Core Values

This blog is a REPOST of a blog I wrote on April 12,2010 at Todaynottobeconfusedwithtomorrow.  Written over five years ago, it’s a powerful reminder how solid they are because I haven’t changed one core value.  These core values guide everything I do and have been a key to my success.  I look forward to you working on yours and hearing your wonderful results!

(i have been) Reflecting and Deciding what is important to me.
What I want is financial security without compromising my CORE VALUES.
I want to do ENERGIZING Tasks and not do draining tasks.
I am intent on being smart enough to know the difference between energizing and draining.
I am intent on being brave enough to always take the energizing road.
Who I am and my CORE VALUES:
Laughter
Respect
Awe
Inspiration
Gravitation
Knowledge
Honesty
Action not Words
Confidence without Arrogance
Sharp
Witty
Loyal
Mutual Respect
Trust
UNIQUENESS

Will my Weighty Mayday be Answered?

Backdated for Educational Purposes:

On May 15th, I went to bed fully embracing the idea that the next morning I was either going:

to FOLLOW WITH GUSTO,  a specific plan to lose weight for my powerlifting meet on June 13th

OR

to NOT FOLLOW any plan.

And, depending on which plan I followed, I was either going to compete on June 13th as a

132 lb powerlifter

or

a 148 lb powerlifter.

(or heaven forbid, with all of the upcoming events and parties from my son’s High School graduation, a 165 lb powerlifter…which was  NOT a 10 lb directional swing I wanted to take.)

My real goal, besides showing up and lifting as heavy as I could based on my practice/training, was to weigh 135 lbs and look as toned and  youthful as possible when I turned 50 on June 26th.

To date, that goal was merely  a desire…and I KNEW that if I didn’t take proper eating action on the 16th of May, I would not realize my real goal.

How was it going to turn out?

Fat and Frumpy at Fifty

or

Fit and Fabulous at Fifty?

May 16th began with a scale weigh-in at144 lbs. EGADS!

That meant that I needed to lose 12 lbs in 4 weeks…it was time to get busy.

My plan was to follow my favorite carb cycling routine (the plan that I used in the summer/fall of 2012 to get from 149 lbs to 131 lbs in ten weeks.)

This nutrition plan worked to get me to my goal before, and it was going to work again, I just needed the focus and mindset to follow it.

After that weigh in, I ate 2 boiled eggs, one 16 oz glass of water, and drank a half a cup of coffee.

At 10:00 A.M. , while working on my workout system product, my computer CRASHED.  OMG…not again! Twice in less than a year.

A CRASH?  Again!?!  Think it was a curse?  Nope!  I see it as a blessing…well, kinda.

I picked up my phone and called my good buddy Armen ( I highly recommend you do the same before your computer crashes.  This will ensure that you keep your sanity and insure that the intellectual property that you have  on your computer stays safe (here’s his contact info:   http://www.cssva.com/ )  God Bless Armen…not even exaggerating.  He helped to get me back on my feet as I sat in his office all day fretting about my data.

Let me repeat that…I SAT IN HIS OFFICE ALL DAY.

Sitting in his office all day meant that I didn’t have access to peanut butter, cereal or any other carbohydrate calling my name.

That whole day sitting in his office began a positive cycle and was a huge step in the right direction of eating to lose weight (specifically fat) and keep my strength.  I had now definitively and decidedly begun following the exact eating program I followed in 2012 to lose 19 lbs in ten weeks. It’s  my coach, Tim Henriques’ carb cycling  for fat loss eating program.  If you’re interested in following it, you can find it at this link:

https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/carb-cycling-for-fat-loss

How will this end?  Will I reach my goal?

I don’t know how it will all end,  but, I DO KNOW HOW IT ALL BEGAN. I had:

  • set a goal, and committed to it
  • decided “go big or go home”
  • broken the carbohydrate/sugar addiction

 

 

 

 

Idle through the Ides of May

Backdated for Educational Purposes: May 1 through May 15

Honestly, on a personal level, I have no more info to add to my last post  which spelled out months of nutritional mayhem… my actions to lose weight remained idle.

