Motivation on Crack

Our Thanksgiving holiday is now over (though the thankfulness continues) so what are you going to do to get back on track with things both mentally and physically?

Well for one, you can start by looking at this picture.  

Click image to enlarge.

Not too easy to take in now is it?  To see the number of physical and mental health problems that come hand-in-hand with obesity saddens me, all the while I know that some people will look at this and will be shocked but then won't do anything about these exact problems of theirs.  And that denial saddens me even more.

Seriously, if this picture doesn't do anything for you then I don't know what to say.  This should be beyond motivation, this should be motivation on crack.

#SERIOUSLY.

Thanksgiving Weekend

I am thankful for spending quality time with my family.
I am thankful for having some more time with my sick grandparents.
I am thankful for being so very loved by everyone.
I am thankful for delicious Vietnamese and American food.
I am thankful for my second home in Delaware.
I am thankful for outlet shopping in a tax-free state.
I am thankful for my lil munchkin dog, Moki.
I am thankful for being healthy and happy.
I am just thankful.

This is one of the many pics taken this past Thursday.

From L to R :: Me, Mammy, Grandma, Aunty Van, Uncle Quang

#WhatAreYouThankfulFor?

10 Thanksgiving Quotes to Celebrate The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

I found this great article by Noel Jameson and decided to share it with you all on this day of giving Thanks.  I hope you find that some these quotes touch you just as they did me.  

From my heart to yours, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

*****

Ready for some Thanksgiving quotes? I don't mean the "I'm thankful for my Nintendo Wii" or the "I'm thankful for my new car" quotes that we hear all too often lately. I mean some real Thanksgiving quotes that remind us of what we really have to be thankful for. Here are 10 Thanksgiving quotes to celebrate and ponder.

1. "The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving." ~ H.U. Westermayer

2. "Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow." ~ Edward Sandford Martin

3. "There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American." ~ O. Henry

4. "You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled." ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

5. "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

6. "We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction." ~ Harry A. Ironside

7. "It must be an odd feeling to be thankful to nobody in particular. Christians in public institutions often see this odd thing happening on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone in the institution seems to be thankful 'in general.' It's very strange. It's a little like being married in general." ~ Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

8. "It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast." ~ W. J. Cameron

9. "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others." ~ Cicero

10. "Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men, but be careful that you do not take the day and leave out the gratitude." ~ E.P. Powell

This Thanksgiving Day, let's remember what we truly have to be thankful for. Let's take a good, hard look around us and realize that while we may not have everything we want, what we want is not always what we need. Let these ten Thanksgiving quotes remind you of the true meaning of this great American holiday as you celebrate with friends and family.

*****

Food For Thought

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and boy do I have a lot to be thankful for!  I have gained so much this year, and by that I mean I've gained some really great new friends, some exciting experiences and plenty of loving memories.  I'm even thankful for certain painful situations that I had to endure to make me stronger than last year.  It ain't sweet without the sour.

Can you think of some things that you have gained?  Even if it's gaining some weight, that's still something to be positive about!  Why?  Because it's not too late to start turning 2011 around. Use Thanksgiving as a wake up call and be thankful for being alive.  If you have any kids, parents, friends, goals or dreams to be thankful for then take this as your opportune time to extend your life and good times.  If you love the holidays then stick around for more!

It is said that the average American consumes about 5000 calories, if not more, on Thanksgiving day.  In case you don't realize the gravity of that statistic, it means that the average American eats about 2 to 3 whole days worth of food in just 1 day, depending on your size and daily caloric intake.

Dude.  That's gross.

Fat Bastard from the movie Austin Powers

Despite the fact that we are officially in holiday-mode there are things that we can do to stay true to our goals.  For one, if you've been preparing your body for some big time eating then you're already ahead of the game.  The best way to do so is to gear up your metabolism by pushing harder and longer in your workouts, or you could get crazy and do some double-workouts.  Of course by now you only have a day to work your butt off but it is better than nothing.  Be brave and workout tomorrow morning before the cooking and feasting begins and mentally prepare yourself to workout really hard on Friday.  Don't stop your healthy routines just because it's the holidays.  Now is the time to test your goals and wishes.  How badly do you really want it??

