The Secret to my weight Loss!!!!

Many people have asked me, "Alicia, what is your secret, you've lost so much weight so quickly?"  They want to know what it is I'm doing. 

Well, today I'm going to let the cat out of the bag!  Are ya ready?!!!! Here it is....SWEAT Equity and eating right!  There it is!  If you feel let down at this point, I'm so sorry, but it's the truth!  It all started off with me being on the machines outside in my garage.  That's where it started.  I'd do the elliptical bike, followed by the tread mill, then I'd move onto the weight machine and do about 10 lifts with my legs.  Yep, that was how I started. 

Then I decided one morning that I just wasn't getting enough results.  So, I looked on my tablet for workouts and downloaded an app called Skimble.  It's free.  I just began to do some workouts and didn't pay attention that some of them were tailored toward weight loss.  I just discovered that 2 weeks ago.  Yep, I guess I"m slow like that!  So, now I've been doing the workouts in my living room.  It wasn't long and the weight really started to come off.  To date, I've lost  14 pounds.  I"m down 4 pants sizes and here's the real big secret...I"M NOT DONE YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now you might be curious as to how much more weight I desire to loose.  Well, if the Lord sees fit, I would like to loose another 20 lbs then I"m done.  I"ll just maintain that.  Honestly, I've felt better than I have in a long time.  I've given up soda, potato chips, and the new things to continue to work on giving up are bad starches.  It isn't easy, but I will conquer that too with God's help.

This whole weight loss journey is fun.  Now is it fun everyday?!  No, like this morning for example.  Last night my hubby took me out to eat chinese food.  I just can't eat junk any more.  It makes me feel horrible.  Also, I hadn't worked out in 3 days.  Yep.  So, I made those decisions so this morning when I was working out I felt like I had just begun all over again. 

Each day, I wake up and make a decision to watch what I eat, and to work out.  Easy?!!! Not always, but it's worth it.  God wants me to take care of this body and I intend on doing that! 

I want to encourage anybody reading this blog today that if you're thinking about starting a weight loss journey, DON'T WAIT UNTIL JANUARY 1.  It's way too easy to procrastinate.  Start now....I"m rooting for ya!

Blessings,
Alicia Roark

PAYING A PRICE TO BE FIT!

We've all heard the saying no pain no gain right?!!!  Well, that's true, especially as it relates to weight loss!  You can't expect to go the easy way out and get results.  Every time I work out I feel the pain, the burn, the pull on my body and muscles!  All that pain is telling me that I will get the results I want!

If you're interested in what I"m doing I'm using an app called workout trainer from my Asus Transformer tablet!  I do one of those routines (and there are plenty to choose from) every other day.  The other days I"m outside on the gym equipment in my garage.  Now lately I've been giving my body two days rest.  That's about to change.  I'm about to change it to one.  That means I'll be working out 6 days a week.  I started out doing that then I started to go to 5.  I'm at a point where I feel it's necessary to work out 6 days.  I have a goal I would like to reach.  Here's the link www.skimble.com

Another thing I've been doing over the past 11 weeks is paying a price on what I eat!  I've given up potato chips, I do not drink soda.  Now I've gone out to eat a couple of times and left feeling awful.  When I do eat out I eat very healthy.  I"m cognizant of what I put in my mouth most days!  It doesn't mean I don't fall into tempation.  I"m human. 

If anybody is living proof that you can do something it's me.  I've dropped 10 lbs so far and I feel great!  My goal is to drop another 15 to 20.  It will require sacrifice, determination, discipline and as always paying a price!  I am willing!  I made my mother the promise to do this and I WILL NOT BACK DOWN.  Also, I have a few other people who inspire me.  Soon I will be putting the 4 pictures of the people who inspire me on my wall so I can see them every day!  They are people who are godly, classy, and they tell me the truth whether or not I want to hear it!  I'll call it my wall of inspiration.

Today I'd like to challenge you, if you're on a journey to loosing weight and getting in shape...Be willing to pay the price because it is so worth it!

Have an awesome day! 

Blessings,
Alicia Roark

Success! It's your for the taking!!!

It's Monday morning and I'm sitting in my office chair cooling down from this morning's workout!  I'll have to admit that I was scared, skeptical, and just being wimpy about getting on the scale this morning.  Sean, my hubby said, "Don't let the scale scare ya, let it motivate ya."  I knew that there were 3 days last week that I didn't exercise due to my grueling schedule.  Also, I'd made a poor choice or two that I was sure was going to come back and haunt me.

So...I stepped on the scale and.....TWO MORE LBS LOST!  GLory to God!  Yes, I mean that!  Glory to God!  I will give God credit in this because He's what I"m all about anyways.  So Praise God!  I"m the smallest I've been in about 8 years and let me tell ya'll.  I FEEL AMAZING!  I feel more BEAUTIFUL than I have ever felt in my life!  It almost brings me to tears.  I can look at myself in the mirror these days and smile and know that all is well.

Mom would be proud I know.  Also, I have a young woman who has also inspired me.  She's my spiritual mentor.  If I had to speak to her out loud and tell her what she meant to me I'd be a bawling mess.  Her name is Sharon Thomas, President and Founder of Established Footsteps.  She's spoken truth into my life, and encouraged me to get out there and get in shape and if for no other reason, to do it for God's Glory.  I actually got to sit under her teaching of God's Word this weekend and had a blast! 

