I personally think Mermaids are sexy!! ;)

First I am going to post a popular picture and reply that is circling around right now. Many are taking it as empowering, encouraging, or a wonderful story. To me, it rubbed me the wrong way. And NOT simply because I am into fitness, but because I always find irony in a need to KNOCK something to raise something else up, PERIOD. I think this statement always rings true.



So if you haven't heard the whole Mermaid Vs. Whale Story... Here it is. It is circulating with a picture of a French Model Tara Lynn. The irony starts in the fact that she is a MODEL... but I'll come back to that...





A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption was "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way:

"Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise their children with great tenderness.
They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns. They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia.

They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on cds. They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defend and admires.

Mermaids do not exist.

But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: woman or fish?
They would have no sex life and could not bear children.
Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely and sad.
And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side?

Without a doubt, I'd rather be a whale.

At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends.

We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn't enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies.
We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated.
Every time I see my curves in the mirror, I tell myself: "How amazing am I ?! "

(The girl on the picture is French model Tara Lynn)



***Hmmmm I get the point of the whole mermaid vs whale story, I really do. First of all, the poster was clearly seen as derogatory and I get that. Calling women whales never really goes over well. But the irony was it struck a cord with this particular woman who claims to be so confident. If she were, why would it have bothered her so much in the first place? I myself have taken a passion and made it my LIFE to encourage woman to embrace their bodies at all sizes, but to do so while being HEALTHY! Defining who you want to be does not come from a size or a number on the scale. It comes from knowing you are healthy, fit, happy, and feel as good on the inside as you do on the outside. You can weigh 110 pounds and still hate your body.

BUT this sounds like a cop out to be unhealthy!! An easy way to KNOCK slim/fit women, implying that they are somehow less successful at all the things "whales can do" just by being thin and/or fit. Its the classic if I can't be them, then I'll just simply KNOCK them mentality. Clearly if this ad bothered a women enough to write a thought out reply something inside of her is "unsettled" by the "mermaid type". Giselle Bunchen, Heidi Klum, Faith Hill, Jane Seymour, Brook Sheilds, Brooke Burke, Kelly Ripa, Faith Hill, Victoria Beckham, would all be considered "mermaids" then huh? They have had babies, marriages, careers, success, and happiness!! Or what about all the fit Moms who compete and rock single digits of body fat? Guess what? Just because they are fit or thin or beautiful does not make them any less better at enjoying life than you! Some woman can DO IT ALL, and instead of knocking them, we should aspire to be like them. Which doesn't have to mean perfect, or thin or beautiful, but CONTENT within themselves, inside and out. TRUE CONFIDENCE SPEAKS QUIETLY FOR ITSELF.

So why does it bother me so much that I feel a need to retaliate? What is MY INSECURITY. Mine is pretty clear to see, whether people admit it to my face or not I am constantly judged for looking or acting a certain way. If a mother spends too much time on her looks, it must mean she's stuck up and not spending enough time on her children right? Not that she really feels good and knows taking care of herself first makes her a better Mother right? I have built a little business doing what I love, and making more money than any part time job I've ever worked as a Mother. But my life revolves around being healthy, so I must not have much fun right? And God forbid I do have too much fun, then I am irresponsible. Damned if you do damned if you don't.

My retaliation is because I am so sick as a woman of seeing the WARS between woman...Working vs Stay home, Breastfeeding vs. Bottle feeding, Co sleepers, vs Crib sleepers, Young Vs. Old. And the infamous Fat vs Thin. ENOUGH ALREADY. I have carried 3 children within my body, slept with them on my chest, nursed them, kissed tiny toes & wiped away tears. I have been puked on, peed on & spent sleepless nights cradling them. My body isn't magazine perfect (hate to break it to you magazines aren't real), but when I look in the mirror I do not see JUST A MOM, I see a beautiful women. I see strength, I see determination, I see laugh lines, I see stretch marks, I see the body of someone I can be PROUD OF. So lets stop copping out to "we are fat because we are cultured". We are a fat nation because we eat poorly, and do not exercise. We have a 34% obesity rate because we don't take care of ourselves. Embrace your curves as long as you know they are HEALTHY curves!

And the biggest IRONY of it all is THE picture circulating with the story is still that of a MODEL!!! A woman who is paid because she is beautiful. So despite trying to rise above being image conscious, it attached to a picture of a MODEL!!! Maybe she is considered more "plus size" or "curvy", but we are still attaching her worth to WHAT SHE LOOKS LIKE!!

Sounds Like Life To Me...

It is no coincidence that the only tattoo I have on my body is very symbolic and appropriate for me. It is the word SERENITY... right down the middle of my spine - my BACK BONE. The spine represents your support system, your strength, stamina and responsibilities. It helps to keep your head high even in difficult times. It is your "backbone" suggesting that you need to stay true to your own convictions and be firm. The spine is symbolic of strength. So SERENITY (the important quality I did not posses at the time)- was forever tattooed down the middle of my spine as a reminder to me of what happens when I do not possess it.

If you have ever met me, serene is the LAST word you would ever use to describe me. I talk fast, walk fast, move fast, think fast, I even sleep fast! I have trouble slowing down. Before my 26th birthday I was forced to slow down. At the time I thought it was ridiculous. Why would I want to slow down? People say they wish they could bottle my energy, wish they could get as much done in a day as I can, why would I want to take that away? But trust me, a hyperactive brain, drive, and motion has its down falls, and I experienced it first hand. Your body and mind can only handle so much. And serenity is actually a prized possession for someone like me, and needs to be treated as such. It was, and remains a tough lesson for me to learn. In this fast paced world you would think the one who cleans their house the fasted is the best, right? The one who works the most and makes the most money wins, right? The one who can get her whole “to do list” done before noon time is an amazing super mommy, right? That's the way I THOUGHT - but it’s so far from the truth.

The serenity prayer is also something I never really thought much about until 2008. I don't even think I took the time to think it, say it, or let it sink in. In fact I use to Mock it with the saying: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things I cannot accept, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill today because they pissed me off!” haha I'm telling you I was a stubborn stubborn mo fo. :)

But now I TRULY APPRECIATE THOSE WORDS: THE REAL WORDS:





In my 28 years on this planet I have been through A LOT, more than most would imagine. I am incredibly blessed, but not without my fair share of obstacles. And after a major meltdown yesterday because of some frustrating news and a conversation with my husband and father, something hit me - my aha moment. I can handle pretty much ANYTHING THROWN AT ME. I've had horrible pregnancies young, sick babies, tragedies, serious illnesses in my family, health troubles, economy troubles, financial worries, and I don't really break down for much, in fact I RARELY, RARELY, do. So yesterday when I was so frustrated I couldn't even see straight: the words flowed out of my mouth before I even had a chance to think about them, I Said: "THE ONLY TIME I AM EVER SO STRESSED I CAN"T STAND IT IS WHEN SOMETHING IS COMPLETELY OUT OF MY CONTROL AND THERE"S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT." And my husband and father sat there quietly, didn't say a word for a minute and then they both thought the same thought, almost talking over each other. "That's THE ONE TIME you shouldn't be stressed, because there is really NOTHING you can do." my ahaaaaa - why is my brain so ass backwards. Don't have enough money - doesn't stress me, it means work harder or spend less. Sick babies, it means take them to the best doctors and take care of them the best you can. Serious illness - it means again same thing best doctors and fight it. Tragedies - it means stay strong, and wait for time to heal. I'm not saying I'm perfect but all these obstacles I can and have overcome fairly easily - but tell me there's something I can do NOTHING about, and that's when my strength dwindles, and frustration takes over. It is just "how I'm wired". It goes back to a virgos need for perfection and control yada yada.

But last night I realized it very strongly and now know it’s another working point in my life. Serenity may come easy to some, but I am not those "some", and I am well aware of that. "Letting things go" comes easy to some, but again, I can only dream of being that easy going. As I age and mature, it is a process of simply "defining who I want to be". Neurotic is only good for so long and in CERTAIN settings, but in everyday life and with my family - I'm trying to appreciate, and realize I simply have to work at what I want, and let go of what I simply cannot control.

With that being said lets talk about the TOLL that stressing really takes on your body. Now I am not exaggerating when I say I do not stress much, at least I really try not to let much get to me. I mean I have the normal day to day stress, but not the OMG I want to cry, or punch someone in the face stress often. I've always thought life is simply just to short to be miserable and or stressed all the time. Last night after stressing for a few hours over something I literally can do nothing about, my body hurt. I felt like I had been in a fight, I was exhausted, my head was pounding beyond belief, and I was just lethargic. How is that productive? How is that a way to live?

Now scroll through your face book statuses - is there someone who is always dramatically frustrated with life:
"why me?!"
"What else could possibly go wrong?"
"Life's not fair."
"Work sucked so bad, I have the worst migraine."
"I just want to be alone."
"I just need to win the lottery."
"I need a vacation."

Or that person that every time you talk to them their life is falling apart. I'm not saying we don't all have our days when we need to VENT because we do, and we are fully allowed to without judgment. And I’m not trying to single anyone out. But really think of those who CONSTANTLY seem like their life is one big catastrophe. Now think of their health, their lifestyle habits, and their disposition... get where I'm going with this? Or do I need to draw you a picture? Life is as hard as WE choose to make it. Sometimes it’s complicated. Some are more blessed than others. But STRESS is ONE of the absolute WORSE things you can do for your body and mind. Your attitude and perception totally CHANGE the way you react to difficult times. It is why I take care of my body from the inside/out and am so passionate about teaching others to do the same. I say the gym and a healthy lifestyle is my prozac, and it’s VERY TRUE. Without it I would be a complete and TOTAL HOT MESS - not just a slight hot mess ;). Below is a SONG that will wrap this blog up PERFECTLY - yes its country - bare with me even if you don't like country and just LISTEN TO THE LYRICS!!! VERY TRUE and needs to be said MORE OFTEN:

Sounds like Life to ME, ain't no fantasy. Just a common case of everyday reality. Man I know it's tough but you gotta suck it up. To hear you talk you’re caught up in some tragedy... It sounds like life to me!

The more goals you set - the more goals you get.

