Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

  Ensuring that you have proper techinique when executing exercises will help you avoid common injuries that might derail your workout efforts.  Coach Rae demonstrates how to avoid injury when executing a common exercise that people often complain about.

   

I shared these pictures at an event I spoke at over the weekend.  I had a lady come up to me after the event and tell me that she had all but given up hope that she could lose the weight. She looked at me with an almost hopeless look and started to ask me, “Is it really possible?� Then she said, well, I looked at your before and after picture, and I see you now and I guess it really is possible."I was the same way; I had given up hope and resolved myself to just be a “big girl�.  The thought of starting that weight loss journey again was so unappealing, and it seemed like such an impossible task.  On top of that, I was terrified to try again, because if I failed yet again, I would end up gaining more weight and I was seriously afraid that process would continue until I reached 300 pounds.Well, I share this today for those that are like me or the lady that I spoke with.  If you feel it is impossible, too hard, never going to happen for you, I want you to know that IT IS POSSIBLE!!!I want to give you some tips to help you start and stick to your weight loss journey.1. Start with a Made up mindYour battle is either won or lost in your mind first.  When you have made a mental commitment to improve your health and your appearance, then you have taken the first crucial step.  There must be a resolve so great in your mind that there is no doubt that you will succeed in your goal.  You must be unwavering in your resolve and put the necessary action in place to ensure your success.  Once that commitment switch is flipped, you are well on your way to a successful journey.2. Resist temptationIf you are not supposed to eat until a certain time, or you are only supposed to eat a certain thing, but you find yourself attacked by a craving, here are some ways that you can fight back:Set yourself up for successEnsure that you have the right types of food/snacks handy and ready to eat.  If you are craving a treat that you know is a “no no� on your eating plan, and then trade it out for a healthier version or alternative.Capture Your ThoughtsIf you have a thought of a food that will derail your eating regimen, then you must literally see yourself pulling that thought down out of your mind, and crushing it with your feet.  You have to refuse it and tell it that you will not be a slave to it any longer.  After doing this over time, you will find the cravings coming fewer and fewer, if you stick to it and don’t give in.Suppress the CravingApple Cider vinegar has been shown to be a natural appetite suppressant.  Personally, I add it to my green tea and drink it throughout the day.  I found that when I drink it when I start to feel hungry before my scheduled time to eat again, it actually curbs my appetite.  I will be doing a post on my Health Drink which features Organic Apple Cider Vinegar as an ingredient this week, so be sure to check back.Remember Why You StartedGo back and look at your “before� picture.  Remember how you felt in that picture and all the reasons you came up to start your weight loss journey.  Are those reasons still valid?  If so, then why would you ever go back to who you used to be and how you used to eat?  Is this momentary pleasure worth the guilt, shame and disappointment you will feel when it’s over?  NO, it’s not!  Walk away, drink a glass of water, go for a walk, do ANYTHING else but give into this craving.  Do not rationalize that you will work it off later, because weight loss is 80% nutrition + 20% exercise.  You will have to put in double the effort to work this off and to work yourself into a calorie deficit because of this one momentary pleasure.  Go back and repeat steps 2 & 3 and stay on your journey!3.  Think "Marathon"...not "Sprint"While on your journey, you will have to develop a new mindset if you want to keep off the weight and not end up back where you started.  A "Diet Mentality" sets you up for failure because it puts you in a temporary mindset, and the entire time, you will be thinking, "Once I am off the diet, I will eat..."  This has to be a life long commitment in order to keep the weight off.  "Lifestyle change" says that you will be making these changes for the long haul, and this will become your way of life.  That's why it's important to prepare yourself mentally for a marathon, not a sprint.  The weight didn't come on over night, and it will not come off overnight, and in order for it not to come back at all, you have to begin training yourself how to relate to food and exercise in a different manner.  That is why it is education and your food planning choices are so important.  I do not refer to my food plan as a "diet", I call it an "eating regimen" because I don't even want to have the word diet in my mental space.If you've thought that embarking upon a weight loss journey was too daunting of a task, I want you to know that if I can do it...ANYBODY can do it!!!  I was a slave to food and my appetite and was driven by every craving, but I have been able to break those chains of bondage through God's help and direction, and I want you to know that you can do it too!You can find these and other crucial elements to a successful weight loss journey in my book, “Keys to Weight Loss Success: Make THIS Time THE Time You Reach Your Weight Loss Goals�.  You may find out more information by visiting , or you can pick up a copy this weekend at the Fitness Finesse w/Rae CAFFE (Clothing Attire Faith & Fitness Exchange) where you will receive more motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for your journey.  It’s on April 18th from 12-3pm!  Visit ourfor more information You will be inspired for your journey, you will be able to get advice and ask questions not only from me, but from others that are on succeeding on their journey as well.  You will also receive styling advice from a Style Coach as you shop for some new clothes to enhance your wardrobe, and get a mini fitness session to jump start your journey.

  I shared these pictures at an event I spoke at over the weekend.  I had a lady come up to me after the event and tell me that she had all but given up hope that she could lose the weight. She looked at me with an almost hopeless look and started to ask me, “Is it really possible?� Then she said, well, I looked at your before and after picture, and I see you now and I guess it really is possible."   I was the same way; I had given up hope and resolved myself to just be a “big girl�.  The

Cardio, Strength Training, Toning...we did it ALL! We had a workout with James Vernetta to give them a taste of our regular workout routine, and share some tips and advice with them about team work, support and accountability. How did they fare? You'll just have to check out the video to see!

