Don’t Psych Yourself Out!

Hi Guys!

So many times we give up on something before we even start! Have you ever been there? We sometimes overanalyze an issue or a decision to be made, to the point of not doing anything at all!

I do a lot of shopping online from amazon and other retailers…For certain products, I love to read the reviews of other customers to ensure that my money will be well-spent. So many times, I’ll see a product that gets a 4 out of 5 star rating, and therefore almost 100% positive reviews, but I will purposely seek out the negative reviews so I can weigh the pros against the cons…that in and of itself is not a bad practice, but don’t you know, that even though there may be 50 comments, and only 2 of them are negative, somehow I’m swayed by those 2 bad comments as opposed to the remaining 48 positive ones?? Swayed to the point of not even wanting to complete the purchase! Has that ever happened to you?? Why do you think that is?! I think for some reason, we hold on to and focus on the negative more than the positive, and this needs to change!

Look at your own life for example..there’s lots of good things about each of us, and at the same time, there are some stuff that needs some work…some stuff that is negative about us that needs to get out of our lives…sure..we all have things we need to work on, right? How come then, do we spend soooo much time battling ourselves and others over the few “bad” things and little to no time celebrating the good things that make each of us unique?

Hmmm…paradigm shift needed!

I need you to know there’s ALWAYS more going right with you than there is going wrong, so do NOT believe the negative press!

I’m currently doing the at-home workout program called “Insanity”, and I had heard so many horror stories about how hard it is…and, “Yori, that one is tough..not sure you can do it”, etc. but for me, I knew I needed to give my body more of a challenge than what it was getting, and I decided I would try it…and yes, for me, it is very challenging, BUT it is not impossible! I’ve finished Month 1 and am now on my 1st week of Month 2..my body is sore beyond belief, but my mind is resolute that I can and will complete and conquer this program – I may not do it perfectly, or be able to do as many reps as the people on the DVD yet, but I feel accomplished knowing that I shut all the negatives out and made a decision to do something that I never thought I could do!

I say that to say this – don’t psych yourself out! You just don’t know what you’re capable of unless you do something…just because something didn’t work for someone else, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you (and vice versa) – find out your niche…what works for you…and just do it! Shut all the other voices out, and do you bayyy-bayyy! – You’ll be glad you did!

Have a great day!

Love,

YG

 

Insane in the Membrane!

 

Hi Guys!

I haven’t written in so long, I almost forgot how to navigate around this site!

How are you doing? I hope well!

Since I last wrote, I started doing the terrifying workout called, “Insanity”…I’d heard so many people say how hard it is, and was very intimidated to attempt it, but I knew I needed a change as my body had begun to plateau from doing Turbofire consistently for many months..I wasn’t seeing the consistent loss in weight that I had originally anticipated, and that I had experienced near the beginning of my journey, though for sure, my body is getting a lot leaner with muscle tone – which is excellent, don’t get me wrong, but the weight loss is necessary too! So I decided to take the challenge and try Insanity!

Well after my first week, I can say it is not nearly as bad as I had thought it would be (so far)! I was expecting that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with any of the exercises at all, but to my surprise, I can attempt every single routine, though I have to take breaks, and am out of breath very quickly…I find myself saying things like, “I can do this!” or “I am going to conquer this workout!”…I’m so very careful not to say, “I cannot do this!”, (though at times, I really feel like I can’t!)- I really believe that my two rounds of Turbofire, and my round of ChaLean Extreme have prepared me for Insanity, so I’m more than a little proud of myself that I can keep up!

I’m currently not very proficient at push-ups and he (Shaun T – Insanity instructor) does them so quickly I don’t even have time to try to modify them on my knees to keep up with the DVD! I’m confident though that one day soon, I will be able to do them without having to modify, and do them with proper form until I can even eventually say, “Oh, that was easy!”.

I’m determined to get to my destination…nothing will deter me!

How are you doing on your journey??

Remember to keep your words positive – negativity is a drain and your body will believe whatever you tell it – so speak life!

Have a great day!

Love,

YG

P.S. – If you’re interested in ordering Insanity, Turbofire, ChaLean Extreme or other workout DVDs like P90X, Slim in 6 or Hip Hop Abs, along with a whole range of nutritional supplements and the tasty drink called Shakeology, be sure to check out my personal coaching website at http://www.beachbodycoach.com/yorialain

 

We are Vindicated…

Hi Guys,

Hmmm…Today has been a little testy…I had to mediate a he said/he said issue today and it was very unfortunate…mostly because the truth is so much better than a lie in EVERY circumstance, yet so many people refuse to be honest! Who to believe? I believe one party in particular, because of the nature of our relationship, and the fact that I don’t expect to be blatantly lied to (though I could be wrong)…Don’t know if you’ve ever had to sit between 2 parties, each accusing the other of some atrocity…both sticking to their claim…neither willing to bend…it can be taxing on the one trying to mediate…for me, I just want the truth…and when the truth is not forthcoming, frustration can set in.