You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you have to make choices, and hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are. ~Fred Rogers

Our life's accomplishments over the past year are different phases of life all jumbled together...but I wouldn't want it any other way!! As I am approaching yet another birthday in September I always try and take time to reflect on what some of my goals where at the beginning of the year and where I'm headed. As I'm getting my schedule together for the Fall I'm really appreciating all that we have accomplished over the last year. They may seem like small accomplishments to some, but for us its been an eventful, successful year. As someone who always wants things done yesterday I need to remind myself Rome wasn't built in a day, and not having patience to see things through has been a downfall of mine. I am strong when things are challenging and fast paced but the day to day boredom of some goals - the all out grind when you just must do what you have to do, that's where real strength comes in.

Over the past year we have conquered pre - school with the twins - seems like a small feat, but if you knew my twins you'd know it was a task indeed. Successfully got through my daughters first year of dance competitions and high honor roll at school - VERY PROUD! We moved into and worked on our new house a lot this year - such a labor of LOVE. Took off with my own business - training, boot camps and seminars. And last but not least over the last year I have completed my required 28 credits on dean's list and meeting all requirements to officially apply to the rad tech program!! Looking forward to another year of ACCOMPLISHMENTS and goals!!

Of course there are some things on my "list" that haven't gotten accomplished as planned, however I am choosing to focus on what I can! That's why I love this quote and feel it applies strongly to my life "You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you have to make choices, and hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are." ~Fred Rogers. The only thing I can attribute everything I've been able to accomplish to is the amazing support of my family, and my determination to make them and my children proud!!

So for anyone reading this who has a goal big or small. Physique, diet, training, career, motherhood, marriage, education,whatever your goal is related to, my best advice is this... commit to it like you never have before, put it out there, tell everyone and everyone and ASK for support!!! Swallow your pride, if you need help TAKE IT! Because next birthday comes around you don't want to be saying I WISH! Instead you can be saying I did. Time to reassess and refocus because the next birthday, next year is a big one and I gotta make sure I'm on point for it!! See my poor brain never rests!!

This is NOT a pat myself on the back blog, as I read it back I kinda felt like it was YUCK! Instead its a reminder to myself and to us all - We want it all - ALL AT ONCE RIGHT NOW! No,no, YESTERDAY actually! Reality doesn't work like that - reality comes from consistency, planning, and perseverance. Sometimes a quick check to remind ourselves to breathe, take step backs and realize its one step at a time, DOES WONDERS. Just make sure we are still on track and keep plugging away!

What can Body Definition Boot Camp Do For YOU???

What can Body Definition Boot Camp Do For you???


Over the next few weeks I will be trying to showcase some of the success the clients have been having with BODY DEFINITION BOOT CAMP/ IN HOME TRAINING/ AND ONLINE PROGRAMS!! First up because she shared her excitement today and I wanted to share: Dianne Miller : I think her story is important because (not to toot my own horn - BUT ALL TRAINERS are NOT CREATED EQUAL) And Dianne is proof of that. Dianne went to a local gym and decided she wanted to reach a goal, so she took the steps and HIRED a trainer. In my opinion it is one of the best things you can do to commit. Put your money where your mouth is and DECIDE to stick to a plan, decide to learn, and decide to CHANGE. However buyer beware, not all "trainers" will get you RESULTS. They may have the newest excercise, great routines, you may even be SO SORE when you leave, but what are you seeking? RESULTS. THIS IS MY FOCUS with clients, everything else is find and dandy, but lets focus on YOUR GOAL. Why it is you hired me?


SO Dianne hires a trainer a YEAR LONG COMMITMENT MIND YOU, to the TUNE of $379/month. What did she receive? Workouts? sure. A Meal plan? Well, a LIST of ideal foods. Weigh-Ins and Measurements - to check progress and hold her goal accountable? Well ONE TIME OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR! Lets compare to what she received with Body Definition...


When we first started our boot camp sessions together, this is what Dianne had to say: "3rd week of boot camp done and i am losing inches and pounds, feel so much better than i have in years, thank you very much steph♥"


TO WHICH I REPLIED YOU ARE DOING ALL THE GREAT WORK!! I like to emphasize that there is NO MAGIC, I don't have any "secrets" its always a results of consistency, and intensity.


TO which Dianne replied "i know but to think all last year i had a trainer at the gym and got NO results and in 3 weeks i already am getting better results. it only proves that with an excellent trainer who covers every aspect including nutrition (which they didn't do ) you can do anything!!"

And now after finishing two 6 week sessions:This is what Dianne had to write today: "ran into my old trainer at the gym today. she did not recognize me at first. one whole year of working out with her and had no results to speak of. 2 six week boot camp sessions with Stephanie Villers and I am 4 lbs away from my goal and feeling great! thanks Steph your'e the best ♥"

Here's the best part of this story so you can all realize the depth of the program and how it works for EVERYONE, EVERY SIZE, EVERY AGE, who is willing to WORK FOR IT!!: Dianne is OVER 40, has some injuries that we work around, works on the road so she is out and about in her car all day (which does not make food planning easy.) Lets see did I cover all the excuses she could have used?


What did she get out of the program? Let me rephrase that, what did we work together to achieve?

**She had hands on workouts with me three days a week for one hour, small group, personalized.

**She received a FULL nutrition plan with meal ideas and monitoring every two weeks.

**She received access to me through text/email/phone to me to answer questions/concerns/issues with foods etc.

**She was weighed and measure every two weeks to make sure we were on track to where she wanted to go.

** She was given REAL FOOD - DAIRY, FRUIT, STARCHES, VEGETABLES, LEAN PROTEINS, HEALTHY FATS, food she enjoyed, food she found easy to prepare, and PLENTY of it. AND EVEN *gasp* enjoyed cheat meals of whatever she wanted occasionally off plan.

Dianne came to me drinking 15 cups of coffee a day hardly any water and maybe eating once or twice a day. She had done a no sugar no carb diet and dropped 10 pounds and then had gotten stuck. Her original goal was to "drop another 10". Ironically when reteaching someone how to properly eat and hydrate, often the body takes time to adjust. The first week on PLAN Dianne GAINED 1.4 pounds! Uh -oh I'm sure the thought crossed her mind, just another trainer who is not going to get me results I'm looking for. I talked to her and explained what we were doing to CHANGE and fix her metabolism and told her to TRUST me and STAY STRONG and consistent and she would be happy AND SHE DID!!! And HER RESULTS???? FINALLY.... DRUM ROLL....

after 2 boot camps 12 weeks total for $260 a piece (which was FAR LESS than two months - she had paid with her previous trainer)

weight loss - 18.2 pounds loss

lost 4 inches off her waist

lost 3 inches off her hips

lost 2 1/2 inches off each leg

lost 2 dress sizes!!


More importantly she has totally changed her lifestyle habits. She drinks a ton of water, really missed her fruit doing the no carb no sugar, so has been enjoying fruits and veggies, eats every few hours, drinks A LOT LESS COFFEE, has more energy, sleeps better, and feels and looks GREAT!!! Now before you say yeah sure go back and read her age, read her schedule, read her habits, read about her injuries, and REMEMBER I CAN GIVE YOU THE TOOLS, BUT YOU MUST WORK FOR IT and DETERMINE TO DO IT FOR YOURSELF LIKE DIANNE.


I asked Dianne for a before and after and her reply "I don't have many before's because I hated having my picture taken when I was heavy." ( how many people can relate to that?) However she will take one in her size 14s that are now SWIMMING ON HER and Dianne will be celebrating her wedding Anniversary next month IN VEGAS where she will be rocking a bikini PROUDLY so I expect some nice pics from that!!!!


GREAT JOB DIANNE!!!



NEXT BOOTCAMP WILL BEGIN JULY 18th Monday Wednesday and Friday Evenings: Times to be determined by group sizes but beginning after 6pm. Please email me for further details: stephanie_villers@yahoo.com as body definition website is undergoing changes. DEPOSIT REQUIRED TO HOLD SPOT. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.


MORE CLIENT RESULTS TO COME... NEXT UP SADINNA PERRY'S STORY this one's gonna touch MANY the girl is determined!! And doing it the right way when many other options have been thrown her way!

Concrete Angels... may they rest in peace

Contrary to the fact that I woke up from anesthesia crying, that I cried like a baby, I mean like a baby you stole something from to the movie PS I LOVE YOU, and that I cry happy tears when I see my daughter dance, almost every time... the truth is I am not an overly emotional person = "a crier" if you will, well MOST OF THE time anyway. If you ask my close friends and family I bet they will say they can count on one hand the amount of times they've seen me cry. I actually am annoyed by girls that cry at everything, I don't mean the touched tears I mean the my life's so hard, so I cry tears all the time, its like toughen up your ducts already or something LOL it just makes me numb to crying I guess. And I have that weird sense of laughing while I'm crying even when I do. I guess my body tries to fight it.

Even now I'm joking but what I want to write about is no joking matter its one of those "things" that actually brought me to tears. We have had so many sad tragedies in our time, personally, locally, globally, its no secret this world is severely messed up. The news on TV I know is background noise for many, but not in our house. I read what I have to online to keep up with the important stuff and that's it. I never watch it with my children or family. Its actually one of those things I don't understand, people won't let kids watch PG-13 movies, or play violent video games, but their 8 year old can sit right next to them as the man on channel 5 tells about how a group of men broke into a house and went on a brutal killing spree for no apparent reason at all, or how a college that their 8 year old dreams about going to is locked down because there has been 4 consecutive rape cases in the last two weeks. Just saying... news is not ever anything positive or anything I want the focus of my evening chatter to be while my kids are awake. And if media is not focusing on all the scary things going on, then its pure junk gossip. How many illegitimate kids did another politician father, or how a "scientifically socially educated psychologist" released "scientific information" about how black women are less attractive... really do I need to prove my news case anymore. And I've never been one to post these stories on face book, really talk about vote for the worst spirit lifter ever - posting sad stories, what does that say about you? If you can go back on your wall and find more than five disturbing news stories, you need a new hobby. But this story, this story struck different. This story hit many. This story cannot be called sad, cannot be called evil, for some unspeakable reason it took a form that reached down inside of many of us far deeper than sad or evil. A story that I feel I will remember unfortunately for a very long time. His name. His little beautiful face, but most of all his shoes.

