in my chart "morbidly obese."  That was a slap in the face.  I had reached 216 lbs.  I had always thought 200 would be my "cut off" point.  Also, my cousin was getting married in May and I didn't want to be the "fat cousin."  

I borrowed a book from the local library written by Bob Greene.  I don't remember the title, but it really broke down the steps to effective weight loss. It spoke of weight loss as a commitment to yourself.  You actually sign a contract with yourself that you will lose weight and stick to your goals.  I signed it, at first, thinking it was corny, but also realizing that I was going to be serious about making this commitment.  The book addressed emotional eating and asks you to answer 4 questions.  Thinking this was corny, too, I did it anyways.  I wrote in a journal the answers to these tough questions.  Questions I thought I had suppressed a long time ago.  I've had to deal with some really tough issues in my life.  I actually cried, but it really helped me see what I was doing.  So, I started doing what my nutrition friend and Bob Greene said to do with eating whole foods, etc... My friend also encouraged me to pray about weight loss.  I thought it was crazy at first, but she said, "It's a disease, nothing else."  So, I prayed.  Then, I started exercising.  It was also encouraged to journal your food.  Hating to actually write in a journal, I looked into online websites with the same type of idea so I could still keep track of my food.  I am on 3 different sites including this one.  It has been so important to keep this "journal."  I figured I'd have time to log after I've read my email and I've been doing that ever since.  

Now, I have friends who support me in continuing to lose weight.  It really means so much to have support because you can do it by yourself, but having friends who keep pushing you and supporting you can get you so much farther.  

It's been three years, I can look back now at the 70+ lbs lost.  It's so exciting to feel so healthy and to have energy I was lacking.  I can't wait to see where this journey will take me.  But I do know it's for life!!!

I started with walking, counting my steps....3 yrs later...with much sweat....I'm doing triathlons.  It feels great!