Lana Lawrence

We all have the power to improve what we don’t like in our life. Instead of sitting back and WAITING for things to change…or WISHING for them to change-go out there and make it happen. Nothing is going to fall in your lap… it’s up to YOU!!

I learned a long time ago that fitness was something that I loved.  I enjoyed getting outside and running and getting the fresh air on my face.  I loved hearing my kids laugh and shout out “Go Mama Go!” as I raced down a huge hill.  There’s something about the simple joys in life that kept me coming back each day for more.
Figure out what you love and do that more. Spend time with people who uplift you and encourage you to be better and avoid people who don’t have your best interest. Take classes, read books, get outside, travel, spend more time at the beach, go to the mountains, sit at the park, etc. Whatever makes you happy and healthy DO IT MORE!! You DESERVE to have everything you ever wanted- now go out today and make it happen

I was doing the same routine everyday and eventually I started to become a negative person. I would wake up, take care of the kids, make food, clean the house and go to bed and the next day do it all over again. I started to get mad over little things and found myself not fun to be around. It was like I was bored and deep down not happy with myself or my current situation.  But how could I not be happy when I had had everything I’ve always wanted? I knew I had to do something about it- do something different, experience new things and get away from being a negative person with a short temper.

I was able to do that when I got completely out of my comfort zone and allowed myself to try new things. I never knew I enjoyed so many different kinds of food, I never knew I enjoyed working out as much as I did, I never knew I was capable of pushing myself so hard that I even surprised my husband, I never knew I was capable of inspiring someone else, I never knew I was motivating someone, I never knew how much I could really enjoy life.

And all it took was for me trying something new.

What has coaching done for me? 

— KEPT ME ACCOUNTABLE- I was not at my goal weight when I started coaching. In fact, I had a lot to learn and a lot of work ahead of me, but that didn’t steer me away from landing my dream job. Coaching allowed me to reach my goal a lot faster than if I would have done it alone because I thought, ‘If I can’t do it, how can I expect anyone else to do it.’

–PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY- Since I started, Kenny lost his company car due to a promotion. At first we were a little nervous because we needed a new car and we all know what happens when you buy a new car- down payment, insurance, etc. But, coaching has allowed us to add a new car payment, gas and car services into our family budget.

Have you ever found yourself saying- My diet starts next week… or once I eat the potato chips then I will start….or I can’t workout out today because I don’t have (time/energy/right shoes/clothes etc)? Of course you have. 

I totally have!!! 🙊 I used to say, “I don’t want the food to go to waste so once I eat all the cookies, chips then I’ll totally get back in track.” Did that work for me? HELL NO- because this was just a fancier excuse to use. My excuse in the beginning was always “I don’t have time.” Now it was. “I WANT to do it BUT I need all the CRAP food in the house to be gone first.” So lame!!! 

::Focus on TODAY!!! Today is the day to make everything right….it doesn’t matter what’s in the fridge, what you’re wearing or if you have the right equipment. JUST START TODAY and GET MOVING!

 

Comparisons are unfair because we put the focus on what we think is the worst of us and what the best is for someone else. When we’re struggling we tend to usually focus on the negative- weight not dropping off fast enough, struggling with snacking or cheat meals, taking breaks during the workouts, etc. We never look at our progress, and remind ourselves of how far we’ve come. We want to see instant results and when we don’t see it, we compare ourselves to others and that only wastes our time.  You are the only in control of your life and when you spend time comparing yourself to others, you’re not living your own.

YOU are on your own path. It doesn’t matter how fast everyone else is running, or how many reps they can do at a higher weight, or that they’ve lost more weight than YOU. That stuff is meaningless. The only thing YOU need to focus on is being better today than YOU were yesterday!

 

It’s ok to fail because that means you’re trying. Shit, it took me 10 years to get through college. Yup 10 years….and no I didn’t take a year off to travel or anything like that. I failed a few classes, was put on academic probation and was eventually kicked out of school. It’s not that I was kicking back and not doing anything. I was going to class, completing the homework, attending office hours, talking to the Dean of Students, etc. But, no matter how hard I tried, I could complete the classes….I couldn’t make it.

After I got kicked out (cried about it and got drunk), I applied to a new school and was accepted. They saw my struggles, they saw passion, and they saw my desire to not give up and took a chance on me. One year later I graduated with a degree in FINANCE!!! I could’ve sat back and said-It’s too hard, I can’t do that”, or even….”I’m too embarrassed to try again” But I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I was going after what I wanted- my degree and nothing in the world was going to stop me. And I’m so glad I did because there’s no better feeling than knowing “I didn’t quit!!!”

About 6 years ago I had gained weight and was at my heaviest.  It came on very slowly…almost like I woke up one morning and nothing seemed to fit, I didn’t like my reflection and I didn’t know what to do.  I was angry with myself because I allowed myself to “let go”.  I didn’t know where to start, or how to start but I hated how I felt.  Some days I wouldn’t even bother to button my jeans because they were so tight.  I wore sweatshirts to hide my muffin tops and to hide the fact that my shirts and pants didn’t fit.