Last week I took the boys shoe shopping, they are growing like little weeds which is wonderful. You know for little preemies that were three and a half and four pounds three ounces who had some rough times, you'd never know looking at these honking feet. These little toes that are so adorable yet somehow find a way to bust holes right through socks. When I bought them new shoes, we took a picture of my 11 year olds feet (peanut) next to our 4 year olds and ummmmm they are not far off!! She has on fly Nike Shox, yeah well they had Shox too but they have outgrown two pairs of sneakers since then so in this economy we were looking for value over "name". So we went shoe shopping. It was so cute listening to their little opinions "I don't like those brown ones", "those look too big" And then it was like they saw Gold!!! THE LIGHTNING MCQUEEN SNEAKERS!!! It was all Broderick could talk about. I did everything in my power to talk him out of them, I had to talk and walk quickly because they were taking him over (I'm not really a fan of character shoes) and I can still hear his little voice "But Lightning McQueen's a big boy, and I'm a big boy, so I should get those shoes." When I got out of the store I called my husband and told him all about our shoe shopping experience and how I felt like a bad Mommy for not letting him get the McQueen shoes. We laughed and joked, and said he'll forget all about them, they're just shoes. But now I never will.

Many know I had my daughter young. I was clueless, naive, very selfish, and oh did I mention clueless. But as SOON as I had her it was like second nature. I belonged to her, she belonged to me. No one needed to tell me, show me, explain it, its just such a natural, pure love. She needed me and I didn't even know it but I needed her. She came out, I held her, nursed her, cuddled her, and voila an angel was born. I thought woman must just have this instinct put in them, when a baby is born a mommy is born. No one needs to tell you you would give your life for this child, no one needs to tell you they are sacred, innocent, and come first. Its just an unconditional love that just overwhelms you. Unfortunately the sad truth is its not something ALL women are born with as - so to hear this story - KILLED ME TO THE CORE.

If you do not know what story I am talking about yet then you probably are not from the new England area because its circulating rapidly. Briefly, on Tuesday in Maine they found a dead body of a 4 - 6 year old boy. A beautiful little boy blonde hair, blue eyed boy. He was wearing a gray camouflage hooded sweatshirt with the brand name “Faded Glory,’’ tan pants, and “Lightning McQueen’’ black sneakers. Lightning McQueen sneakers, those words hit me like a ton of bricks and I just felt sick to my stomach. Its not that I selfishly thought about my own children instinctively alone, but that this poor baby was discarded dead on the road like that, that no one was claiming him, missing him, looking for him, caring about him. The shoes brought me back to how INNOCENT a child is, I could hear Broderick's little voice: "But Lightning McQueen's a big boy, and I'm a big boy, so I should get those shoes." How could anyone HURT a child so innocent, how could anyone discard a child like they are rubbish. It made my stomach turn and it made me cry. My heart broke for that poor boy, life can be so unfair. We all think it I would have taken that CHILD!! To hurt a child is so inconceivable, and later we find out to be hurt by his own mother is nothing short of PURE EVIL. My only hope is that he is resting now and peaceful.

Every lightning McQueen toy I see in our house I think of him, my husband even does too because remember I called and told him all about the shoes story so he knew about it as well. Every quiet moment when I'm watching them grow and learn and explore, I think of him, so innocent so pure, its just so heart wrenching. Some things we cannot change, some things we cannot control, evil people are powerful when they creep into our lives and thoughts too much so I will not even give this waste of breath a single sentence more, I will only say that my heart and thoughts are with little Camden, may he rest in peace.

And as I walked my children up the stairs to preschool on Tuesday I took the time to realize all the changes and growth they have made. In September the teachers where peeling Broderick off kicking and screaming because he wanted to be home with Mommy, and there he was my little men walking up the stairs finding their own hooks, taking off their jackets hanging them up, taking out their lunch boxes and putting their back packs away all by themselves. It was all I could do to get hugs and kisses out of them, they were off to play! They have grown so much since September. And tonight at home they cut out their projects for their sea calendar Broderick's lines straighter than Bryce's but he'll get there, and again there was the lightning McQueen Toy reminding me. Its ok though I am not thinking of the evil, may he rest in peace, justice be served, and may I focus on my job as a Mommy keeping them HAPPY AND SAFE. HAPPY AND SAFE. Its a balance, especially as they get older, my daughter is 11 and everything that keeps her safe doesn't always make her happy, but she understands (kinda). For Mothers Day she wrote me a BOOK of poems, so pure and sweet and this one was one of my favorites...




May every Mommy, Daddy, Aunt, Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa, God Parent, Sibling, and every person that Loves and Appreciates children remember that's our only job happy and safe. And though this world is sick and twisted sometimes. We must focus on the love we are blessed with to be received and to be shared.

RIP CAMDEN... ALWAYS IN OUR THOUGHTS

Wisdom Teeth Gone

Well my wisdom teeth are gone!! As of today! They were suppose to come out roughly 12 years ago but I am a dental procrastinator... ANXIETY of the dentist to the 10th power. Unfortunately they became impacted and since I had 4 teeth pulled as a teenager due to crowding, before I wore braces those damn wisdom teeth crowded my perfectly straight teeth AGAIN! I'm hoping now that they're gone I may be able to get a retainer or invisalign to get back my straight pearly whites, they're not horrible just a little crowding on the bottom that I know my parents are saying what a wast of a couple grand!

So I headed to the oral surgeon today trying not to get too worked up but absolutely hating the idea! HATE THE DENTIST, as soon as I'm hit with that notorious smell of the office I get queasy. My mother in law who I am so lucky to have drove me and sat in the office through the entire procedure. As soon as the put the monitors on me to monitor my vitals the Dr says "ok you are either about to faint, are an extremely calm person, or you work out a lot, your heart rate is so LOW!" I chuckled and we started talking about my working out, being a personal trainer, and teaching boot camp and that was the last I really remember. He froze my arm to put an IV in - honestly that freezing stuff is so cold it almost tingles more than a needle poke... I thought my skin was gonna fall off LOL. Next I knew I was sitting up in a room and my mother in law was sitting in front of me. I woke up from anesthesia shaking like I was freezin cold, must have been that ice stuff haha and crying, like really crying. Yet I have no clue why I was crying which made it all the more weird. I wasn't in any pain at that point, totally numb, but they said it does happen. I remember thinking why the hell am I crying? Is something wrong and I don't remember haha I am def a light weight cause I was out of it! Thank goodness for my amazing mother in law, she sat there talking to me, rubbing my leg and talking me through waking up. I kept see the doctor run by and say do you remember this? Or do you remember that? And I was like ummmmmm not at all. He was so cheery, and I was still thinking HEY why am I crying? LOL My mother in law went over all the instructions with me and the nurse, made sure I was less groggy, got me home and tucked me into bed. She went and got my meds for me and stayed until I was in la la land off asleep. I love this woman. So sweet and helpful. I'm sure I was just a groggy joy! lol And thanks to my Dad (I have such amazing family) he took the boys for the day and even went to my daughter's school to watch her in her poetry reading. (Which I was very sad I had to miss). My dentist called to check up on me and told me the pain in my lower left side will be pretty significant and gave me instructions on how to medicate. We're gonna layer advils on Percs for the pain because he said I think you'd be too loopy on two percs haha So percocets and chill time on the agenda for the evening, laying in bed typing because I'm awake so if its not coherent I apologize now.

I hope I'm up and at em soon and ready to roll. It is absolutely gorgeous outside, and I'm pumped to have this over, if you can't tell I get a little anxious about dental stuff, and recovering. Yesterday I took my last FINAL of the semester. So that was a large relief lifted! I have one week until my next 6 week boot Camp session starts and I am getting PUMPED about that!! Emailed all the girls and having them ok and review pics/feedback before I do a full update on the last session. But I will say I am very PROUD and KNOW this was a great decision for me and for my clients... just some brief over views - ONE CLIENT IN 6 weeks of bootcamp with nutrition personalized to them... DOWN 13 pounds!And tons of inches! Another CLIENT DOWN 12 POUNDS, Another Down 7 AND AN AMAZING HARD WORKING WOMAN DOWN 24 POUNDS!! - Its not about quick fixes or magic, it is simple old fashion getting it done, back to the basics, work smart, eat smart. It is a results driven program. Focus on goals, realistic goals, set them and I will give you all the tools and motivation to achieve them, ultimately it is up to you!

NEXT SESSION STARTS MAY 23rd MESSAGE ME FOR DETAILS stephanie_villers@yahoo.com. This has become my baby! And I truly LOVE WHAT I DO!!

Power, Hard work, Ambition, and Triumph = PHAT

THIS IS A QUICK LITTLE UPDATE! As I feel like I haven't blogged in forever... and have some great ones I'd love to share, I have three in the works, half saved, half worked on because I haven't had the time to dedicate to them. School break is a commin, so hopefully those will get finished! ONE even includes some progress pics with some VERY INTERESTING comparisons of how different muscle looks than fat. Yes I know I'm fitness minded and would automatically think that, but contrary to being labeled a "bodybuilder" my goal is not for everyone to be jacked LOL Yes we hear muscle weighs more than fat, muscle's more dense, takes up less space yada yada yada, but I've yet to meet very many women who are actually OK with believing this, myself believe it or not included sometimes. I know scientifically its correct, I've seen it with my own eyes, but when I see my scale heavier, that's when whether or not I find that truth charming comes into play. I'll never forget after my first show I went to a birthday party with my daughter the next day and the CLOWN decided I looked like the best target to pick up and put on his shoulders LOL I was lean and I guess looked the littlest, he kept joking about HOW MUCH HEAVIER I WAS THAN I LOOKED!!!! LOL Yes muscle weighs more than fat but takes up less space, size twos falling off, but still weighed more than most "size 2s".

Well that's why progress pics ARE SO CRUCIAL! I even surprised myself a bit with the difference. I mean nothing miraculous, but def proof of this muscle working in our favor GREATLY. I won't go into it too much yet as that's another blog.

SO what's going on... RANDOM BULLET POINTS

*CURRENTLY WRAPPING UP THE SEMESTER AT SCHOOL - another blog is actually about school too a little - but anyway wrapping up and these last two weeks I have been SLAMMED with school work. Which is really what has halted a lot of focus on much anything else, beside training clients/boot camp/the family...

