Traci+7

Team Beachbody TOP COACH TRACI MORROW Shows You How To Earn a Presidential Fitness Award!

2011-07-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

This nation is in a bad place, as it pertains to obesity. The President of the United States wants to send YOU a Presidential Fitness Award for agreeing to take back YOUR OWN Health, and the health of your family by ordering a Team Beachbody Workout Program or Shakeology on monthly Home Direct!

Do YOUR part to END THE TREND...TOGETHER with our President - Beachbody certainly is!

JOIN ME - I can be your FREE COACH :)

Team Beachbody TOP COACH TRACI MORROW Shares a Home Workout to Sculpt the Arms

2011-06-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

Team Beachbody TOP COACH TRACI MORROW Shares a Video ReCap from 2011 Coaches Summit

2011-06-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Team Beachbody TOP COACH TRACI MORROW Featured in P90X2

2011-06-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Pre Orders Taken in August - don't have a Coach? I'd love to be yours!

Team Beachbody TOP COACH TRACI MORROW Shares Post Summit Thoughts About Coming Back HOME :)

2011-06-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Wow. What a weekend. (felt more like 2 weeks; so much was packed into those four days!)

I'm not going to get into all the fun business announcements because I posted them on facebook and twitter (if you dont already - follow me please at the links up top TRACIMORROW.com) as soon as I heard them, as did many of the coaches at the Summit. I'm going to talk about crossing the threshold back into the real world of home, a family I'd left for four days, and balancing what I learned at Summit with home life.

My most important relationship on this earth is with my husband KC. Yesterday was Father's Day and I'd made certain my kids made his day special before I left for the hotel. He is NOT big on surprises (I learned that when he turned 40 and I threw him a surprise party - he was surprised alright, but I later learned that he was NOT thrilled. :) Good thing he has a good poker face ;o)) so I had a family meeting with the kids before I left and told them to write up what they were planning for Fathers Day on Saturday night before they went to bed. ie:

1. We're taking you and Grandpa out to breakfast
2. We'll leave the kitchen clean after our midnight raid :)
3. We're going to be doing the Starbucks run FOR YOU this morning!
4. When Mom comes home, we're all taking you to dinner

They did it, he was honored, and it was a good day. <3 As for me, while I drove home I was pondering, what if KC went away somewhere for days with tons of people who he knew and loved, who I didnt know, would I feel secretly jealous or wonder if he ever wanted anyone else but me? KC is my lovable introverted husband, and has the blessing/curse of having a wife who loves being around people - lots of them. He is wonderful to encourage me to BE ME. While Summit was happening, I got to hug and speak with literally hundreds of folks that I love on various levels of relationship. Men and women. I might feel a little insecure if I were him, truth be told. Maybe a lot. I like hearing that after 20+ years of marriage, I'm still his #1 choice even today. :) I put myself in his shoes knowing that over the weekend, a divide has temporarily occurred. I've experienced something powerful while he was home having a nice, quiet weekend at home with our kids. My number one goal as I walk back through that door: close the gap. I want him to know as I walk through that door that I am most at home WITH HIM, and HIM ALONE. :) <3 I love all those Beachbody family members that I have come to love deeply, but the BALANCE of my life comes from the day to day running of a family with this man that has my full heart. We had a private conversation that will remain private, but I said all I needed to say while hugging him and looking him eye to eye so he knows that without a doubt my life goal is to FINISH WELL. That means old and wrinkley, side by side WITH HIM. :) <3

I share this because I know there are A LOT of Beachbody Coaches who came to Summit alone. And you too cross a threshold back into life with a spouse who didnt experience what you experienced. Close that gap. While Summit is meant to inspire you to build your business with faith in the integrity and message of the company, OUR GOAL is to keep our relationships in tact with those we made promises to "for better or for worse till death do us part". And to do so with passion and integrity and INTENTION...and a smile! :)

I didnt tell him excitedly everything that happened. There will be a time for that. It was Fathers Day and he asked sincerely if I was too tired to go out to dinner. I was DOG tired, but NEVER too tired to celebrate a day that honors him as the DAD of this crazy ginormous family! We went, we had a nice time with NO talk of Beachbody and it was great. HOME. Then we had frozen yogurt (Joseph yelled from the back of the suburban "hey dad - can you get us Blizz?" "I mean,.....can we take you to Blizz for Fathers Day?" :) lol

Long story short: the BALANCE of life is taking all the different experiences and keeping whats REALLY important in its proper place. Dont let powerful experiences confuse you or distract you from the people who you love, but didnt experience it as well. Live it. They'll get it THROUGH you. :) Take control of your emotional response to Summit and dont let it distance you from the people in your life that YOU CHOSE. :) The rewards will be endless and your regrets will be far fewer.