Some pointers that may help you get by tomorrow without feeling too guilty ::
- Workout first thing in the morning
- Set your mentality right by eating a healthy breakfast
- Eat several small portioned meals throughout the day and night
- Drink plenty of water
- Limit your alcohol consumption
- Take it easy on the gravy, fried foods and whipped cream
- Don't be sluggish and sit around all day, stand up and keep moving

My dear friend and success buddy, Jon Ces, was saying just yesterday that it is important to remember that Thanksgiving is about spending quality time with family, not spending quality time eating.  The feasting is a privilege or a bonus, if you will, so treat it as such.  BE IN THE MOMENT and enjoy your time with your friends and family because it's all about them.

Tuesday Coaching

Dalai Lama put it in simple terms for you.  "The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your action will be."  What exactly does this mean?  It means you need to learn to LOVE -- love your family, love your friends, love your body, love your future, love YOURSELF.

It is only until you truly love something or someone that you feel motivated to take action.  It is one thing to think, but it is another to act.  The more you genuinely feel love, the more free you'll feel to act upon that love.  Stop hesitating to do what you love, to talk to someone you love, to follow the many passions that you love.

I believe that love conquers all.  Love conquers hate and love conquers fear.  Love conquers loneliness and love conquers sadness.  Love conquers fatigue and love conquers evil.

Put aside all of your excuses and find something to love about yourself.  You deserve to be loved so treat yourself with love -- take care of your mind, body and soul.  It begins with YOU because if you don't love yourself then who will?  Likewise, if you don't take care of your health, then who will?

I know that's a lot of the word "love" but it is so much more than a word.  It is the most powerful feeling in the world because love can change anything and anyone.  Believe it.

Motivated Mondays

What inspires you?  What motivates you?  What gets you going?  

Today's the beginning of a new week so take the time to sit down (because some people obviously surf the web while standing haha) and write out some of your goals.  

What is your goal for today?  What is your goal for this week?  Keep them realistic and achievable but push yourself to accomplish all of those goals.  Checklists are the best way to keep track of your progress.

Be creative with how you keep yourself focused and be sure you're ALWAYS moving in the direction that you want.  Remember, you are never standing still -- you are either moving towards your goals or away from them.

Monthly Workout/Cookout Event

[[ I know I've mentioned this event before but I never really got into detail of what it is and how it became to be. ]]

It all started in September 2009 when a group of friends got together and decided to have a monthly beast workout followed by a healthy potluck lunch.  The workout would be led by one person and the rest of the group would follow.  It would be the hardest one hour of your life but it would be quite the accomplishment once it was over.  As of today, the group consists of Beachbody Coaches, fitness junkies, friends and strangers alike.  It is open to everyone of all ages and fitness levels and it is absolutely free.  

I was blessed to have been invited in January 2010 to their 5th workout/cookout event and have since been great friends with everyone.  It was actually this very day, on January 16, that I turned my health around completely!  Little did I know I would end up meeting the best support group who not only holds me accountable to my fitness goals, but who motivates and inspires me to be the best version of myself.  These friends have now become family and I couldn't be more thankful!

Last weekend marked our 27th monthly workout/cookout! The format of our workouts this past year have varied and have been led by different people in order to keep things fun and exciting.  This time around we had 5 stations in which we pushed ourselves to our personal limits with each individual exercise in that round.  We went through the stations two whole times before taking a minute break, then we started a new round of moves.  I believe we ended up going through 4 or 5 different rounds before the final push, which was a repeat of every round one time without stopping.  All I could say was, "oww", but the feeling of getting through the workout felt absolutely amazing.

Although our group this month was unusually small because a few of us were out of town or moved to California (ahem, Kim and Derek!) we had a blast!  We also had Candice and Marie from NJ/NY visiting for the weekend so that was a special treat.  

Here are some pics to capture the event ::

The Ladies before working out

In line for the first move

Everyone working out in their own stations

Me in action -- high knees!

Pushing each other throughout each round

This is a cool shot with my legs in the air haha

Focus, Focus, Focus!!

Get it!!

"Do your best and forget the rest!"

Ball pushups -- they look funny but they are killer

I was definitely in the zone haha

Get lower, push harder, do just one more!  

Goofing off  =P

Like family, brothers helping each other out

Rawrawrawrwarrrr this is us getting our 2nd wind before the final push!

Oh my goodness, much needed stretching afterwards 

Catching a breather and drinking some recovery drink

The group before we started to grub =))

If you've never been to one of our group workouts and are interested in getting healthy, learning about fitness and proper nutrition, or you need some friends to push you and motivate you, then by all means shoot me a message or add me on Facebook.  We are all here with open arms trying to save this nation, one person at a time.  