* This Weekend I will be attending Jen Hendershot's PHAT CAMP - For anyone who doesn't know who Jenny H is she has always been a fitness favorite of mine!! She has retired from Competing, but while she was competing has won both of the biggest titles in fitness: The Fitness International and the Ms. Olympia competition.

Here's a sample of one of her kick ass routines!

I'm looking forward to the ENERGY you get at fitness weekends like this, the inspiration, and of course the workouts. Her site directs: "Friday night we will be training power arms and abs, Saturday we will train chest and Shoulders. Sunday we will be training back and legs. Please do whatever you feel is on your schedule; however it is highly advised you come rested and ready for camp."

*This is My final week of this Body Definition bootcamp - IT WAS COMPLETELY FULL AND SO VERY SUCCESSFUL and FUN! Today we took some more pics, as we did at the seminar back in March and will be compiling pics and everything to add to the website that is in the process of being finished. It will start off very basic as I need a portal to services and contacts, but will grow as time allows. My vision just as my old site is to cover a lot and inspire, as well as promote, but for now my visions can take time so I need a basic start and that is coming soon! I will say the results from this boot camp have been WONDERFUL! Can't wait to share more!

THE NEXT BOOTCAMP SESSION BEGINS MAY 23rd ACCEPTING REGISTRATION NOW! FIRST COME FIRST SERVE Already 6 signed up for the 7:15 and 2 signed up for the 6 time slot. So contact me ASAP.

Body Definition Boot Camps - Hosted at Legends Gymnastics In North Andover, MA


Programs run in 6 week sessions - meet 3 times a week for an hour.


NEXT SESSION BEGINS MAY 23rd and TIMES are Mon & Wednesday @ 6 OR 7:15 Sat@ 9:00


6 weeks INCLUDES

* Pre week orientation, with initial nutrition consult, discussion and brief over view of exercises for beginners or those needing refreshing.
* Nutrition changes every 2 week - full plan personalized to your needs/goals totally interactive.
* Measurements and weigh in every 2 weeks (for those setting specific goals)
* Before and after pictures if you choose.
* Complete Guided Hands On Boot Camp Style workout with a Certified Personal Trainer
* Plyometrics, Kickboxing, Intervals, Cardio, Kettlebell, Resistance Training
* All levels and ages WELCOME - a good trainer can adjust per conditioning and age levels

We will not be holding a full seminar this go around before the start, but will be hosting another seminar day in JUNE SO STAY TUNED FOR THAT. Once the website is up you can sign up for email notifications of upcoming events!

*TODAY WAS BEAUTIFUL!! Hope everyone got to enjoy the weather, I know my kids were outside ALMOST ALL DAY!

Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll be sharing PICS FROM PHAT CAMP SOON!

Maybe Boston Market will Be My Next Sponsor :) haha

So quick little update I want to share BEFORE THE WEEKEND STARTS!! Few things... Let me first start with an INSPIRATIONAL Motivated person I have recently had the pleasure of meeting. The thing I want everyone to truly understand is I know that MY job is to motive YOU. I do my best to inspire, give tools, and such, but in return the enthusiasm I receive from you guys IS MY MOTIVATION!!

So Sunday we had the nutrition seminar and boot camp KICK OFF - as I mentioned Some attended that where not attending boot camp, because it was full, but they still wanted to learn about nutrition (which we covered in depth), have a great workout - which we did, and take away POINTS and TIPS they could then use on their own to jump start their journey. Well one of the attendees was Felicia. I was impressed with Felicia's introduction right away, because she mentioned about 6 or 7 years ago she had TOTALLY changed her lifestyle and decided to lose 80 POUNDS on her own, and has KEPT them off. She wanted motivation to get into better shape, and advice to lose those last 10 pounds.

So HERE IS WHAT A MOTIVATED PERSON TOOK AWAY FROM A FOUR HOUR SEMINAR:

On Sunday following boot camp she emailed me for some of the recipes and food items we discussed and said:

Hi Stephanie!!

I REALLYYY enjoyed your class!! I actually woke up today and my legs and booty were killinnggg me. But in a good way!! I just really need to tone up and drop the last 5-10 pounds! but I dont wanna get too skinny i like my curvy figure lol.. It was nice to be hurting today I go to the gym pretty usually but I'll just run a couple miles and thats how i lost all my weight at first and then it just stopped working so a couple weeks ago I went to Lowes and bought a little step so i started stepping 4-5 times a week for half an hour doing different things on it like lunging and stepping up and kicking and then i incorporated 5 pounds weights while stepping to work my upper half and i lost another 10 pounds just from changing my routine so you showing me the kettleball exercises was GREAT!! It was exactly what I needed to jump start me again into a good routine. I am constantly researching things about nutrition I am a little obsessed just from seeing how me losing my 80 pounds when I was 18 COMPLETELY changed my life. People treat you completely different it's crazy! Even if you can't come up with another class right now let me know when your next 6 week routine will start and Katie and I will be there for sure!! Thanks again though and I will definitely be staying in touch with you, you are my new best friend LOL
Thanks!
Felicia

Then a few Days later she posted to me: LOVING the tuna/celery/egg/tzaziki stuff (or however u spell it lol) wraps for lunch everyday..SOOOO good. and i made the jasmine rice n chicken sausage last night w broccoli n mixed that all up. eating healthy has never tasted so good! LOL

Then today I got another wonderful message and that's when I asked her if I could share :) she said: Ive lost 4 pounds since sunday!! I am eating every two hours and I am just loving everything about it! Thanks so much for all the helpful tips!

THIS RIGHT HERE IS SO POWERFUL!!! Its her attitude, her focus, her drive. It's no magic, its nothing crazy. She attended a four hour class/seminar and walked away and APPLIED IT. SIMPLE. I say it all the time but I mean it from the bottom of my heart. JUST DO IT! Don't talk about it, don't stress about it, don't talk yourself out of it, don't make excuses, its really simple, ONCE you just START. Will it get hard yes? Will you have off days? Yes. But with the right attitude and drive - ANYONE CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT!!!

So needed to share that!! THANK FELICIA! YOU ROCK!!

On to the next point: So i have a few clients who have demanding jobs, and sometimes they may run out of the house with a certain number of meals prepared and not realize until they get to work that they will be stuck there longer than they prepared for. WHAT CAN YOU DO? NO FOOD... and you have a four hour stretch coming up? What's an alternative?

Perfect example of even when you are not prepared, you need to be prepared: Going on a business lunch and you don't want to bring prepared food for the restaurant? FIGURE out your calorie and macronutrient needs and devise a plan to order something that fits that, and STICK WITH IT. You must mentally prepare ahead even if you don't have food prepared. Maybe grab an extra protein shake for back up in cases of long periods without eating, better than eating nothing in a pinch. Or in this particular case I knew the needs and simply asked "Can you run out to a Boston Market in between conferences?" The answer was yes. Now before I go any further KNOW that take out and/ or restaurant food is ALWAYS added calories and sodium even if its just grilled chicken and vegetables. And honestly we can't even believe the calorie counts they post because they are not weighing and measuring their portions or watching every meal go out. There is a REASON it tastes much better than when you make it at home :) HOWEVER if this is your lifestyle MAKE IT WORK appropriately. So back to Boston Market. The meal of choice was Quarter White Rotisserie Chicken (no skin) with Garlic Dill New Potatoes and Fresh Steamed Vegetables = 440 calories, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 33 g carbs, 55 g protein, 6 g fiber, 5 g sugars - a little higher calories than her normally 300 to 350 range but I instructed her to tone down the portion size by about a quarter of the chicken and of the potatoes. VOILA! LONG period without eating, starving your body and setting your self up for an off plan I had to cheat cause I was starving moment AVOIDED. Is it perfect? No. Does it work better than skipping or an unhealthier choice - ABSOLUTELY! So going back to my above point of just doing it - SIMPLY MAKE IT WORK.

And onto this WEEKEND!!!! This is what I like to call MY IDEAL FIT MOMMA WEEKEND <3 My HOPES or plans is to shoot a MARKETING REEL OF WHAT a WEEKEND OR THREE DAY STRETCH like this would entail - my reason is to show my clients, potential clients, and also potential sponsors - yeah I'm on the hunt, HOW I personally incorporate FAMILY, FITNESS, AND FUN :) I don't just say it, I actually LIVE IT!!

Today - Gym, Trained Clients, CLEANED my house like hands and knees, stripped the beds, laundry, kids played outside - Tonight taught BOOT CAMP which was awesome! Home to get in my last meal and relax with the fam, throw up a quick blog, a few emails - maybe a little homework in there too BLAH lol

Tomorrow - Bright and early POSING SESSION with clients, NEW CLIENT start up, Client and lifting, then gymnastics Birthday party with my boys, and Dinner at home with some family coming over.

Sunday we are all headed as a family to watch Ms. Princess B compete in Dance again! FAMILY, FITNESS, FUN... that's how its GOES! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!! And remember the weekends can make or break your progress over the week, don't let it all go, its not worth the hard work and time you've put in all week. STAY STRONG!!! For motivation for my boot campers THEY will face the scale ON MONDAY... talk about motivation to stay clean and focused over the weekend which can be the hardest time!!

YESTERDAY YOU SAID TOMORROW!

“When people say, 'She's got everything', I've got one answer - I haven't had tomorrow.” RIP ~Elizabeth Taylor~ 1932 - 2011.

She was described as the ultimate movie star: beautiful, bigger than life; magnetic, commanding the spotlight with unparalleled power. She knew no moderation -- it was all or nothing. A loss of an icon and a loss of a generation where talent was ingrained in you blood and not created.



“I've always admitted that I'm ruled by my passions.”

This Blog is going to be short and sweet. WHY? Because I have a lot going on and I need to quickly update, share, hopefully motivate, and get back to FOCUS - Clients have picked up again - nice little wave. Boot camp session number 2 has kicked off and is going great!! Sunday we had our seminar and class to kick it off. Thank you all for coming, even those who were not able to do the boot camp because it was full. I hope you took a lot away as I know some of you have! Back to school! And focused on the fitness industry as well!!

This past week I was able to head to Framingham Gold's Gym and shoot a leg video with Will Brink as I mentioned in my previous blog! GOOD TIMES! More videos Coming soon!! Next one we will be focusing on some conditioning and HITT!