Success...Where is it coming from?!!!  I can tell you...It first comes from a choice to get up right after Bible reading and prayer and putting on those exercise clothes and hitting the machines whether I want to or not.  Success!  It's yours for the taking!  The first thing you must do is DECIDE to begin and get out there! 

I did and...I"M NINE LBS lighter because of it!!!!!!!!!  The pcture below is Sharon Thomas, my spirtual mentor!

Moved to tears,

Alicia

Put Down the Junk and Your body doesn't get hurt!

If you didn't know I work for Best Buy.  I work up front where the registers are!  Also up front are the snacks, and cokes (in Louisiana, every carbonated drink is a coke no matter what flavor!). 

They have the audacity to sit up there with their pretty little packages and over-sized fonts and call out my name REAL LOUD during the hours of 10-12 normally when I open!  Their voices are annoying...the Nacho Doritos call...Aliicia.....I know I look pretty in my red little bag.  I've miss you Alicia...Just one bag won't hurt you.  Can we be friends again?!!!  Friend  a Dorito girlfriend!!!  That's not the half of it...

THEN the Hersheys with Almond bars have to start sqwaking real loud at me.  I hear them even in the midst of the transaction with my customers!  Chocolate is SEXIER....I have nuts those doritos just have plain orange cheese powder!  I have extreme crunch and remember...I am your favorite candy bar...oh wait I used to be...ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIICIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAA......

All day long temptation is around me.  I have a choice.   Will I give in?!!!  ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!  I hear their cries from the shelves and my stomach is about 10 times that loud.  It says, EXCUSE ME...DO YOU NOT HEAR ME GRUMBLING DOWN HERE?  Here's your sign woman...I NEED SNACKS NOW give me some!  So...I oblige the stomach with....WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  HEHEHE!  It doesn't like it some days but I am the one in charge of this body after God and I will continue to treat it right.

I'm only on week 5 but I'm feeling great! Tempation is always high, but I am kicking temptation's backside one day at a time!  Guess what?!!! I feel GREAT too!

Onward,
Alicia

An update....Time to step it up a notch or two!

Hey guys!  Just a real quick update on where I am in my weight loss journey!  I hopped on the scale this morning and saw that I neither gained nor lost any weight!  That's great news right?!!! Well, it is, but it also means I must step it up a notch to keep the momentum going!

Last week I ate a couple of things that probably didn't help me.  So, this week I will be very disciplined about what I put in my body.  My regimen will change!  My body might be getting used to the regimen so I must continually tweak and peek it to see what works and what doesn't!  The important part is that I'm doing something!

A new food item I tried last week was Jicama.  It's sweet in it's taste.  I cut it up into fries and dipped it in crushed up garlic crouton crumbs.  Pretty good!  Will I eat it again?!!!  Maybe, but the sweetness made me think it's really full of sugar and possibly not so good for me.  I'll do more homework on Jicama soon!

I want to encourage you today that if you're on a weight loss journey to just keep going.  Do not let what the scale reads altar your attitude negatively.  Take it on as a challenge and get out there and kick it up a notch or two!

Have a nice day!  ONWARD!!!!!!!

Alicia :)

DECISION TIME!!!!!!!!

It's Monday and I couldn't be more thrilled!  It's the start of a new week with great potential ahead!  During each week there are 7 days.  During this time frame I have to make decisions on my weight loss.  The biggest one happens to be:  Do I buy that junk screaming at me from my front lanes or do I ignore it and choose to drink water and eat something healthier from home?!!!  I've been ignoring those voices this past week and to my grand surprise I lost 2 lbs!!!! SQUEALLLLLLLLLL!

Another thing that I find is tough is that the beginning of the week is your day to decide to get off my butt and go do my 45 minute exercise routine or to give the same lame excuse...I"m too tired.  WEll, guess what?!!!  This chick kicked the excuse in the backside and gave my 45 minute workout a run for it's money today!

Decisions.  They are where we start on any journey!  We decide to either start or not start something.  Overall no matter what you decide the choice is yours.  I"m here to tell you that yes you can do this!  It's only the first week with a coach!

I met my Wellness coach over the phone today!  A great conversation!  I've agreed to no longer eat any more potato chips, eat less simple starches ( potatoes, chips, crackers, white rice) and learn to eat more whole grain rice and pastas.  I've decided!  What about you?!!

Have an awesome day and remember you hold the key to making life changing decisions, all you have to do is DECIDE and NEVER turn back!

Regards,
Alicia

My inspiration behind loosing weight!

Hi!  My name is Alicia and I"m on a journey to loose weight.  My story begins in tragedy.  You see my precious mother who raised 72 foster kids (including me) died on Februry 20th.  It has left me heart broken yet inspired.  She was my last living parent. 

I made her a promise that I would start taking better care of myself.  So, I'm on a journey to loose some weight.  I am determined that this tragedy will lead to triumph!

You're invited to follow this blog.  I'll leave recipes, inspirational thoughts, as well as progress!  Come along and watch as God helps me turn tragedy into triumph!