In this case, one party is strong and powerful, and rich…, trained in being skillful at playing on words, looking for clues, making assumptions look like full-blown truths….the other is weaker..not very good with words, even fumbles over his words, and may even use them out of context, but he can be understood, if you listen.

As I listened to them go back and forth, with the stronger attempting to dominate the conversation, attempting to subtly use his affluence to cause the other to cower, I was proud of my “weak soldier”, as he stood up for himself..refusing to budge or bend on his position, but in the end willing to take the low position and call it quits..As Mr. Strong-Man left the room, I was left with Mr. Weak, and with almost tears in his eyes, he said “Ms. G, (as he affectionately calls me), I’m not lying..” My heart broke a little when he said that…something in me knows he’s telling the truth, and as I sighed and shook my head after his departure, I said, “Lord, vindicate your child…”

So many times, things happen to us in life that we cannot resolve…things are said that can’t be unsaid, lies are told against us, people who seem to have more power and influence than us, can sometimes bully us into feeling smaller and inadequate…the truth is, stuff sometimes just happens and we cannot respond, or don’t have the right words, or strength to defend ourselves.

I think in those moments when feel defenseless, and may even feel a little foolish that we didn’t respond a certain way, God will come to our defense and vindicate our names…sometimes, we don’t have to say a word.

I’d rather Him fight my battles than try on my own…Who can stand against Him?

Enjoy the rest of your evening..

I’ll continue to be pensive…

Love,

YG

 

 

Accountability Counts!

Hi Guys!

Something that I think most, if not all of us run from at some point or other in our lives is accountability! You know, the checking in with a trusted friend or mentor, to keep you on track with goals…the person who when you were gung-ho on an idea, you told to not be afraid to whip you in shape if you seem to be falling off course – the person you told to call you every morning at a certain time so you could get up and workout – yea…that same person, who because they’re doing what you asked, is now getting on your last nerve! LOL, sound familiar? Isn’t that something we all do – ask for help, but then get annoyed when we get it because WE aren’t really READY to receive the help? Yep..been there, done that!

For getting it wrong so many times, I’ve finally learned that there is safety in being accountable! For instance, if I’m dating someone (or even going out on a friendly outing), I shout it from the rooftops to one of my girlfriend’s, because I know she has my back and she covers me in prayer…so I keep her in the loop on 99.99% (you know you have to keep that .01% to yourself lol) of everything that goes down between me and homeboy, because I don’t want to get caught up and set off a certain path – I’m open to her telling me, “Yori, you’re being a hot mess! (even though she wouldn’t say it quite like that! lol) – I’m open to her correction, advice, encouragement, etc.

For my fitness journey, I joined an accountability group on facebook and it has really helped me to stay on track (because if you don’t, our coach will call us out and ask where we are – and nobody wants to get called out!) It’s helped me stay on track, and for those times when I didn’t want to push through a workout, or eat properly, looking at what some of the other ladies in the group were doing, gave me the boost I needed to get off the couch and put away the bag of Cheetos!

Accountability forces you to be honest and transparent about where you really are along a certain path….and in the long-run, if you really submit to it, it helps you to meet and exceed your goals!

Sooooo, who are you accountable to?

Have a great afternoon!

Love,

YG

 

EXERCISE Your Faith!

Hi Guys!

I was talking with one of my girlfriends the other night, and she was telling me about things she used to do before she owned her own home that put her in a position of readiness once the home became visible – she started preparing – she bought curtains, rugs, pots and pans, cups, plates, etc – all the little necessities to start a new home and put them in storage. She had these things already in place so that when she and her husband were ready to turn their own key, they had something to work with! Before they even had money to think about buying a home, or even the prospect of a piece of land, she had a diagram of what she wanted her house to look like posted up on her wall – and in spite of how others laughed and teased…in spite of her naysayers, she believed it would come to pass and so she continued to prepare herself to become a homeowner!

The conversation really got me thinking about faith (the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen – Hebrews 11:1) and how practical it can be if we truly exercise it! We believe for something – great or small, yet how often do we prepare for that which we’re believing?

You may be believing for a husband (aren’t all of us single girls??? :)), what plans have you put in place to prepare yourself – mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and PRACTICALLY to receive one? Like, sister girl – can you cook? I’m jus’ sayin…. Or, you may be believing AND putting in the effort to lose some weight – where are the smaller sizes you’re expecting to wear once you meet your goal? Where’s the picture of the new hairstyle you plan to rock when you hit your target weight? Faith can be so practical! And sometimes, when we do the “little” things of preparing for the end result of our faith, that’s when we see the thing come to pass!

One of the worst things that can happen in life is for the BEST thing to happen to us and we’re not prepared for it!