Not sure why the blog cuts off the video but here is the link if you want to see it full screen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Ms6aoD8hg

Coming Up April 2nd I will be working KnucklesUSA booth at the MMA Fights in Revere, MA!



And I am in the process of booking a photo shoot, I need some new pics!! My creative juices are flowing! I've been staying focused with my plan, unfortunately I'm at that point where my mind starts playing not so funny tricks on me. Now unless you've competed most women won't really understand this. Dieting to compete is a balance of getting your conditioning and body fat levels perfect, but staying full in your muscles bellies and keeping your shape in check. What starts to happen is in order to bring in your conditioning the diet may get tighter and you may have periods where you start to feel stringy and flat... sometimes its a necessary evil in order to get where you need to be. Now you're thinking what girl doesn't want to feel stringy? Most are looking to be waif like. Well NOT most fitness competitors. We want it all lol low body fat, but full muscles, and curves, not an easy task to achieve for most. So as I am cycling high and low carb days I am noticing now I am loving my upper body and shoulders on high carb days, yet I feel watery through my mid section. On low carb days I love how flat my stomach feels, but am seriously feeling like I lost five pounds of muscle in my upper body! I know I didn't but that's how I feel. Ohhhhh such a funny mind game. In any case I am where I need to be!

AND last but not LEAST: Found this pic today AND I absolutely LOVED IT!!! Enough, no BS, NO Excuses, Either you want it or you don't!




TODAY is March 23rd - 82 days have passed since the start of the NEW YEAR! EIGHTY TWO DAYS! What have you committed to? Or are you still waiting for the perfect time to commit tomorrow?

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense."

This was he quote running through my head on the Stairs today. I purposely did not put on my cardio TV, I put my headphones in and took the time to REALLY SWEAT, reflect, and FOCUS ON the week at hand. Last week was simply lack luster. I got everything done that I needed to but there was no SPARK AT ALL, a little blunder even. I allowed grumpiness, doubt, and well... self pity to creep in a bit. That week is behind me now and I am done with it. It is a week that made me realize I am human just like everyone else and sometimes no amount of positive energy in the world can prevail against stress. Sometimes we just have to get out of our own head, and out of our own way. I let myself for a few days wallow in the fact of feeling like a failure. It seems VERY minimal and trust me it was, but I felt a difference in my spirit and it does make a difference in your attitude. Really how people can walk around regularly being moody or with a bad attitude is beyond me. It's so DRAINING and NO FUN!!! Glad to feel back to my normal self!!

Well as I had posted my daughter's first dance competition of the season was Saturday and it was at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA. This is a stage I had my dance recitals on for years as a child, this is the stage I became to love and cherish as a child. This whole experience was nostalgic, and very SPECIAL for my daughter and I! As a mother I was beyond proud of her on stage. She is a determined, focused, sweet, adorable, talented little girl. I know I'm bias but she IS :) As an adult watching this shrunken version of myself, my mini me - she walks like me, talks like me, moves like me, spazs out like me - just bopping around makes me feel like my life is so complete. It's like someone said to me: "HERE! Here you are a child. Take this child, take this baby girl and mold her into you, BUT EVEN BETTER! Give her everything you had and MORE, and let her fly!" It's an incredible, unbelievable feeling. I had an old friend call today and she said looking at those pictures I feel like I had been transported back in time to watch you. My parents came to watch her and standing there as I took a picture with them and her and her trophy I realized as I often find myself reflecting how incredibly blessed we are. I always joke that I feel older and older every new phase of life, but this was a very good "older feeling". A proud moment indeed!





So she competed in both Jazz and Tap and they won GOLD TROPHYS for both!! She was chosen from her team to accept the trophy for Jazz and was allowed to take it home for the weekend so that was an even better way to start off the season!! I don't like to Brag ;) But the girl's got stage presence FOR DAYS!!!







It was just the high note I needed!! Today we set the clocks ahead by ONE HOUR - SPRING FORWARD!! I started off a little sleepy after a long day and week and losing an hour, but once I hit the gym I was revived. Trained Back - I didn't have my Versa Grips with me today and my partner didn't have her straps - TOTALLY SUCKS - for us girls with weak grip it makes a huge difference, BUT we plugged away anyway and had a great workout despite a little lack of planning.

Started off with Deadlifts:
4 sets of 10 - First set warm-up 85 X 10, 115 X10, 135 X 10, 165 X 7 - dropped down to 135 X 5 - the weights and the drop reflected our loss of grip strength... you do what you can, good to change it up once in a while and challenge without straps but sucks when you're weaker links give out before your back does.

I will say I felt something weird pull in my right side - across the middle of my back. It wasn't a terrible pain per say but definitely some discomfort. Not really sure what it was, just stretched and hot showered it when I got home, feels fine now but it bothered me a little the remainder of the workout. I'm just getting old ;)

Next exercise was Wide Grip Pull down - Again Weight is reflective of no wraps - we do usually go heavier, but we did well considering.

4 sets - 90 X 10, 95 X 10 97.5 X10, 97.5 X10

Next exercise was Hands facing in Chin Ups - 4 sets X 6

And the last exercise T-bar Rows
4sets 55 X 10, 65 X 10, 70 X 10, 80 X 9
I really started feeling that weird pull in my right side but again it wasn't a sharp pain as much as almost an aching, so I just worked through it.

And we finished off with 4 sets of back extensions w/ plate and 4 sets of calves angles press with super super slow negative stretch MY FAVORITE!!

Despite lack of any impressive numbers it was a great workout, and we finished feeling accomplished. Hopped on for 30 minutes of interval training on the stairs to complete the morning. I didn't turn on my cardio TV, I really focused on getting inside my own head again with a good mind set. Chose songs that motivated and inspired and thought about WHAT I REALLY WANT OUT OF THIS WEEK! Last week was my human week, can I make this week my SUPER POWERS WEEK? :) I am on spring break this week no school, and my boot camp starts up next week so I have a little extra time on my hands to really dig in, and get re - focused, and I used my cardio time to start it off on the right foot. It was a very "productive" 30 minutes.

So in order to stay focused, on track, and in high spirits everyone in my family has to be on the same page. We have A LOT going on and its the only way it can work. I am only as good as my support system, and without even needing to say it my husband sensed I needed a little oomph. Since its getting warmer and nicer out he is back to using the grill outside, YUM! It just makes food taste so much better - he cooked, weighed and portioned all our meals out for the next few days! That will last till about Wednesday and then we'll need to do it again, but what a nice thing to come down and see...


“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”


Next up our little house renovations story for the weekend: It's actually quite comical, I laugh because if there were ever a video camera in my house to see our experiences you guys would CRACK UP. My father in law calls us Doug and Carrie from KING of Queens - NUFF SAID LOL. So as I mentioned we're renovating our house. We moved in in June of 2010 and we started with all OUTSIDE renovations because in the summer that's where we are. We have a large yard and a pool so we have a lot to do out there. We stained the entire back deck, cut down and removed trees, cleaned leaves - 5 huge bags, swept, weeded, planted two new trees, fixed the front porch and just did all outside projects all summer.





In September we started inside house projects. We started with the living room - painted and bought new living room furniture and all new curtains. Then went onto our dining room, new pub table, new wine rack, hung pictures, painted. Now "painted" sounds easy, but our house is an older country style - the top of the walls has thick drywall swirled texture then its separated by a chair rail and the the bottom has rough sawn pine wood and the trim in sawn pine. I cannot tell you how difficult this is to paint. The texture and wood SUCK UP PAINT. You need several coats to cover perfectly. When its done, it looks awesome but it is a bigger undertaking than just "painting. We considered hiring someone because it is a big project but decided to save money since we have so many projects, and we would just take our time and do it ourselves. My husband convinced me that it "builds character" to do it our self... AKA how a cheap husband convinces his wife not to hire someone :) I have to say it does feel good to complete projects though.

Well now we're into our kitchen, always the biggest project in the house. We started by painting the cabinets, then onto the walls, Ern and his Dad replaced the counter tops, and we have a moulding that needs to go up. And we took off our butcher block, my father in law sanded it down and put a new oil on it and it looks brand new! And the last piece finishing off this week will be new floors. It will be a brand NEW kitchen with lots of blood sweat and tears put into it. And it started to feel more and more like its OURS. Again there's tons of the rough sawn pine and trim work and dun dun dun THE CEILING in the eat in part is that pine. Painting rough wood is hard enough, and so is painting a ceiling now put those together and it = DISASTER lol

SO TODAY after our full day yesterday at the competition, and Ern had a trade show for work, and AFTER I trained back and completed cardio I came home to Ern having started touching up the trim. I quickly ate, gave the kids lunch and got ready to start on the daunting task of painting the ceiling... let me fully paint this picture for you:

Ern walks out to the garage to get the pole that attaches to the roller so I can at least roll the first coat without getting up and down on a chair or step ladder. He comes in the house rubbing his face and mumbling grumpily and half laughing under his breath... "What happened?" I said. "It's like Tom and Jerry out there, only I'm by myself. I stepped on the end of a rake and it hit me square in the face SO HARD." I laughed and should have taken that as an omen of things to come LOL So I start painting and immediately start thinking WHAT THE HELL?!?! MY SHOULDERS AND NECK ARE GONNA KILLLLLLLLLLLL. Stand up and grab a broom stick, now reach it above your head and press it into your ceiling back and forth and back and forth while leaning your neck back to look up. First off hows your shoulders and neck feel? Second off how much shit just fell in your face? And third off if you JUST trained upper body and are already sore how bad do you think it feels? I was like SWEATING and I just started and then DRIP DRIP right on my face!!!!! The first splatter of paint hit me... uggggg "This is ridiculous!" I said "PAINT is hitting my face!" Now let me preface this with I am not a pre - madonna, I don't mind some manual labor but this seemed like an obnoxious task, between the position and the aches and now the paint hitting my face I was beside myself LOL But I continued on...