I realized it was time to start to eat healthy….but had no clue what that really meant.  I thought being healthy was eating meals at home.  I continued to make casseroles, drink soda and on Friday nights I would eat an entire bag of buttery popcorn while I watched my shows.  I didn’t know what to do….yet I would still say, “Let’s get pizza tonight” Anyway, I started to bring my lunch to work because in my mind I was trying to eat healthy and if I wasn’t spending money in the cafeteria… I was healthy.  One day at lunch I opened my sandwich bag filled with cookies and as I started to eat I heard, “Geez Lana!! How many cookies are you eating?!”  This girl yelled it in such a way that the entire table heard her and I felt mortified.  I knew eating cookies weren’t going to help me lose weight and I was totally embarrassed that she called me out. Her making fun of me in front of others did NOT motivate me to lose weight, or eat healthy.  All this did was make me feel worse about myself and it made me want to hide.

As a coach, I NEVER want to make anyone feel the way this girl made me feel.  It’s not easy to be in a place in your life where you’re not happy yourself and feel depressed.  My goal is to stand behind each challenger and help move them in the right direction.  Making fun of someone or laughing at them won’t accomplish anything, and it can actually make their current situation worse.

It’s the holiday weekend and it’s the easiest time to get off track of your meal plan and diet.  You’re invited to a party where you know there will be AMAZING snacks and drinks and you’re feeling nervous about being around temptation, right?  Do not stress, follow these simple tips:

#1- Eat before you go!  If you eat before you go, you won’t be as hungry and you’ll be less likely to hang out around the table full of food.

#2- Bring a healthy snack to share.  You can’t control what the host is going to make, but you can control what you’re going to eat.  Bring a healthy dish to share so that you can stay on top of your game.  A veggie tray or fruit platter is easy to fix up and it’s always a crowd favorite.

#3- Avoid alcohol.  I know this is a hard one, but avoid it as much as possible.  Alcohol has a lot of sugar- which can leads to diabetes and obesity.  If you have a hard time avoiding it all together, try limiting your drinks.  If you normally consume 4 drinks during a party, limit yourself to 1 or 2.  Check out these drinks- under 200 calories and full of flavor!

No longer will I:
✔ Need to lose the last 10 pounds
✔Feel uncomfortable in my own skin
✔Hate my clothes because nothing fits right
✔Continue to wear my maternity clothes because I can’t fit into anything else
✔Avoid going to social events because I want to hide.
✔Feel so exhausted that it’s a struggle just to make it through the day.

It’s not always easy to show up each morning and bust my ass when I could be doing something else. I show up because I make it a priority. It’s a priority of mine to get healthy, fit, and strong, so that I can take care of my family. At first I did this for me, but now I do it for all the other women out there. I want to show them that it’s not too late to get started and to follow their dreams. It’s not too late to get into the best shape of your life.  It’s not too late to start changing your diet and eating healthy and clean.  It’s not too late too take your love for fitness and turn it into a career. It’ never too late to start!!!

Do you need fancy clothes that cost an arm and a leg?  Do you need to go out and buy the latest equipment in order to see results? Nope. I’ve gotten my best results from only using my body weight with programs like Insanity Max: 30 & TurboFire, and clothes I purchased from Walmart & Target.  I don’t need much in order to workout- I just need to bring a positive attitude.  I’ve had those days where I’m not feeling it- I’m tired, or the kids just woke up or there are too many things I need to do.  But instead of focusing my energy on that, I turn it into something positive.

• I’m tired, but after this workout I’ll have more energy
• Since the kids just woke up from their nap, I’ll have them join me (maybe the workout won’t be as intense as doing it alone, but everyone can have a little fun)
• I have too many things to do today, so I better better stop procrastinating and get my workout started.
• I have too many things to do so it’s best to pick a shorter workout for today.

I started a TurboFire about 2 months ago and was completely overwhelmed.  I felt lost, and frustrated that I was always 3-5 steps behind Chalene, plus irritated that all the people in the video looked like they were having a blast and there I was looking like an idiot.  I had the chance to turn it off.. return it…or let it sit on the shelf wasting space… But, instead I said, “I WILL GET THIS” Each day I stuck with the program and kept learning.  It took me a good week to get familiar with it, but I GOT IT.  My results came, because my attitude changed. A positive attitude can change EVERYTHING.  

If I go into a routine thinking, ‘I’m too tired’ or ‘This is too hard’ or even ‘I don’t have time for this’ My workout is going to suck and I’m going to hate every minute of it.  There are times when I’m not feeling the workout, I have other things on my mind, or other things I need to get done, the kids just woke up, etc  But for the 25-45 minutes, if I can stay positive, I know that my workout will be amazing.  I might be 3 steps behind the instructor, but I’ll say- I’m still doing it…I’m still in this- Instead of, I can’t. I’m too slow and everyone else is so fast.

(Picture on the right is from TurboFire)