PROTECT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.
PROTECT YOUR FAMILY.
PROTECT & PRESERVE what you REALLY WANT IN LIFE.

Finish well. Far too many leaders dont, and society suffers when the leaders dont lead well. To the end.

In this with you!
TRACI :)

Check Out Team Beachbody TOP COACH TRACI MORROW Sharing About Her Home Business

2011-06-14T18:36:00.001-07:00

Have You Joined In a Local Fit Club? Top Coach TRACI MORROW Shares the Link To Hers!

2011-06-14T18:31:00.000-07:00

Team Beachbody Top Coach TRACI MORROW's Day Four In The "Asylum"

2011-05-25T16:36:00.001-07:00

Team Beachbody Top Coach TRACI MORROW shows her Day One with Shaun T's Insanity Asylum

2011-05-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Team Beachbody Top Coach TRACI MORROW Shares What NOT To Do Like Shaun T! :)

2011-05-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Team Beachbody Top Coach TRACI MORROW talks about Spiritual Growth & Balance :)

2011-05-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

How To Get Started With Your Team Beachbody Program!

2011-05-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

TRACI MORROW Discusses Family Time For a Team Beachbody Coach

2011-04-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

A Beachbody Coach is Just a Customer Reaching Out To Fellow Customers!

2011-04-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

What a fun day to film a coaching training video with my boys :)
Love our Products & Company!

I'd love to have you join me!
Where my passion for helping people meets my passion for fitness!

Why not TODAY? :)

Shakeology & Darin Olien Featured in May's O Magazine

2011-04-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

I have a shake every day for breakfast or lunch. That shake? SHAKEOLOGY This month, Oprah featured its co-creator in her O Magazine. After you read it, if you want it, get it HERE

O’s editor in chief travels to Peru to experience a trove of life-giving superfoods that just might revolutionize your view of nutrition.

The Superfoods That Could Change the Way You Eat, Feel, and Live

By Susan Casey
Apr 05, 2011

Around 4 o’clock on any given morning, Darin Olien will walk into his Malibu, California, kitchen and make himself a smoothie. This will not be an ordinary drink. The other day, for example, he tossed the following into his blender: coconut water, fermented sprouted brown rice, maca, aloe vera juice, barley grass powder, kamut juice powder, almond butter, camu camu, avocado, goji, lucuma powder, noni juice, cacao nibs, MSM, maqui, bee pollen, sacha inchi oil, omega-3-DHA/EPA oil, Hawaiian deepwater salt, chia seeds, nopal, goat yogurt, luo han guo, and a powder called Shakeology.

If you’ve never heard of many of these ingredients, you’re not alone. But stay with me here, because they’re among the most powerful nutrients on Earth. Olien’s specialty is what’s known as “formulating,” taking wildly beneficial substances and combining them into something even more potent: a supplement, a snack, a tea, a medicine, a smoothie. Every food in nature contains a mix of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, along with noncaloric vitamins, minerals, fibers-all of which fuel our cells-and each one has unique abilities that we really don’t understand, but it is now clear that some foods pack an extra biochemical punch. Camu camu fruit, for instance, provides the richest source of vitamin C known to exist. Maca, a hearty root that grows only in the high Andes, comes in yellow, red, and black varieties, boosts fertility, is said to balance hormones, and dispenses a day’s worth of kick-ass energy. Sacha inchi is another South American treasure, a protein-rich, metabolism-revving nut that delivers an omega-3 bonanza. Olien’s final ingredient, Shakeology, contains more than 70 components itself, a crazy cornucopia of good.