So Ern and I are just talking and chatting away, joking around, the kids are coming in and out and playing in the family room and PLOP 2 big paint splatters on my face and I felt it way too close to my LIP, YUCK! And then I thought about my eyes. So we decided I definitely needed some safety goggles painting above my head looking up at it, you're asking for it to go in your eyes. So thankfully I had my Chem Lab goggles, guess they came in handy for something. And I put those on... at first I am trying to wipe away the paint every time I felt a little splatter, but then it just got to be too much and I said the hell with it I'll wash it all off at the end. CRICKET CRICKET CREEK - the sounds of my neck, shoulders, and back, and plop plop plop the feeling of PAINT SPLATTERING ON MY FACE LOL and all the while Ern's getting a kick out of it. I'm saying "We should have hired someone for the ceiling, this is too hard!" and he gave me the whole "it builds character" line again. I'm about a quarter of the way through and he says "Steph I'll finish it, if its too hard." Seems like a noble gesture I know, BUT I WILL BE DAMNED if I let him have over me that I couldn't finish it for the rest of my life, and I TOLD HIM THAT!!!! LOL Him and I have a healthy relationship of busting each others balls, and although he would have finished it for me, I would have to hear for the next 10 years how I couldn't finish the ceiling, yeah Ummmmmm NO I will take paint in my face and a broken NECK thank you. We laugh about it and he says: "Seriously your pride means that much? I'll do it for youuuuu." (taunting me at this point) and I grumbled and said "The hell if you will!" and finished the ceiling! lol Now I know it was somewhat reverse psychology but in my head I won, HOW I won looking like this I don't really know but its DONE! lol





SERIOUSLY IT WAS ON MY LIPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!! GROSS LOL


The best part of painting though was when Bryce said AND I QUOTE: "I don't know how but by MAGIC I got paint on my feet." Me: "Bryce it wasn't magic you need to stay off the stairs like we said." Bryce: "No it was MAGIC Paint just got on my feet by MAGIC."

So once out kitchen is done I'll post some before and afters! It's a lot of work but PRETTY EXCITING!!

So onto this week and whats NEW!! I am driven, focused, BUSY, AND BLESSED!!
I have my Boot Camp KICK off this coming SUNDAY with a nutrition seminar and sample class before starting my next 6 week session which is FULL.

Thursday I am heading to meet up with WILL BRINK and train LEGS and shoot a video for both my blog and his site! For those who may not know who he is if you are not in the industry. He has been around in the INDUSTRY for a long time - not an age joke just very knowledgable, experienced, and respected. He has been a Writer/Contributing Editor for over almost two decades and have been published in a wide variety of publications, including: Muscle Media, MuscleMag International, Lets Live, Muscle n Fitness, Life Extension magazine, Muscular Development, Townsend Letter for Doctors, IronMan, Inside Karate, Tactical Response, Exercise for Men Only, Physical, Power, Body International, Oxygen, Penthouse, Fitness RX, Big, as well as others over the years and in many different languages. He had a monthly column in MuscleMag International called “The Intake Update” for a decade. Many of his articles can be found on the major fitness/health/bodybuilding web sites, such as bodybuilding.com and hundreds of other sites. You name it, he has written an article on it: Weight training, weight loss, HIV, cancer, heart disease, anabolics and other drugs, pre contest diets, supplements of all kinds, hair loss, and many other topics relating to health, fitness, longevity, and bodybuilding, as well as law enforcement/military related topics. He has put a large sample of my articles on the web page for your perusal. He also has trained high levels athletes, bodybuilders, police, and military personnel. His site is http://www.brinkzone.com/

I met Will back in 07 as he judged me in a figure competition and was impressed with how down to earth he was. His articles and knowledge is very science based and I guess I assumed he would be an arrogant person trying to show off his brains and knowledge constantly, but he is quite the opposite. I had the pleasure of training with him for a functional Fitness Day for Female Athletes and it was so FUN and so outside of my BOX.



Which BTW - I have spoke to both him and John Sullivan about doing another one, so if that seems like something you might be up for message me. You do not have to be an athlete to train like one :)


I'm excited to train with him Thursday, he mentioned heavy squats and SLED DRAGS, right up my alley! So stay tuned for that video coming soon!!

I also have some booth work coming up for an MMA EVENT and I'll be slinging bottles for an MMA event both in April, so I will update with that INFO when I have all the details!!!



“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”

TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

This week has been an off week and I can't even tell you why. Well it's a combination of things I guess a little stress from here, a little from there, good old suck ass girl hormones, and the kicker I broke down Tuesday and cheated with a handful of peanut M & Ms!!!! Nothing pisses me off MORE than cheating ON a LOW CARB DAY... A low carb day that I woke up at 4:35am, did my cardio with cramps, planned perfectly, ate everything correctly, went back to lift and surprisingly had a great workout, and somehow someway hit a weak enough moment to say F it and ate some damn PEANUT M & M's. Seriously what the hell? There were so sugary they chocolate burnt my throat going down! LOL Why am I blogging about it? Well it's like diet confessions LOL Get it out, off my chest and on with my life LOL Sound crazy? Haha... I know MANY can relate. I have been on track and faking it till I make it :) Meaning I still feel a little grouchy but I'm trying to fight it. Today was a high carb day which usually makes me so happy about food lol but those damn M & Ms are so in the back of my head I'm not even enjoying it like I normally do. Yesterday I WAS STARVIN MARVIN and today mehhhh lol - I'm telling you this is all in your head, I know better than this. See why cheaters never prosper haha... But what is the name of this BLOG? I AM ENTIRELY TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!!!

I'm not gonna make this a grumpy blog just a quick update, I just lifted and I had TO FORCE MYSELF not to do cardio after. Again sounds crazy but when sticking to a plan over cardioing can be detrimental. Today I had no post workout cardio called for as I trained legs, but I wanted to do it as a stress reliever, but fought the power LOL I'm going to go shower, and relax with the family. Not think about M & Ms, when my abs are ever going to fully pop, or how I would love to watch Sex In the City on the treadmill right now LOL. I have to get ready for my weekend and try to get in bed early, because tomorrow I have to be in Lowell for 7am with my daughter in costume, hair, make up, and ready for her first DANCE COMPETITION of the season. Watching her Dance gives me goosebumps and makes my heart sing, so I KNOW that will be JUST what I need to pull me out of this little funk.

Today I went to an indoor play place with the boys and they always make me laugh and make me remember how blessed I really am. The one liners from them crack me up. I always dress my twins the same ALWAYS, like EVERYTHING. And lately I've been in an attempt for them to have a little more of their own identities because their bond is SCARY strong lol I have been letting them once in a while wear different shirts. So today they had on different shirts and someone asked them if they were twins and they were like beside themselves cause they had on different shirts they felt like they needed to explain... like different shirts made them less of twins or something... So Broderick started in "yeah we live at the same house." then he said "we're twins but Bryce wanted a yellow shirt and I wanted a blue shirt." Then they proceeded to share their life story... "We're 4, but our sisters 11, she's not a twin, she was 10 and the she went to sleep and woke up and she was 11." And they were playing basketball so they told the Dad "We play basketball, sometimes at the gym daycare when Mommy's working out, but they don't let us play basketball all the time." "It's a big boys courts, the big boys play basketball there." And on and on and on lol I love listening to their little conversations. Then we were playing restaurant and Broderick said "Steph you're table is ready" I almost fell over that he called me by my name LOL he kept saying it "Steph, hows your food?" "Steph do you want some salt?" I thought it was too funny. Then Bryce called me "his patient" said he was "bringing some corn off the grill to his patient"... think we mixed up playing restaurant and playing hospital haha LOVE THEM to ITTY BITTY PIECES...

SO on with the notion of too blessed to be stressed IF THIS DOESN"T MAKE YOU SMILE... NOTHING WILL!!!! :) This is my boys last year so they were 3 dancing and singin in y kitchen... just a typical day at our house <3

Hope everyone has a great weekend in New England We SPRING AHEAD THIS WEEKEND!!!!! That's something to be happy about!

ULTIMATE FIT WOMAN!!!!

Getting ready to roll out an updated Website soon and going through some of my old interviews! This one was done for a website titled ULTIMATE FITNESS WOMAN, not even sure if they are up and running anymore but I like the interview so I thought I'd SHARE!

Training Philosophy and accomplishments:

Everything and I mean EVERYTHING starts with our health, without our Health WE HAVE NOTHING. It is absolutely vital that we take care of our bodies and take some time out for ourselves. In this fast paced, high – tech world we often forget what’s most important and that’s our HEALTH. Really, truly, taking care of your body is a sure way to guarantee our quality of life will improve to the highest extent possible. Watch your energy sore, your relationships improve, your moods tremendously perk up, and your life just become more productive and most importantly happier.

For most of the population it’s all we can do to get up, go to work, take care of our families and our day to day stresses and responsibilities and unfortunately our quality of life may not stretch much further beyond just doing that. But for those of us who want more out of life, for those who have the drive and the passion to live each day to the fullest, we realize that we can’t proceed into this incredible journey of life if we don’t have the energy, the high spirits, or if we don’t take care of our bodies first.

My theory on training is simple – there are no tricks, quick fixes, magic pills, secret juices, or deadline diets that will positively affect your overall quality of life or well-being. The key to a true positive life-style change is to make fitness & healthy living a major priority in our lives. Find a program that realistically fits into your life, and set attainable goals accordingly. THE KEY TO RESULTS IS CONSISTENCY & INTENSITY!!

The first time I ever walked into a gym it was strictly to lose the weight I had gained from having my daughter. I had no clue as to what to do; I had never touched a weight in my life. I started reading articles, asking questions, and copying people that were in good shape in the gym… Although I had no specific regimen and I’m sure I did a million exercises so incorrectly, I loved it! I was absolutely hooked. Going to the gym was my time; it was an hour that was all mine, where I didn’t have to think about anything.

Over the next couple of months my body started changing. Although I didn’t have the perfect regimen, I was consistent in getting there. By summer time I was back in my bikini and I didn’t even know what I did to get there, I was just working out and doing my own thing at the gym. I immediately thought to myself if I can get such great results not knowing what I’m doing, imagine how successful people can really be if they are educated on how to make the body respond. This was a memorable moment in my life where I realized I had to be involved in fitness. Health and fitness became my new passion.

Brief biography and what gets you motivated and how you inspire others especially women balancing family/fitness and career.

What motivates me the most is ENERGY!!!! The more we put into our lives the more we get out of it. Fitness is my thing just for me, it gives me my confidence because, When you feel good, you look good, and when you look good, you feel good. I live an extremely active lifestyle and without proper nutrition and training I would not have the energy to keep up the way I do.