However, on the business side of life,  things were more idyllic.  Clarity reigned now that I  was focusing on how to bring value to my awesome loyal fans who want to permanently lose fat and become…

Fat Free Forever =

I wanted to harness my fat loss expertise and teach how to get the same results I’ve experienced for the last 7 years.  It’s not magic, but the results are magical!

Fantastically, my information is not only fully teachable to those seeking truthful answers it’s very reachable to an audience anywhere in the world!  Now, anyone willing to learn and apply the knowledge can earn the physique they’ve always desired.

THIS IS BEYOND EXCITING FOR ME…

Thanks to modern technology, I can share my expertise with more people than just my one-on-one clients!

Here are just some of the Muffin Toppled products/services coming down the pike…

  • (What I was busy creating by sitting on my flabby backside all day and most evenings was) a  results based WORKout System  System = content to address the whole shebang of how to  lose fat-making sure that every area of fat loss is addressed. Mindset-how to think to lose fat.  Nutrition-what and how to eat to lose maximum fat.  physical Fitness-the exercises necessary to strip fat off of your body fast. The key word in this  Workout System is “WORK”, not just AMUSE, because my system takes work.  Put the work in…bust through myths, abandon magic pill mindset, navigate the learning curves, hold yourself accountable (with a little help from me)-and reap the amazing benefits of looking better, getting healthier, feeling  better, gaining confidence and making heads turn when you walk in a room.

And, here’s a smattering of what loyal fans will learn in this 12 week + Workout System:

  •  A four week Intensive Black Dress/Black Tie ready course where I educate you AND guide/goad  you to lose the most body fat YOU CAN in one month!
  • Okay, there are still things I’m ironing out here….but, perhaps you have a suggestion on what YOU would need to reach your fat loss goals…let’s see if we can figure out how to work together!

It’s been an exciting 15 days!

PS today is the day I realize I need to seriously consider that it’s time to focus on something different than a MUFFIN TOPPLED Movement…can I do it? It’s time to turn the focus inward.  I have a powerlifting meet in about 4 weeks and need to focus on getting down to a lower weight class.  I realize that if I don’t start tomorrow, FOR REAL THIS TIME, I’ll be competing in the 148 lb weight class…more to follow…

 

January, February, March and April – Martyrdom Askewed My Airmask

January thru April 2015-Backdated for Educational Purposes

Yes, loyal fans, from January through the end of April, I lost my blogging rights.

What does that mean?  I dunno…but, I’m trying to be clever and merge the the phrase “bragging rights” with the word “blog”…

By trying to creatively birth a new “phrord”, I found that the real meaning of “losing blogging rights”  is that I should have lost my right to blog about fat loss.

After all, I KNEW all about HOW to do it and WHAT to do to achieve it…but my:

Mindset wasn’t “there”…I desired to be lean, but was unwilling to implement the how and what to make it happen.

Nutrition definitely wasn’t on target…again, that dratted peanut butter, cereal and too much coffee (aka not enough water) allowed the scale to steadily not budge and sometimes even slightly edge up.

Frequency of physical Fitness had waned significantly. After following my AMUSE-ICAL™ workout system three days a week for 3 months, and achieving awesome results, I lost some momentum due to working on my business 24/7.  I knew it was time to “get under the bar” (strength train)  3x week for maximum results, and even though  I did get under the bar, I  only trained  two days out of ten (and did no interval cardio for extra calories/fat burning effect.) That low frequency was better than nothing, but it wasn’t enough to help keep my body fat low.  BOO HISS…

PLUS I was so busy creating content for my soon to launch (for real this time) fat busting AMUSE-ICAL™ Workout System and recording videos to help others lose fat and stay lean, I FORGOT ABOUT MYSELF.  I forgot to put my air mask on first.

BTW, here’s one of those content videos…it’s my philosophy on how to get and stay “black dress or black tie” ready:

 

 

As I was ballooning up in size,  I pretty much was playing the part of Martyr, which is a role that tends to make me feel good about myself.  After all, my waistline was “taking one for the team”- you know,   “Team Loyal Fan”.  I was creating products/services that would help you loyal fans who are looking for a reliable answer to effectively and efficiently topple your muffins for good.