Celebrities Are People Too

Fat Joe Talks 100-Pound Weight Loss: 'All My Big People Were Dying' - The Juice | Billboard.com

This is a quick read about a very well-known rapper who has been losing his big friends to heart attacks for years.  Because of his losses, he has decided to turn his health around, though he'll always be proudly known as Fat Joe.

Congratulations to you for overcoming your diabetes.  I really hope you continue to inspire people of all ages and sizes!

Fat Joe

It is said that you are the average of the 5 closest people in your life, so if your closest friends are overweight then chances are you are too.  Don't wait until you lose those loved ones before making changes.  Encourage them to get healthier with you and if you push for change and they don't care for it then honestly, it's time to get new friends.

Change is always good in the long run.  No one said it was easy.

Tuesday Coaching

Failure is good.  It's fertilizer.  Everything I've learned about coaching, I've learned from making mistakes.
-Rick Pitino

It is true, Wisdom comes from experience.  As we go through life making mistakes and learning lessons we gain so much more than knowledge.  We gain appreciation for our experiences, good or bad, because they make us who we are today.  We gain the ability to understand and relate to others who are going through similar situations.  We gain better judgment and learn how to avoid negative outcomes and seek positive ones.  And we gain strength for that which does not kill us makes us stronger.

In life, we find ourselves being coached by our parents, our grandparents, our aunts and uncles, our friends, our teachers, our managers and sometimes even by strangers.  We're coached on life, sports, class, friends, you name it.  But we also find ourselves coaching others, whether we realize it or not.  I've found myself listening and giving advice and guidance to people I've known for years and people I've only recently met. 

Although I am only 25 years old, I have found that age doesn't always play a factor in experience and wisdom. When you feel like you really know something, that you believe in something deep, deep down, it's not hard to share that knowledge with others.  We are all coaches and it is our responsibility to teach others what we learn because our wisdom becomes that much more valuable.

I am a Beachbody Coach because I genuinely believe in our mission of helping people achieve their goals and enjoy a healthy, fulfilling life.  I don't limit myself to only those in the Beachbody community, but I guide those in need of help outside of our company too.  I may not be a guru, but I've most definitely experienced many ups and downs with both nutrition and fitness which has led me to believe that I can relate to a great number of people who face constant struggles.  I know for a fact that there are some people who can benefit from my mistakes.

You don't need to be perfect or be an expert to potentially help someone else.  Be you and stay true to your beliefs because you never know who you are going to touch and who you may very well save one day.

Right Here, Right Now

TWEET TWEET

Follow, Follow, Follow ME!!! 

Twitter has been hot for a while and I finally decided to join the club this past July.  I'll try my best to post daily so keep up with my tweets and reply as often as you wish!!  #socialnetworkingFTW

*tweet tweet* thattrangstaa *tweet tweet*

Also don't forget to follow THAT TEAM on Twitter too!!

Motivational Mondays - Failure Before Success

I have failed myself time and time again. I have failed my friends and my family, my teammates and my clients. I have failed countless times but I am still standing and I am still eager to keep on keeping on. I refuse to give up. 

Why? Because I know that in order to succeed we must first fail again and again.

I am not going to say I'm sorry and I am not going to dwell on the past. I am where I am because I am exactly where I'm supposed to be.  

So as my first Motivational Monday post, I want to tell you that it is okay to fail.  Do not EVER be afraid to fail.  Take those failures and learn from them.  FAIL FORWARD.  "Always Forward," as one of my great coaches [[Chris Batu]] says.  Always Forward.

"Success is the result of failing over and over again just to get to where you want to be."

"If you've ever rode a bike before, you fell and you failed before you were ever able to ride.  You just had that INCESSANT VIGOR to keep trying at it again and again because you TRULY believed and you KNEW that you were eventually going to be able to do it."

"And success in any endeavor is just the result of getting past those little failures..It's the act of failing that makes you improve, that makes you want to do better, that makes you want more out of yourself.  And you can either take the failure as the ending to your endeavor or you can take it as a beginning road to success."

Don't Ever, Ever, Ever Say NEVER

We all have our own disabilities but don't let them handicap you.  

Let them empower you with motivation and determination.  

Remember, no one can stop you but you.

Stories like these make my heart smile oh so bright!  =D

#successnation
#goosebumpsgalore

Stole this from a Friend to Share it with the World

#cheersjon

From Carl Daikeler himself

#beachbody