The pump of energy I receive from fitness is like no other. Healthy living and fitness is my medication, it’s my natural caffeine, and my natural Prozac. I eat, sleep and breathe fitness, so it’s very easy to motivate and inspire others to do the same and feel that passion about life. I want to inspire women and especially mothers to find time for themselves and to be comfortable and proud of their bodies.

Fitness is my dedicated passion because it was what got brought me back to where I am happiest and at peace. Often after you get married or have your first child, or start your new career, you focus so much on your day to day responsibilities and you strive to be the best mother, the best wife, the best employee or entrepreneur you can be. But in order to be a great mom or be a great wife, or just be a great PERSON you have to be happy, healthy, confident and strong.

Mistakes and challenges you overcame and/ or mistakes you have seen other models/athletes make and how you would advice them.

I am extremely stubborn, so I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but as long as I learned from those mistakes and vow not to make the same ones twice, than they were all worth it. I am who I am because of them. One of the biggest mistakes I made in trying to find balance was going at everything with an ALL or Nothing Attitude. If I couldn’t give a task 120% than I wasn’t happy. Yes you do want to pour your heart and soul into everything you do. However, sometimes circumstances are out of our control and we have to alter our plans whether we want to or not. Life's not that black and white, sometimes having such a harsh attitude of “do or DIE” can set us up for failure. We all have crazy lives, between work, spouses, kids, whatever it may be that consumes our time; we're all on tight crazy schedules. I use to put so much pressure on myself that I would get so frustrated or give up if things didn’t go perfectly the way I planned. Now I’ve learned you have to continually change your goals and alter your plans, make sacrifices and compromise.

Another mistake that can really take toll is being SuperWoman – trying to always cook for the Bake Sale, planning the extravagant pony Birthday Party, volunteering to do the Christmas Craft at your daughter’s school, being head of the fundraising events, saying yes you will attend all 5 holiday parties, taking on 3 more clients on Sunday Morning (you get the idea). We want to do everything, we don’t want to miss a beat, but spreading yourself too thin is both counterproductive and unhealthy. I’ve had to learn how to say No to things I just can’t fit into my schedule. I’ve also had to learn to rely on or hire other people to take on different tasks for me – this is not something I like to do (I’m very independent), so asking for help is hard for me. But once you get to the point where there are not enough hours in the day, you have no choice if you want to get everything done. If you try to keep at the pace of non-stop ALL the time, eventually you do get burned out. Your efficiency, health, and your spirit will suffer.

AND THE NUMBER ONE MISTAKE – is not listening to your gut and following your HEART!!! Who knows what’s best for you better than you? Who knows what’s best for your family better than you? I’m not saying be completely stubborn (the way I was for years). You can take advice from positive role models that you trust, respect, and look up to. But, you really have to build up thick skin, you have to know your goals and priorities inside and out, have them embedded into your heart and soul. Know which direction you want to go in and be ready to fight for it!! Remember people like to give you their opinions or advice even if you don’t ask for it. Often we don’t realize someone’s negative spirit, or judgmental attitude until it’s too late, and we will let what they say make us second guess ourselves and bring us down, BEWARE OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS!!! Everyone you will encounter does not have your best interest in mind, and what works for you and your family may not work for everyone, but as long as it works for you that’s all that matters.


What makes you an Ultimate Fit Woman?

What makes me an ultimate fit woman is that I thrive on passion, discipline, dedication, sacrifice, and raw desire. No one determines my destiny but me… I take FULL responsibility for ALL MY DREAMS and ASPIRATIONS. I don’t do it for money, I don’t do it for FAME I do it for ME!!!

I truly believe in KARMA, BABY!!! What goes around comes around, and everyone will eventually get what they deserve, no one will take away from me what is mine, and visa versa. Everything happens for a reason!! I know that when I dig down deep into my soul and push further and harder than I've ever pushed before, the reward is always ten fold. Generally the things that are the hardest to achieve have the greatest rewards.

I also believe in sharing my passion, energy, and knowledge because: "Whatever we accomplish in life, if it's solely for our own good, then it doesn't mean that much. The things you do that affect others in a positive way are the ones that count. Whatever facet of life you're in, you have been given a gift; do the best you can with that gift."

Your future goals and plans

I feel I am ready to really make my mark in the industry, whether it’s through competing, fitness modeling, or personal training. I hope to have longevity in the industry, not here today gone tomorrow, but someone who had a profound positive affect on an abundance of people. My #1 goal is this: To continue striving for growth, knowledge, happiness, health, and LOTS OF LAUGHTER.
I also hope to be able to make enough money modeling and training to financially be secure enough to take the financial burden off my husband. I was fortunate enough to have him support our family while I pursued my dreams, and I would love to return the favor and allow him to take the time to pursue his dreams! And as far as my little princess she shoots for the stars even higher than I do, so all I have to is sit back, support her and love her!!

“Every challenge is an opportunity to discover who we are and see what we can be.”

The number one driving force behind Stephanie Villers?

That’s easy... through this all my Husband and my Pumpkin B are my ROCK!!!! I know that they are both behind me every step of the way and you have no idea how good that feels. They are the reason I jump out of bed every morning, the reason I breathe so deeply, they put the bounce in my walk, the light in my eyes, and the smiles on my face. They are the reason I ENJOY LIFE!!!

How do you make time for it all?

The truth is sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I miss appointments; sometimes I’m dog tired, sometimes I don’t even know what day it is. But I just keep plugging away and try my best to prioritize and manage my time. I try to do my schedule out one month at a time, then one week at a time, and then I still alter it on a day to day basis. I try to schedule EVERYTHING – when I’m going to the gym, when I’m cooking my food, grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments, cleaning time, laundry time, play dates, movie nights, even down time. It doesn’t always flow the way I want but I just keep trying.

How would you advice women who are just starting out or trying to get back into shape?

Start off slow… don’t jump right back into it all at once, because as fast as you get back, that’s how fast you can fall back into old habits again. Be patient… don’t expect results over night! Make yourself commit to ABSOLUTELY NO LESS THAN 6 WEEKS of dedication to getting into shape. Hire a professional... learn how to get results!!
You have to work at getting through that beginning phase - first get use to adding exercise into your schedule, at first you’re sore, you’re not use to your new schedule, and you don’t feel the energy boost yet. Get use to eating a cleaner nutrition plan, not just “trying to eat healthy”, instead being on an actual plan of balanced nutrition. Add in moderate cardio to put the icing on the cake (no real cake though- LOL).
BE POSITIVE! Stop saying - “once I lose the weight I’ll be happy”, or “once I see my abs I’ll be happy”, or “if I can only get my legs and hips smaller I’ll be happy”… BE HAPPY NOW, and it will be easier to reach your goals.

Do you incorporate fitness into family life and how?

Family and fitness go hand in hand. When you love your family and they are the driving force behind what you do, and fitness is such a huge part of your life, you have to include them into your activities. You can’t expect them to understand or support you unless you include them.

As a mother I also consider myself a role model to my daughter. It is our jobs as parents to teach our children among so many other things the importance of taking care of our bodies inside and out. Just as we as parents need goals, something to focus on - "a thing", so do our children. Fitness is my thing & gymnastics is my daughter's "thing". She’s only five and she’s on a pre-competitive 10 hours a week national gymnastic training team, with an elite coach from Romania. She like me thrives on the discipline, hard work, and healthy competitiveness.

I am fortunate my husband loves to work out just as much as I do, he is actually who got me into lifting weights in the first place, and he is who entered me into my first contest. My husband and I use the time when Bianca is at gymnastics to work out together. It makes family life a lot easier because we are all on the same page, and mentally focused when it comes to healthy living, exercising, and balanced eating. On Sundays we have started a little tradition, I wake up early and go do my cardio, then my husband and daughter wake up, and when I get back and they go for a jog outside, while I cook breakfast. My daughter looks forward to her run with her Dad, and then we all enjoy a great breakfast together. It’s a wonderful way to start off our Sunday mornings.

My husband and my daughter also come to my competitions with me, seeing my on stage in my glory helps them understand why I do what I do, why I train and diet so hard. They are so supportive and excited to be there, and it mentally helps me to make sure I’m having fun and proudly displaying my body and my hard work, because they are so proud of me. Having them there also keeps everything in perspective for me. Plus we love to share the indulging cheat meal together after the competition – I usually make myself sick, but I never learn.


Concluding Thoughts:

"Why Can't I Be Me? Personality"
Are you the type of person who desperately wants to take the world by storm but are so concerned with what people will think that you won't let yourself be you! You really want to try new things and usually do, but not before putting one toe in to test the waters.

You are constantly on the go but don't always get as much accomplished as you would like because you spend time worrying about whether or not you are right. You do have many friends but are afraid to get close to them and constantly wonder what they are saying behind your back. When it comes to knowing the right thing to say you are pretty on the mark until you start second-guessing yourself. You look calm, cool, and collected on the outside but inside you are really insecure. You like to take chances but over analyze what will happen if you do.

Imagine what you could do if you just did what you wanted. You didn’t care about what others thought, just what’s best for you and your family. You are the only one stopping yourself from doing what you want! Get out of your own way!

Imagine how different life would be if you lived each day as if it were a gift and not a burden. You could dance like no one was watching. Sing like no one was listening. Laugh until you cry, or cry until you laugh. Every time you smile, you feel it from the pit of your stomach. Every hug you give, you squeeze a little tighter for a little longer.

Find you’re reason for being, your passion in life and set your goals accordingly! You’re goals can change or update periodically but you MUST concentrate fiercely on your task as hand. Deep focus and concentration comes from both CONFIDENCE and PURE HUNGER. You can achieve ANYTHING!! Set a goal… you’d be surprised what you can do if you give it your ALL!