In addition, I  was earnestly honing-in on my “ideal client”.  Turns out that it’s NOT someone who’s looking for a magic pill!  Yep-I made a big decision that I’m giving those clients up and only focusing on those who are truly looking for honest answers to why their jeans no longer fit as they age.  I realized that I can’t save anybody who thinks the cookie diet is a good idea – they’re somebody else’s ideal client.

My  ideal client is  looking for honest answers to fat loss.

This is exciting to me, because it means that if YOU are looking for those answers, YOU are now amongst a select group of people that I passionately want to help!   I think that you’re magnificant because you’re willing to learn and implement the best way to lose fat and you’ll do “whatever it takes” to achieve your goals (well, “whatever it takes”, short of cutting off a body part.)

Let’s all say in unison:  Huzzah!

You see…

Now that we’ve found each other,

I can help you achieve your goals!

My loyal fans will find themselves in a place where fat free champions are made and have a forever home where they belong!

Please don’t let that last paragraph slip by without absorbing the awesomeness of it.  Anyone who joins my group of loyal fans and is willing to push past the learning curve and put in the work to reap maximum fat loss benefits will get a toned physique… and is a CHAMPION!

You see, I wanted and still want all of you loyal fans to achieve all of the successes I have over the last seven years.  I want to teach you that not only it is possible to reach your fat loss goals quickly and effectively, I can cheer you to the finish line and show you how to make this a lifelong healthy habit.  Even though I sometimes “pork up”, I always get my mindset back and get on top of fitting into my lean jeans…and if I can do this, I completely believe that anyone with the right mindset and absolute focus can do this too…and I can teach you how.

But, since this post is backdated for educational purposes, are you  wondering if I earned blogging rights again?

Well…

Perhaps I realized that I could blog again because, intellectually, I absolutely have a plan that anyone can follow to get fat free and look amazing…and maybe I realized that’s all l I need to gain blogging rights

OR

Perhaps I emerged from a long cold winter, and got busy to achieve a fat loss goal and want to share what I learned along the way

Only time will tell… and I hope you stick with me to see how this story continues!  ‘Til When…Laura

 

 

When You Choose the Wrong T-Day Dinner…

December 2014-Backdated for Educational Purposes (Plus, Hindsight is 20/20)

Well, after many years of planning out my “good eating” on Thanksgiving day, I ignored my plan of action and ate anything and everything on that day.

It created the dreaded “carb /sugar addiction” that I just couldn’t seem to kick, no matter how much mental treatment or dressing down I gave myself.  You see,  after Thanksgiving, the “fun” never stopped when it came to eating processed food.

That doesn’t mean that I ingested a pie or a half gallon of ice cream at every meal, but before I knew it that ‘ole peanut butter and morning cereal were calling my name throughout the day.

And, my oh my, Holiday Parties…capital “H” and “P” say enuff  ’bout that…you can use your active imagination!

If you don’t have an active imagination, I will help you envision how I looked at 140 lbs-when I gave one of my farewell Short Form Improv performances at the Comedy Spot in Arlington:

But, seriously, folks my eating was a mess, and I watched the scale inch up every day.  Disappointed, desiring to lose weight yet doing nothing to take control was the name of the game…but the New Year was just around the corner, and I felt assured that I’d get on top of my eating habits then…

Stay tuned…

 

T-Day Plan!

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Thanksgiving is here and I’m panicked about all the food that will surround me. It’s crazy, but this time of year it seems that  everywhere I turn,  there’s a whopper-with-cheese opportunity (whoppertunity) to eat outside of  the lines.

Never Fear!  As T-Day family festivities approach, I have a plan of action that I can follow if I so choose.

Fail to plan…plan to fail…

A good strategic  plan would be laid as follows:

Bring a base salad to my mom’s house with me. Nothing fancy…just my normal salad base (usually bagged salad 50/50 mix). Make a “saladification” out of what is on the table.  Ingredients as follows:

My salad greens base

Turkey

Cut up baked sweet potatoes

Peas

Pecans

Salad Dressing, any variety, lightly drizzled

As someone who recently  lost 2 dress sizes  in four weeks to fit into smaller clothes,  I would really hate to gain it all back and  have to lose it all over again. Yo Yo, Y’all.