No one understands Shakeology better than Olien, who created it in 2008, after Carl Daikeler, CEO of the fitness company Beachbody, challenged him to come up with a supplement to match the tagline The Healthiest Meal of the Day. His customer was someone who wanted optimum wellness, wanted to lose weight, wanted cholesterol levels to drop-but had no intention of eating a platter of broccoli each day. Daikeler gave Olien no limits on quality, no cost/revenue restrictions; the goal was to shoot the moon, to seek out and combine the most extraordinary plants, fruits, nuts, herbs-nature’s secret weapons. And Olien found them: ashwagandha from China, cordyceps from Bhutan, yacon from Peru. An alphabet of vitamins and minerals from the purest sources. Prebiotics. Probiotics. Green tea and grapeseed extracts, chlorella and spirulina and hydrilla, a spectrum of enzymes. Since hitting the market in March 2009, more than 400,000 bags of Shakeology, at $119.95 each, have been sold.

For the rest of the article go to http://m.oprah.com/appoprah/wap/page_wap_single_article?title=HEALTH&article_id=ff8081812ea13787012f27c993780130

Want it? www.ShakeForYourself.com

In Loving Tribute to Betty Morrow

2011-04-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Saying Goodbye.....

2011-04-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

Are we ever really prepared for a loved one to pass, even in old age? How in the world can one EVER prepare?

As many of you know, we decided not to take the Top Coach Beachbody Bahama Reward Cruise as all of our kids couldn't get passports in time. (long story) I made the decision that this years trip was "all or nothing" and decided to instead have a spectacular spring break trip! :)

That week, back on the home front, we all enjoyed looking at the photos going up on facebook, sad to be missing out, but at peace with the decision. After all, this business is to provide FREEDOM to have more family time - and my family is always the priority with me, as I'm sure yours is for you. :) Nothing ground shaking happened that week, but a few nice moments with my kiddos, and a MAJOR decision to move my sweet little mother in law to a new home. KC's mom has been in a dementia home for the last three years and we've loved where she'd been, but for the last few months - she'd been moved to the convalescent hospital part of the facility due to a few trips to the ER needing an oxygen mask. I HATED her being in that convalescent home. The staff were SO kind, but they were terribly understaffed, so she many times didnt have her hair or dentures clean or washed, and WAY too much of the time she was just wheeled out into the hallway; SITTING in an old wheelchair. Alone. :( It KILLED us, and we were praying and looking for another option. Because of our age, not many, if any of our friends have had to deal with this yet so it was a real learning curve for us.

The week of the cruise, a friend of KC's who meets regularly with him for weekly Christian accountability, listened as KC shared our concerns and told him about a wonderful place where he'd just moved HIS mom. Oh, the power of referrals! KC made a call that day and he and I moved her within days. It was a GREAT homey place, and I decorated her room with photos and flowers (an avid gardener in days past, I made sure flowers followed her <3 ). She was well fed (including Chocolate Shakeology twice a day for snack and vitamins :)), clean, hair styled daily, and comfy in her recliner chair from home. My gauge was always "would I want to be here?" and at this new place, the answer was YES! :) It didn't feel as bad to leave her, knowing there were always one worker to three residents.I saw her the week before we left to spend spring break at the beach, and KC took the boys the day we left (Saturday).

Monday morning, we were awakened to the news that she'd passed away. So after one full day of fun in the sun, our vacation spot turned to a grieving and healing spot as we've begun to walk down the path of loss, and the planning of her burial and Remembrance Gathering at our home next week.

A mom is a role never to be replaced. We were grateful to have had her for as long as we did. She was 88. These last few years of caring for her in her dementia were a gift from God as she was softened by the disease (she was one tough cookie!) and became so childlike and adorable. Yes, there are hard moments of dementia, but overall she was a joy to care for and give back to her as I know God would have us honor her.

I have no regrets in my relationship with her. That was purposeful. I said all I wanted to say, she said things to me that I will cherish forever, and that will remain between the two of us women who love her son, and I will forever be grateful that I got to know her in the capacity that I did. I learned so much from her, and though I'm close to my own mom, she and I shared a very unique and special bond that can never be replaced, nor would I want it to be.

Della Elizabeth "Betty" Morrow will live on in the strong women who are her granddaughters, in her grandsons who loved to play under her smiling gaze, and in the loyalty she modeled to her family. I will miss her greatly and am better for having known her. <3

Look What Arrived!! :)

2011-04-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

SOOO excited! For those of you who still want to join but dont have your book yet - NEVER FEAR!! I am heading to the beach for spring break with my family and plan to start on Monday, April 11th.