It's all about the balancing act! If EVER in my life I could find perfect balance of caring for my family I would be completely fulfilled as a mother, wife, and person!! I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones, so please don't mistake this by any means as complaining. Just my honest opinion on the hardships of raising children and having a family this day in age with all of the obstacles we face - financial, emotional, physical, or spiritual. I am a young mother (23 years old) I have one beautiful 6 year old daughter, and twins on the way in August!! I am fortunate to have a wonderful, magnificent husband, and a loving and supportive family! But my constant struggle with balance will be something I forever strive to conquer!! How so? Balance of mothering my children, work, time with my husband, time with my family, time with friends, personal time, and household responsibilities, chores, tasks, and self - improvement. Having healthy fears and obsessions to protect your family, trying not to border or cross into controlling or overprotecting your family. Questions that run through my head everyday... Are they really safe at school? Do they truly know how much we love them? Am I focusing too much on them and ignoring my husband? Have I truly taught them right from wrong? Would they tell me if something bad happened to them? Am I focusing too much on myself and not enough on my family? Is my house clean enough? Do I obsess too much over the house? Am I a good mom? Am I a good wife? Are day to day tasks not allowing us to plan for the future? Are my kids happy? Is my husband happy? Get the idea! The list goes on and on and on! I continue to struggle to do the best for my family and try to maintain balance everyday, but even with all of these obstacles; I wouldn’t have it any other way! Being a mother and wife is the best thing I can be. And though it brings me my greatest fears in life, it also brings me my greatest joys!

Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.

You're either committed to YOURSELF or you're not. There's no such thing as sorta committed. You're either in, or you're out. This was a post on a Facebook Page of a fitness Trainer/Coach that I like to follow. The page is Lean Bodies Consulting and if you haven't liked it yet GET ON IT. Ok wait let me forewarn you. The coach is very knowledgeable, experienced, has a successful track record, and individualizes approaches per clients, BUT he is also very straight forward. It is half the reason I enjoy the page so much. If there is one thing I can't stand its feeling like someone is codling me or yessing me to death. If I want that I will go to my mother, love her to pieces but in her eyes I can do no wrong LOL and honestly its a nice refuge, but in every day life I RESPECT and prefer BRUTAL HONESTY. Lean Bodies Consulting Page and tactics are just that BRUTALLY HONEST. I have never worked with Lean Bodies Consulting only followed some of their top clients and page, and I will say what I like most about male trainers is they often have a way of being completely unemotional when it comes to prepping for a show and sometimes you need that. However some people like having a trainer who is a friend and gets the "whole picture" as well. Now Most TOP trainers male or female do, I feel, get the whole picture. I use to train with Mike Davies another top trainer in the industry and he was so BLUNT and straight forward it wasn't even funny. But when I was sick or going through stuff he would call and talk me through stuff and be a shoulder to lean on - that is THE WHOLE PICTURE. THAT IS A GOOD COACH!! But back to my point, Lean Bodies Page had easily become on of my favorite pages for inspiration, not to mention great articles to read. But when I read: You're either committed to YOURSELF or you're not. There's no such thing as sorta committed. You're either in, or you're out. I felt a little sting. I am committed but to what? As I've mentioned I've toyed with getting back on stage, I want to, mentally and physically I'm ready to, its just my fear of commitment to it. I've never had that before. Normally I pick a date and shoot. But lately I've been talking myself out of it, I am IN AND OUT. I am exactly what I SHOULDN'T"T BE. So I decided my only factor holding me back that is of utmost concern is school. I cannot and will not let a hobby in anyway shape or form DISTRACT from school. So once I get my midterm score back in Chemistry I will COMMIT to a decision, above an 80 - I WILL PICK A SHOW and run like the wind (actually I despise running) but below an 80 and I am COMMITTED TO BRINGING THAT UP! This class will not win. My schedule is flowing and my lifestyle can make it work, its just my focus is SCHOOL, so we shall see. However not the point of my blog, it did however force me to face my flip flopping, just by reading YOU"RE EITHER IN OR OUT.

Now the next update could not have been timed better. So I went to class eager to get our grades back from Tuesday and we didn't. I was frustrated with that AND frustrated with the fact that the next few days were a little crazy and I was nervous about getting everything done. And then I wake up and see the next update on Lean Bodies Page: Messing up a day doesn't mean a person isn't committed. Commitment doesn't mean automatic perfection. Commitment is a mindset and it becomes obvious in behavior, choices and planning since mindset determines behavior. THIS HIT HOME!!! It was like someone was saying JUST DO IT. DO IT YOUR BEST. You'll know deep down if you did your best or not... JUST DO IT.

Black or white, hot or cold, IN or out, this was how my brain worked for a long time. It's either you do something 100% or you don't do it at all. You know how many things I have NOT done because it couldn't be 100%? Looking back now, its ridiculous. It's frustrating, but I have WORKED HARD to do more and think less. Now every once in a while I get wrapped up, but it's so much shorter lived than I use to. My life is not ALL OR NOTHING anymore. I have too many amazing facets - family, business, fitness, school, fun, that I'm not willing to sacrifice ALL for ANYTHING. INSTEAD I have to change my mindset and ADAPT. Make it work. What I wrote on that status and is so true: I so needed to read this!! As a student, business owner, mom of three, wife, and part time spaz who always has my hands in something. The perfectionist in me starts to have meltdowns when something is not perfect. I am learning that small steps, consistency, determination, and perseverance mean more than perfection. Kills me to write it but there is no perfect.

THERE IS NO PERFECT. Say it again and again. When you have those rough days, don't make excuses or wallow in them, stay focused and committed. Today I woke up and knew that I had a packed day. I had a very small window for the gym and I had to use it wisely. I arrived at the gym at 12:20 and I needed to complete my workout in time to make an eyebrow appointment for 1:45. Now that sounds like a decent window however I needed to lift and do cardio and normally I like to allot for an hour and a half span at least; 45 minutes lifting, 45 minutes cardio. Again my goals are very specific and I am a perfectionist when I have something planned out and it doesn't go as planned I feel as though I failed. If I wanted 45 minutes of cardio and only got 35 I feel I messed up. It doesn't seem significant, but again when I'm committed to a goal its all the way. Today I decided since I was inspired by the idea of changing my mindset, I would change my workout a little. Again sounds like not a big deal, but when I'm working on a plan it is kinda a big deal to me, something I've learned to go with the flow with. I use to carry a log book LIKE A BIBLE and while I truly believe there is great benefit in doing that, I also believe sometimes you have to live a little in the gym LOL so this was what I did I "squeezed" it in and it was great!

Shoulder Press Machine 4 sets pyramid down in reps up in weight
Superset with Reverse Pec Dec 4 sets 10 - 12
1.40 X 12 60X10
2. 50 X 10 60X10
3. 60 X 8 60X8 got too heavy remember this is 3rd superset by now
4. 70X6 so I went down to 52.5 X10


EZ BAR Upright Rows 4 sets 40 X12
Super set With Dumbbell Side Laterals 4 sets 15X10 for the first two LAST two sets I died out till I couldn't lift them and got 15X 8 and a half each set.

Now to me this is somewhat lower volume and a shorter workout than normal. HOWEVER it still felt like a good workout because I focused on intensity, moving, form, the weights are definitely not spectacular but they did the job. I also knew I was following this workout with a routine that would also incorporate shoulders.

This workout above was completed in 25 minutes which brought me to start my next portion which was barbell complexes at around 12:50. Now this workout was again posted by Lean Bodies Consulting and since I found my motivation through them on this particular morning and wanted a FULL yet different workout I found it only fitting to throw this is.

Here is the layout from Lean Bodies Consulting:

Deadlifts x6
RDLs x6
Barbell Rows x6
Hang Cleans x6
Front Squats x6
Push Press x6
Full Squats x6
Good Mornings x6

Each movement transitions into the next so you're never putting the bar down. Go lighter than you think at first, trust me. Rest 60s at the end of the round and keep going for 20 minutes. Then lie down and recover.

I completed this full rotation for a total of 5 times in the twenty minutes using a 45 pound Olympic bar. However and this happened to me last time as well because I did it following shoulders, after the second rotation just for push presses I did need to drop down to a 30 lb barbell and switch it out quickly for that one exercise my shoulders where not having it, and my form was at risk of being altered.

Finished that, filled my water, wiped my face, sanitized, and hopped on the stairs for 30 minutes to finish myself off. Washed my face and hands wet my hair pulled it back neater, changed my shirt and went and got my eye brows done. Lalalalalalalala :) I FELT LIKE A MILLION BUCKS!!! And it was a run around weekend I needed that positive energy! I went from there to clean my house, pick up my daughter for school, and get my house ready for her birthday party the next day. I got supper ready, and then got her ready to go to her dance pep rally party. Dropped her off for two hours and I hit Target, Bjs, the party store and then picked her back up and went home for 9pm. Put all the party stuff away and set up a little. I still needed to get her cake she wanted a specific Carvel ice cream cake I was having a hard time finding.

Saturday Morning I woke up and was off to teach my bootcamp! Met a client after that to train and hit up my own workout. Hit a few more stores and found the coveted M&M Carvel Ice Cream cake for the birthday girl. Headed home and showered and got ready for the day. Took my daughter and her girlfriends to the Salon for a Glam Party they got their nails, make-up and hair done, and then back to our house for pizza, cake, presents, and a sleepover! The kids had a blast and well so did I, what other excuse do I have to do double turns in my living room? Sing and dance like a goofball, Watch 17 Again, and listen to girl talk LOL Needless to say I was up till 2 in the morning. And bright and early the next day it was clean up from the mess, get the girls ready to go home, and My father in Law and Husband where putting in new counter tops in our kitchen!! Which I have to say came out beautifully. So here we were RIPPED UP KITCHEN, NO SINK, sawdust everywhere... NEVER A DULL MOMENT. I did take Sunday totally off from the gym, although I wouldn't call it a day of rest LOL, needless to say by Sunday night I was in bed by 9pm PASSED OUT!! And Monday morning right back at it! Why? Because I am committed! I am committed to first being the best mother I can be, I am committed to my marriage. I am committed to achieving my goals. What they are well there are too many to list for now, I am looking semester at a time in few month blocks and longer term ones are coming as the shorter ones get knocked out of the park.

I started this blog last Friday night it took me till tonight Tuesday to complete it because I've been so busy, but that's okay. I will say this: my weight goal to hit by my daughter's birthday weekend was hit. My Chemistry grade goal to hit was hit. My house renovations goal by March 18th will be hit. My goals in terms of my boot camp was hit. SO slowly but surely bigger goals will come :) I am learning that small steps, consistency, determination, and perseverance mean more than perfection. And I am TEACHING IT AND SHARING IT. Don't sweat the small stuff, look at the big picture. But make your consistent small stuff amount to BIG STUFF!!!