Cardio, Strength Training, Toning...we did it ALL!  We had a workout with James & Vernetta to give them a taste of our regular workout routine, and share some tips and advice with them about team work, support and accountability.  How did they fare?  You'll just have to check out the video to see!

Rae takes you into her workout today as she demonstrates her toning workout with resistance bands. She places the bands on her ankles and walks the length of the gym down and back for 1 count, and does this for 10 sets. However, today she and her hubby added a little extra to the workout to reach different muscles. Check it out!

Rae takes you into her workout today as she demonstrates her toning workout with resistance bands.  She places the bands on her ankles and walks the length of the gym down and back for 1 count, and does this for 10 sets.  However, today she and her hubby added a little extra to the workout to reach different muscles.  Check it out!

I just did a health/wellness presentation last night for a local church’s women’s ministry fellowship. In preparing the presentation, I included my recent dining choices at KFC after church for the past 2 weeks. I shared that the first week, my meal choice was 2 pieces of grilled chicken, green beans, corn niblets and a biscuit. The next week, due to a grilled chicken debacle at Farm Fresh, we went back to KFC again. My intentions that day were to get grilled chicken, however, while standing

I just did a health/wellness presentation last night for a local church’s women’s ministry fellowship.  In preparing the presentation, I included my recent dining choices at KFC after church for the past 2 weeks.  I shared that the first week, my meal choice was 2 pieces of grilled chicken, green beans, corn niblets and a biscuit.  The next week, due to a grilled chicken debacle at Farm Fresh, we went back to KFC again.  My intentions that day were to get grilled chicken, however, while standing the a line that wrapped around the deli counter waiting on chicken, the smell of fried chicken kept wafting in my nostrils.  By the time we finally got up to the counter, we sound mounds of fried chicken being boxed up for orders that were coming to pick them up.  After being told that it would take 20 minutes for the grilled chicken to be ready, we left there- frustrated and even hungrier-headed for KFC. By the time we arrived, I had visions of fried chicken dancing in my head.  I caved and gave in to the temptation and ordered a 3 piece fried and a biscuit.  To make matters worse, even after specifying that I wanted crispy twice, the guy gave me original-which probably would’ve saved me some calories-but I HAD to have fried.  I made my husband turn the car around to go back and get my crispy.  Hmmm…maybe God was providing me a “way of escape�, but I was determined to go down that path and yield to that temptation.So, as I indulged my appetite in the craving, I was only eat the 2 thighs and the biscuit because I was full.  Now, I was full for the rest of the day, but I felt nauseous later on that evening. I even had to go for a walk to try and balance out some of those calories, I felt too guilty just to sit on those! After practically eliminting fried foods from my diet altogether, not only did I pay for that indulgence with an upset stomach, when I did my weigh in on Wednesday, I had gained .4 ounces.  Now, that may not seem like a lot, but my goal in this 8 month challenge is to lose 1-2 pounds each week, so a gain does not contribute to that goal.  I entered my meal into my Spark People meal tracker, however the numbers were not accurate when I compared it to the KFC website.  Here’s my meal comparison:That meal was good for the moment, but it brought too many negative consequences with it.  I vowed to not eat that again and stick with the grilled option from now on! Besides, their grilled chicken is delicious!So today, as I was eating my Lean Cuisine Pizza, I thought about the pizza we had consumed about a week prior after a long day in the studio taping my webshow, “Empowered for Purpose�.  We were exhausted, drained and just wanted to grab something quick to eat.  We stopped at Pizza Hut and got one of their specials.  My husband’s favorite pizza has always been a BBQ Meatlover’s Pizza.  In his “Pre-weight loss� days, he could’ve easily eaten a large one by himself.  So, I wanted to check out the nutrition facts on it.  The information provided is directly from their website as well:Do you see that???  Over 7,000 calories for a Medium pizza!!!  At 942.7 calories per slice, I would normally average around 3-4 slices.  That’s 2821-3770 calories for my portion!  That surpasses my 1630 daily TOTAL calorie count by a significant margin!!!  So, no more ridiculous calorie pizzas for me!  I’ll stick to my Lean Cuisine pizza that only has 350 calories and that satisfy that “pizza craving�.My purpose for sharing this post is to bring awareness to you so that you will think more carefully when making your dining choices.  You, like I, may not be aware of the exorbitant amount of calories that some of our favorite foods contain, and I want you to think before you buy when you grab something.  Obesity-related diseseas are a leading cause of death in our country, and it's totally avoidable.  We have to make smarter choices for us and our families.I get it!  Committing and sticking to an weight loss journey is not an easy thing to do.  I know first hand.  I have successfully lost and kept of 42 pounds and I am still forging ahead on my journey to lose another 40 more.  This is the first time I have stuck with my journey and I am proud and excited to have come so far.  My story is inspiring others to lose weight as well.  So, If you're ready to get startd on your journey, but need a little support and accountability,  I invite you to join the Fitness Finesse w/Rae Accountability Group on Facebook if you need support, motivation and accountability in your journey.Also, my new book, “Keys to Weight Loss Success:  Make THIS Time THE Time You Reach Your Goals� will be released soon!  I’m so excited!  It’s all of the keys that have been instrumental in my weight loss success laid out in the book, along with a journal to record your experience and/or goals based on the Key I share.  It also has some great tips and tools in there as well, so be sure to check at for the release date and pre-order info!