So get your book ordered and plan to begin your 90 days of spiritual and physical fitness GROWTH on that day! :)

XO!

Does This Song Play in YOUR House?

2011-04-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

This video is the hot topic among teens and early 20-somethings, in case you're that rare person who doesn't know the words to this song already. :) This young girl made a video in the hopes of getting discovered and it spread virally through YouTube. It has nearly 73,000,000 hits already - that's right - nearly 73 MILLION! Kids hate this song, and yet.....even I know the words because it plays so much.

Before my assistant Brittany came in last Friday, she sent me a text saying "Its Friday...Friday...gotta get down on Friday...." :) Like Tony Horton says about P90X: "We hate it, but we love it." :)

You may hate me for getting this song stuck in your head, but I thought, well, misery loves company..... ;o) And it is catchy afterall!

"...gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal....." :) HAPPY FRIDAY!!! :)

Slow Starting Thursday

2011-03-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today DID NOT start out how I thought it would. I woke up at 5:30am, did my bible study (I'm in Hebrews), made my bed, and headed out to the garage/gym to get my workout in. As I walked through the kitchen to get to the garage in the dark of morning, I stopped in my tracks.

Teenagers had struck.

The kitchen and living room looked like the troops had stormed in, did as much damage as they could, and rushed out just as fast as they'd come. Sink overflowing with dirty dishes, dishwasher full of clean dishes, stove top slopped with cheese, the rice cooker out, and full of quinoa that had big scoops out of it and the rest burnt to the bottom of the cooker, cups of water, empty and partially empty bowls, water bottles, used napkins, leftover dinner containers emptied and sitting out. You get the idea. There was NO WAY I was heading to the garage to workout only to start my day with a filthy kitchen.

So as I went to work in that mess I mumbled to myself, grumbled out loud to no one in particular, and wondered how in the world they could NOT get that the kitchen shouldnt be slaughtered like that and left to greet me in the morning. It was a good thing it was early and they wouldnt get out to the kitchen for a bit cuz I was fit to be tied.

By the time I wiped the counters clean and started the emptied-then-refilled dishwasher, the first of the teens came out. I had some words to say, but by then my tone was MUCH calmer than it would have been about 40 minutes earlier, and I got my point across in no uncertain terms. I got hugs and apologies and they got my message loud and clear.

So that was my morning. I mopped the kitchen and cleaned the entry bathroom and am so thankful for fit club tonight so I can get my workout in after all. But my point is that sometimes the morning starts out slapping you down - whether its a disastrous kitchen, or a botched deadline at work, or a mountain of paperwork, or bad news, or _________ (you fill in the blank), and its up to us to roll with it and not let it throw off the whole day.

Today is still not over yet, but its not been bad after all. I've had a GREAT conversation with my Success Partner and dear friend Doug Fitzgerald, followed by another good call with fellow Beachbody Coach and friend Perry Tinsley, and my sweet assistant Brittany brought me my favorite coffee. :)

And my kitchen was clean. :) At least for the 6 hours the kids were at school. :)

Paul Study :)

2011-03-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends! :)

Update: I've heard from some of you that ordered your Paul (**Thank you Lori J for reminding me that its NOT Daniel, but Paul that I've signed us all up to study! LOL) Beth Moore Bible Study book and it's already arrived at your door...uh?!? Whats up with that - I posted the idea AFTER I'd ordered mine and its still not here?!?! What in the wide world of sports is going on? BooHoo!

So wait for me - my book should be here any day - I will be embarking on this 90 day study very soon and want to do this TOGETHER. :)

Waiting patiently for my Bible Study to arrive......was that the door bell?? ;)

Want To Join Me?

2011-03-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

I just ordered this book this morning and plan to embark on a journey with the worlds most famous evangelist through the guidance of my favorite female author Beth Moore. Care to join me? I'd love to go through it together and share our thoughts and insights these next 90 days! :) I say, we begin a 90 day workout program at the same time as we seek to grow physically and spiritually. If you're interested (why not?!?! Go for it!! Dont make me grow alone! ;) ) just click on the link to the side and purchase your copy today! Let's GROW TOGETHER!! :)

Let me know if you're going to join me on my journey!