As a certified nutrition consultant and personal trainer, I  know if I want to stay lean, I absolutely HAVE to watch what I eat on T-giving Day, and this saladification is what I’d eat on  a “medium to high”  carb/calories day.

As a mere mortal tethered to the same universal nutrition rules as everyone else, I’ve come to the conclusion that I have two different choices today, The Big Thursday.

1) I will either treat the day like an all out splurge and “go for anything and everything” on the table…I will be the Gobble Gobbler.

or

2) I will saladify the things I CAN eat ,  giving me the flavor of Thanksgiving, without too many calories or carbs.

Both choices have advantages and disadvantages, and though it seems obvious what they are, I’ll share those points now for my own clarity.

Total free-for-all splurging will instantly make me feel great and satisfy my craving to be like the others at my table. I’ll be able to eat and eat and eat food that is sweet. Awesome!…but, then, I’ll feel tired. Then I’ll get the urge to splurge again tomorrow thanks to those pesky after-carb cravings. I will most likely gain a pound (or three) by tomorrow morning.

Eating within the lines via saladifcation will give me the greatest sense of satisfaction that I ate food for fuel and will have the best chance to keep my weight at 136. It’ll give me the sense of satisfaction that I made it through yet another difficult social setting in which I made a good eating decision. But, it’s tough going when everyone around you is eating “normally” for Thanksgiving and you aren’t.

If I absolutely HAD to fit into my clothes next week, I’d make the correct decision, but this Cinderella has no party to attend anytime soon.  I guess my popularity is diminishing…

WHATEVER

…And this juncture is just another test of my willpower to remain BLACK DRESS READY.

Ultimately, TODAY AND EVERY DAY, eating well (or not) is MY choice…and is YOUR CHOICE too.

I’ll be interested to see what my readers chose to do…keep me posted and have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 

 

Dear Peanut Butter,

You are a goober.

I hate you

AND

I love you

With you, I become Passive/Aggressive. It’s totally bizarre.

I regale you because you sooth my soul and make my mouth water.  You fill me up…and are magical. I think about you all the time. Beware!  I don’t admire your salty side.

I reject you because…well, because…I can’t eat just one honest teaspoon.  And, YOU KNOW what I’m talkin’ about.  My teaspoons are beyond heaping…they tend to become one (half jar) per sitting.

I don’t want you in my life.

But there you sit in the fridge and it’s obvious that you are here to stay in my house.   We need a truce.  As I put up my red flag, I say…”what now”?

How about this…every time you come out to play, I find our arbiters:

La tsp and De Knife and ask them to draw a line at how much I can eat.

It’s a Nobel Peace Prize winning type of idea, and I say we try it.

With LOVE,

Laura

PS-My lean jeans send their regards and are breathing a huge sigh of relief at our amicable Treaty of Legume.

Getting Back into the Gym When You Don’t Wanna

We’ve all been there.

We KNOW that we should go to the gym.

We SHOULD only eat healthy foods in moderate portions.

And…

We WANT the results and focus  we’d  get from proper nutrition and exercise.

But…

 we just can’t muster up the strength to get re-started.

How do we defeat this inner conflict?

As I answer this for you, I answer this for me.  Hence, using the pronoun “WE”.

Getting into my clothes for Hollywood was a “fun” challenge.  It was also a relatively short-term challenge (three and  a half weeks.)  Now, it’s time to find the long-term motivator (perhaps a challenge?) that will motivate me to eat well and get back into they gym              NO MATTER WHAT.

I’d like the think that I’m noble enough to say, “I’ll do this to accomplish my mission statement…

To Educate, Inspire and Entertain People

to a Healthier Weight and More Contented Life.

I’ll do this for everyone’s better good.”  But sometimes noble causes shut me down.

I’m sorry that I have to admit this, but I can be shallow at times.  I’m not sure that  my mission is enough to get me fired up in the kitchen or gym.

I’ve slipped back into “old” habits of not writing my food intake in a journal and I’ve been eating outside the lines far more than 10% of the time…especially consuming too much Peanut Butter.  And, last week I dragged myself to the gym and only got 2 strength training workouts done.

