Staying Motivated: The Power of Inspirational Words

A few years ago I started my own cosmetics company. The premise was to put inspirational quotes on the packages to inspire and motivate every time you used them. I'm a huge believer in the power of inspirational words and have favorite quotes for every occasion. Quotes enable you to quickly learn and utilize from those whose life experiences are vast and different than our own, who have gained wisdom we haven't yet. I listed some of my favorite on the sidebar. But the one I love most is the same quote I wrote on my hand during the only full marathon I ran...the same one I had turned into a bracelet in July when I was ready to give up on the Figure training endeavor. It is attributed to Lance Armstrong, though I can't determine if he is the original author:

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute or an hour or a day or a year, but eventually it subsides and something else takes it's place. If I quite, however, it lasts forever.

I found a neat site, Wristband with a Message, which allows you to turn any phrase into a custom silicon wristband. Though I had to shorten the quote, I've been wearing the bracelet since July and will likely not take it off until the Spring competition if the number of weak moments, like going out to dinner with others, is any indication. I'm often asked lately about my diet, "How do you do that?" I usually respond with a simple "It's not easy for me," but the truth is that without motivation in many forms, including motivational quotes which are on my desk, in my closet and even on my wrist, I probably would have already given up. So when I tell students in my class on the first day of school tomorrow, "words have power," I truly mean it.

Launch Day: Welcome to the Site!

If you're coming from Cool Baby Kid, welcome. My favorite blog designer in the world, Gisele Jaquenod, finished the new design last week and From Potty Training to Weight Training is officially off and running. If you're new to blogging or just looking to spice up your site, Gisele offers free blog templates too. Having been to a Fitness competition years ago with my husband (boyfriend at the time), I thought it would be a neat challenge someday but was too young to realize I had actually had the potential to accomplish such as task. Fifteen years and two babies later, I decided it was time to get in the best shape of my life. I'd been running for a few years with some half-marathons and even one full marathon under my belt, but still couldn't shed those "last 15 pounds" from a baby that was now over a year old! Being goal-oriented, I knew just getting in shape wasn't enough...I needed a goal. Remembering the Fitness competition from years ago I wondered, "Could I do that?" I talked to friends and family, did a little research and knew it would be the challenge of a lifetime. Why?

Because I love to eat. I really, really love to eat.

I thought of a favorite quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, "You must do the thing you think you can not do" and knew for me it was giving up things like Edy's ice cream as a nightly snack. When I found a trainer who was willing to take me on (even after seeing some pretty scary "before" pics) we decided Figure was more appropriate since Fitness incorporates gymnastics, and gymnast I am not. Figure is basically a natural bodybuilding competition which emphasizes muscle tone over size...think Oxygen magazine.

I nearly quit the first weekend, then struggled through vacations and finally started to see results in that first month. I can't help complaining a lot about the lack of food since the diet (or lack of variety of any foods that actually taste good) is enemy #1 on this journey. But with a few inspirational quotes and the support of my family, friends, and the best trainer ever, I hope to make it to the Spring all in one piece. Thanks for joining me.

What blog launch would be complete without a giveaway? Enter to win a Fitness Prize Pack by leaving a comment on this post. Earn extra entries for tweeting the launch and include @coolbabykid. Expires 9/2/09.

The Fitness Prize Pack includes a Mom Works tee, one of my favorite companies that empowers women with cheeky sayings and pictures geared especially for moms (pictured). Also awarded to the winner will be a Victoria P. Zurcher Designs personalized aluminum water bottle, perfect for hitting the gym in style. They also carry neat gifts and other personalized products that we first fell in love with on Cool Baby Kid. Finally, to keep you motivated, Gisele is offering a "Hang in There" mug from her famous Birdie Says collection which also includes stationery, nursery and kids plus home decor and more...so cute!!

Spicing It Up: *Cheat* Without Cheating

Having been on this crazy journey for less than 6 weeks, I've already gathered some tricks or the trade and am anxious to find about more ways to make the diet easier to live with. Here are some of my favorite ways to "cheat" without cheating. And speaking of cheating, I got a cheat meal and it tasted GOOD!

Crunchy peanut butter. I eat up to two tablespoons a day and for some reason crunchy seems more substantial. Strange, I know. Protein shakes...the colder the better. Ice, blending with ice and super cold water (no milk for me) makes them taster way better! Ground turkey. Maybe this is no shocker to the rest of the world, but I've never eaten it before. Having a turkey burger is a different taste and after eating the same thing for nearly 6 weeks, different is good. (Seasoned with Mrs. Dash and onion) Egg whites. The Egg Beater egg whites taste better to me than actual egg whites. Hmmm.....

And while I haven't tried it yet, when Fall hits I'm looking forward to a Pumpkin Spice protein shake. Funny, I never would have thought that previous sentence would be written by me in a million years.

Cake Shows + Figure Training = Misery

I love cake. It may be my all-time favorite food. And so two of my favorite shows are Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss. The problem? I'm on a super-restrictive diet, can only eat a handful of foods and am really hungry. Watching Buddy assemble a leaning tower of Pisa cake is not helping matters. Worse yet I have a Pillsbury Brownie Minis and Easy Frost sitting downstairs in my cupboard I can't stop thinking about. (It was a BlogHer gift and otherwise would no be in the house!) So rather than eat cake I'm reading:

• the incredible progress of my friend Erin from The Mom Buzz who is coincidentally also training for a Figure competition in 2010.

• lessons for the Figure Competior by Linda Reho.

• fitness and figure forums on Bodybuilding.com.

One of these days I will write a post about training as opposed to food when I'm less consumed with how hungry and food-deprived I am. Just not there yet.

Top Five Things I Miss Since Training Began

1. Eating "real" food in general. I understand the term "real" is subjective and to some who eat clean my diet is perfectly normal. I beg to differ, however, and dream about Doritos.

2. Ice cream for a snack every night and on Sundays with the kids.

3. Not having to explain to people why I can't "just have one hot dog."

4. Eating out, especially Sunday brunch which used to include scrambled eggs with cheese, hash browns and toast and dinner Saturday night. Yes, I can technically still go out to eat and order a plain chicken breast with broccoli (and take spray butter with me) but what's the point?

5. Diet Pepsi.

The only thing I don't miss? The 11 lbs. I've lost in the last month.