Friend me on facebook!
Follow me on twitter!

Team Beachbody Top Coach 2009

2011-03-27T20:42:00.001-07:00

Team Beachbody Top Coach 2008

2011-03-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

When I started this business I knew NOTHING about it. :) That just goes to show you that you can DO and LEARN at the same time, and be successful. All it takes is a desire, an interest, and a love for helping people. Servant leadership.

1st Ever Top Coach Video from 2007 - What an Honor! :)

2011-03-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

For Women, Aged 35-50

2011-03-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

This may be TMI for you guys, so feel free to either pass this link on to your wife or sister, and I’ll see you on the next one. ;)

My mom gave my older sister a book when she turned 40, 10 years ago. Last year, as I approached my 40th birthday I reminded her of the book.

"I’d love a copy of that book you gave to Sister, Mom”, (we’re very unique with our nicknames for one another aren’t we? ;) ) “my body’s doing some weird stuff and I think I may be in the beginning stage of perimenopause.”
“Oh TRACI, you’re young and in such great shape – you’re already having symptoms?”, my mom asked, trying to remember the name of the book. “Terri (my sister) and I were at least 45 before we started in.”

But you know your own body. You KNOW when things are different. I was barely 40 years old and suddenly everything I knew to be pattern, routine and normalcy with my body suddenly were all over the map. My “28-days-to-the-hour” cycle now was anything but predictable. I noticed a layer of fat forming over my abs and backside that had NEVER been there, even though my eating was the same. I was VERY tired, though I was faithfully taking my supps, eating clean, and drinking my Shakeology healthy meal replacement shake and exercising 4-6 times a week. I was more emotional, was experiencing insomnia, and waking up drenched in sweat. Sound familiar? Well, if so, this book will help you navigate this new path in your health journey informed and educated as you decide what you’ll do to manage and monitor your hormone levels.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that I have spoken with my gynecologist about the changes. She ran quite a few tests to make sure it is the natural process of perimenopause and not something more serious or dangerous. (I had a mammogram, blood work, and a uterine scrape (in addition to my regular pap exam) to test for uterine cancer. Everything came back normal after a brief scare. whew!) Together, she and I are charting the best plan of action for me, but I’m also researching additional ways to help with mood swings and night sweats. This is a day and age of knowledge on the web and I want to encourage all of you reading this to not just take a medication just because your doctor tells you to, but to search for what is THE BEST plan for YOU. I’m researching and finding out what works for me, and I encourage you to do the same. Times are changing and so is the way people approach aging and change. “Taking your health back” doesn’t just mean getting fit again but also researching whats out there now. Reading a book like this is a GREAT help.

We’re in this TOGETHER. :) I’ll keep sharing with you as I learn, and I hope you’ll do the same with others.

Closing out with page 11 from the book, where there is a check list of symptoms for you to see if you may be in perimenopause. Every woman won’t have every symptom obviously, but see if any of these match up for you:

Irregular Periods
PMS symptoms – bloating, cramps, breast tenderness
hot flashes and night sweats
insomnia and fatigue
heart palpitations
mood swings and irritability
migraine headaches
memory problems
fuzzy thinking or inability to concentrate
dry, itchy, irritated skin
dry or thinning hair
brittle nails
weight gain, especially around the middle
pain with intercourse
loss of interest in sex
joint pain
irritable bowel syndrome

If this lines up with what you’re going through, please purchase the book and make an appt with your gynecologist. We’ll get through this…TOGETHER. :)

Getting Healthy, but staying Relevant :)

2010-03-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

Here's what concerns me about leaders in health and wellness coming out in what can be perceived as elitest mentality as it pertains to food. A large percentage of our country spends their time in a fast food line, and "controversies" over Agave r Nectar vs Truvia vs HGCS doesnt even make sense to them. Its a foreign language!

If we want to help people reverse the trends of obesity and make healthy life changes, we need to remember that in order to make a lifestyle shift and reclaim your health, its mostly about BABY STEPS: getting rid of soda, moving their bodies 30 minutes a day 6 days a week, and eating foods that have far less ingredients that they dont know how to pronounce. THAT inspired ME to change because it was doable. Step one. Eat fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and healthy fats. (tony horton quote) Step two. workout consistently. Step three. get accountable to someone.