Shame on me…but, blessedly, I’m not ashamed.  I’m proud that I’m confronting this and trying to figure out how to get back on track.  My hope is that by figuring this out for me, I can help you.

I figure that it’s like eating the elephant one bite at a time.  I believe that I also need to put my fork and knife down between bites.

Here’s what I’m going to do, and I suggest it to you too:

I’m going to look at today, TODAY ONLY,  and do what needs to be done today only to get to and stay at a healthy weight and fit into my clothes.

I have everything in place that I need to get this done.  I just need to do it.

I have the food journal that absolutely works when used ( You can have it too, if you join us below.)

I have the workout templates and only need to strength train two to three times a week plus do two 22 minute interval cardio routines a week.  (Not a whole lot relative to the 168 hours we have a week.)

I have the desire to help you…and now, I need to commit to it, one day at a time until the eating and exercise routine becomes a habit again.  A lifestyle.

Ultimately, that’s it.  I’ve said it out loud and now these steps are what I’m going to do to re-set/re-aim.

And to think, there’s not even a High School Reunion or even a Plan B Dress Up Gala at the end of this newest journey 😉

laura high school reunion 2014-09-26 nabsa 05502

Instead, I have to lead by example to prove to “US” that it’s possible to take this one day at a time and just check things off your “to do list”-

Complete Food Journal?  Check!

Strength Train?  Check!

Interval Cardio?  Check!

Who needs tomorrow when we can accomplish this today?!?

 

 

 

Three and a Half Weeks…Drum Roll Please!

When the alarm trumpeted on Wednesday morning, September 24th, I was ready!  My clothes were shoehorned into a suitcase and all was well (assuming my plane didn’t crash-yes, I have FOF – fear of flying.)

Although I knew that I had a packed schedule from the minute I arrived in L.A. , I felt  more PREPARED than Ken’s Light Salad Dressing!

I have lots of fun stories to share from Los Angeles (I mean, it’s L.A.- of course it’s gonna have lots of stories) and hopefully some lessons about eating while far away from home and planning ahead.  But, I’ll save those lessons and stories for later this week… in the meantime:

I arrived just before noon and met with the beautiful and talented Book Promoter, Francesca Romero, owner of Authors Realm  which can be found at www.AuthorsRealm.com.  As we dined on salad with protein at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood , we found our stomachs rewarded and our minds refreshed!  We talked for hours about the best way to ensure that

My Mission: To Educate, Entertain and Inspire people to Healthier and More Content Lives 

would be fulfilled.  Options on the table were Wit and Fit™ book promotions and/or promoting  my keynote and wellness seminars .  We determined that speaking to large groups is the best way to achieve my goal of helping others and sharing my belief that everybody can do “it”!  After our meeting, we shot this photo in the first outfit that fit me…jeans and shirt…BOOM!

frans better bighter version

Later that same night, we were welcomed by Celebrity Press for the fifth annual National Academy of Best-Selling Authors.  I wore a never before revealed on LeanDramaQueen  size 4 dress…I bought this the day before I left.  Because my “Plan A” red dress wasn’t going to happen  I’d  been combing the universe for the “Plan B” dress.    While ISO “B”, I had tried  this beautiful  one on in the store , but wanted to purchase it until the day before my trip to make absolutely sure that it fit when I bought it.  After two more strength training workouts, an interval cardio routine and continuing to batten down the nutrition hatches, it did!

Here I am in that dress with with my business family…these people are changing the world with their businesses and I’m blessed to be part of the group!