When I started on my fitness journey, I was a size 24, but I BELIEVED that all my effort would not be in vain, so I started buying smaller clothes – (because I just can’t take the teasing from MDC and SSM that my clothes are too big! lol) – there are some clothes that I’m still wearing that are super big for me now, but that’s where I have to make use of my belts…otherwise, I’ll have to get stuff altered…the point is, I started preparing – I didn’t and still haven’t overhauled my whole closet yet, because I’m not exactly sure what size clothing I’ll end up in, but I do know FOR SURE, I will NOT be buying clothes in a bigger size EVER again (until I’m pregnant with Hannah – but that’s another story for another time! 🙂 )

EXERCISE – your body, your mind AND you faith – you’ll be glad you did!

Have a great weekend!

Love,

YG

 

 

It’s a Combo Deal!

Hi Guys!!

I’ve missed you, but I’ve been so busy at work the past few weeks, so you’ve been getting re-runs! Re-runs aren’t all that bad, right? You get something the second time that you didn’t get on the first read, so I don’t feel so bad! lol

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how our success in anything we put our minds to, is not as a result of only ONE thing, but 9 times out of 10, as a result of two or more things!

For fitness, the combination is really 80% nutrition and 20% exercise…it’s not enough to say you workout everyday, but still eat horribly – fast food, candy, pastry, sodas, etc! – There are times when we can indulge with the “fun” foods, but if we’re serious about the results we want, we must change the way we eat!

Otherwise, if you really take the time to track how you attained success (or how others attained the success you desire), you’ll realize that it’s not just one thing that caused it…I doubt you’ll ever be able to say, “I made it to where I am because of this ONE thing”, (whatever the ONE thing is that you can think of…) No, it’s always a combination of effort…time and sweat…determination and hard-work…prayer and fasting….faith and works….friends and encouragement…

Truly, nothing works in isolation and no man is an island – so if you want success, sometimes you’ll have to ask for help – two heads are better than one (just not on the same body, please! lol)

Think about it!

Have a great day!

Love,

YG

 

Distracted?

Yori's New Life Transformation

Hi Guys,

How was your weekend?

Blog is a little later than normal today because I’ve been having writer’s block!

And I know exactly why…I’ve been distracted…distracted by the thought of an impending uncomfortable discussion I needed to have with someone…

Distractions come in many different forms – and their main goal is to keep you from doing something you set your mind to…

A distraction is that which “divides the attention or prevents concentration”. (dictionary.com)

Think about it..do you ever get distracted if you never have a specific task to accomplish? I don’t think so…the distraction wouldn’t be necessary!

When you think about how sidetracked you can get as a result of paying attention to the wrong things, instead of your goals, do you realize how much precious time is wasted? Why don’t we just confront issues as they spring up, instead of mulling over them…repeating the scenario over…

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How Did I Get Here…?

Yori's New Life Transformation

Hi Guys!

Have you ever stopped to ponder how you got to the point where you currently are? I mean, in every way: spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially…how did you get there?

If you have pondered, what were your conclusions? If your state is not what you want, do you blame someone else for your current situation, or have you taken responsibility for YOU?

For me, I remember some years ago, my mom expressed her concern about me being overweight, and my response to her was that I had faith to believe that God would fix it – her response was basically, “ummm, do you think God is gonna come down here and force you to eat right and get up and workout”? (My words – my mom doesn’t speak like that – it would have sounded a lot more sophisticated than that! LOL, right Kay??) – at the time…

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Struggle is Over!

Yori's New Life Transformation

This is gonna be deep…can you relate?

So today I asked the Lord what I should write about…and I heard Him say “write about your struggles…” and my mind didn’t go first to my weight – it went to the underlying issues of the past- self-consciousness and low self-esteem.

Dictionary.com defines the term Self-Conscious as an adjective meaning, “excessively aware of being observed by others”.

According to Wikipedia, Self-Esteem “is a term used in psychology to reflect a person’s overall emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. It is a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs (for example, “I am competent”, “I am worthy”) and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame.”

In other words, if I have low self-esteem, it means that I evaluate myself poorly – I can’t or just don’t see the value in me – and…

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You are What You Eat…

Yori's New Life Transformation

Have you seen that ad where the kids are playing a sport, football I think, and one of the mom’s asks if her son looks a little slow, then the other mom says “well, you are what you eat”, and the camera pans in to see the kid in the shape of a carton of french fries – indicating that’s what he’s been eating, hence his performance in the game is slower than it should be…

Well, we may not take on the exact shape of a slice of cake, or a carton of fries,  a pizza pie, or a hamburger, but a diet filled with these foods will eventually result in a body that is unfit, unhealthy, and in pretty bad shape – trust me, I would know! I’m not saying that you should NEVER EVER have these foods, however they should be kept to a very minimum if…

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