BSA 2014 Wed 9-25-2014 003

Thursday was game on!  We heard an amazing speech from Peter Diamandis (here’s my Epic Fail Selfie):

BSA Thurs 9-25-14 011

In case you were wondering that’s Nick Nanton, J.W. Dicks and Peter (Ha! As If  “First Name” basis) in the background and my eye and hair in the foreground…but, what’s really cool is the check that they’re holding.  It’s the same check that I’m holding below and it  represents the book sale proceeds that we contributed to the Global Learning X-Prize!  Education is the Key to Prosperity and I’m overjoyed to be part of making Education Better:

2014 9-25-2014  marketer of the year 011

Later that same night, I met with my  good friend, Mojan ,  and  we caught each other up on whatz up in our lives…if you are looking for someone who has the highest work ethic and best organizational and leadership skills -THIS is the gal you want to know!  She’s an actress and has been an assistant director…way cool!  I even received a Mojan 101 Rosetta Stone Twitter Lesson:

( #NoWeHadNotBeenDrinking )

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When the evening came to a close, it was time for the obligatory iPhone photo to show that I can mix and match my newly fitting clothes!

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After  20.275 winks  it was Friday…WOW, what a day!  Lots of awesome presenters teaching us how to be better

ENTREPRENEURS

( #IHaveToRunThatWordThroughSpellCheckEverySingleTime )

The day got off to an Odd Start when the Stitch Witchery I was using wouldn’t stick.  I literally showed up in a room full of incredible business owners with one leg overhemmed (too short) and the other underhemmed (too long).  I decided I would all out Goldilocks it by ripping that tape off…even though I was sitting at the front of the room and everyone could see me.  I honestly believe that

When You’re at the Best Selling Author Summit,    

   Nobody Sees You Unravel !

Summit day two 003Summit day two 004

Didn’t really  matter, since I don’t embarrass easily.  At this juncture, I cull a “teaching point”- I highly recommend that you turn embarrassing moments into an icebreaker.  If  you show others you aren’t afraid to point out your faults, it puts them  at ease right away.  And, I want to point out here that although it may seem like I’m joking, I’m actually being serious about this.

Summit day two 039

Before I knew it the morning had slipped by and it was time for lunch.  I was blessed with a secluded lunch room just waiting for our lunch party to show up.  I dined with an amazing bunch of women who are really changing the world!  Trish McCarty, Esther Hatfield Miller,   Susan Delano Swim (oh, and One Awesome Man…ha!  Rock and Roll Famer Steve McCarty singer, songwriter, rock and roll star!)  I was able to wear this outfit with the back zipped all the way up! I was SO happy in that moment and proud that I stuck to my plan to get these pants to fit.  The Writing of the Food Journal, the 12 Days of Strength Traiing that I did 2 days a week of Interval Cardio Paid DIVIDENDS when I rocked a size two pant with a legendary rocker!  It was extremely rewarding to follow my very own fat loss program and reap the amazing results!

Summit day two 041

 

After wrapping up the summit, it was time to get gussied up for the Golden Gala!  I shimmied into Plan B dress, and the rest of the night was a total blast!  Here are some of my favorite photos of the evening:

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Red Carpet with Mark Victor Hansen of Chicken Soup for the Soul Fame.

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A T-Rex attempts to High Five a Man with Long Levers (henceforth known as L² )

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My Red Carpet Interview with Adam Lewis Walker– I was SO excited to talk to HIM!

and a few more drinks in the Hollywood Roosevelt Ballroom with my good friend and mentor, “Pete”.  This is Coach Peter D’ArrudaTHE Pete that I actually know on a first name basis! (and I believe he’d even let me call him Petey if I wanted to have a nickname for him.)  Cheeky 😉

Summit day two 129

 

and at “end the evening” at Teddy’s Bar (a by invitation only bar  where I saw my boy-crush Adam Levine).  This is what it’s like on Friday night there.

Summit day two 151

What the heretic is happening in the photo above?  Let me tell you that this pose received a lotta laughs and imitations™.  How does something like this happen?  Well, at some point toward the end of the evening I  guess I got shy and  didn’t know how to socialize…that’s when I pretended to be passed out. It may seem like it was too much alcohol…but it wasn’t.  It’s probably because I ate this whole thing earlier in the evening and had some kind of sugar shock coma:

Summit day two 073

In fact, I ate so much of my own,  I had to take this un-retouched photo of the dessert served to the man sitting next to me because mine was gone…”G.O.N.E.”!

Ultimately, the trip,  clothes to be worn and “leaning out” were successful and I feel really good about those successes.

Stay tuned for my next blog where I will fill in the blanks of other lessons learned (eating on the road and getting back on track when returning home)

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