My whole purpose is to help people GET HEALTHY; not get so caught up in fear of what to eat and what not to eat that we can become paralyzed with the lack of really pure, clean choices.
Balance. I'm a fan of it. :)

...like slipping into a comfy pair of old slippers....

2009-11-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Its been too long since I've blogged. Life gets busy, and sometimes you just have to let some things go and concentrate on the things that REALLY matter. For me, that was our family scheduling with all the sporting events, and spending time on the phone with members of my Beachbody Coaching team. (www.beachbodycoach.com/TRACIMORROW2)

So lots of things have been happening around here obviously. How could there NOT be a lot going on with 8 people living in this house!? ;o) But as far as my fitness goes, I have been in that place where its just about the self discipline of getting it done. Not really loving it, not training for anything, but understanding that I'm improving the quality of my life in the short and long term each time I work out. Good thing I had a set routine of WHEN I workout, or I might have slipped into that all too common pattern of "taking a break" that I see in the people I coach. (trust me - I was tempted some days because well, life is busy and I always have SOMETHING else I could be doing. Dont we all? Its the never ending internal struggle.)

For anyone who knows me, you know that I love to run. It clears my head, its therapeutic, and it keeps me a SANE, and NICE, and BALANCED wife and mom. :) But that too had lost its charm. In 2008-09 I ran 4 half marathons and in the first half of 2009 I trained and ran in the LA Marathon. Afterwards, I ran a couple times and then just gave myself a pass to NOT RUN for a few months. I was burnt out, and I didnt want to turn something I loved into just another chore. Running has been Holy Ground for me on many, many occasions; while I run I "do business" with God. :) Intimate prayer, where I talk to Him, and He in turn speaks to me.

When my head feels so packed with information and my never ending "to do list", going for a 4-6 miler helps me gain clarity and focus. I cant explain it well, but I never want to lose the beauty of a run and what it does for me mentally, physically, and spiritually. I carefully pick songs that move or inspire me, and when I put on my iPOD and map my run, its not just exercise, its self discipline set to my own personal sound track. :) I know. I may sound like a nutjob, but I sure hope we get to run on those streets of gold in heaven, in slipper-fit eternal running shoes. ;) (I just hope my legs are a little longer - is that asking too much? ;o))

Anyway, two weeks ago (before I got sick) I woke up and knew it was time. I laced up my shoes, dug out my iPOD arm band, and hit the road after I delivered the kids to their four different schools. And it felt SO GOOD. :) All morning I was anticipating it, and as I closed the front door behind me and adjusted my headphones, I could already tell it was going to be a good run. :) My point being that sometimes its okay to lay down the things you get tired of in your fitness and for lack of a better expression: 'put in your time' to maintain your good health & fitness. It only makes picking it back up again all the sweeter; like slipping into a comfy pair of old slippers. You remember WHY you loved it in the first place, and you appreciate it with a fresh perspective as those endorphins kick in as your reward.

God and I had an EXCELLENT time together that day, and I felt my head clear like I havent felt since I stopped running those few months before. And while I felt the effects of not having run for that long, I know that will come right back with consistency and time. I'm just happy to be back.

Once I'd finished my cool down walk and stretch, I opened up that front door a different woman than the one who had closed it on her way out, with a smile that only God saw. That run was like coming home to who I am.
And it always feels good to come home. :)

Excelling at What You Do ~by Rick Warren

2009-08-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

This was my daily devotional today and I thought it so good it was worth sharing.

Rick Warren is the pastor of the megachurch Saddleback Church, and New York Times bestselling author. He was asked by President Barack Obama to give the invocation at the presidential inauguration earlier this year.

When looking to improve and excel, it only makes sense that you look to people who are excelling in their particular area of expertise and learn what THEY did. Here, Pastor Warren shares some sound, biblical principles regarding excellence.

Have an EXCELLENT day!
TRACI :)

August 12, 2009

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people” (Colossians 3:23 TEV).

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps gave us an extraordinary display of the pursuit of excellence. But the truth is every athlete in the Olympics pursues excellence as peak performers in their categories of competition.The Bible identifies five characteristics of people who excel at what they do.

1. People who excel work with enthusiasm. Regardless of whether the job is big or small, give it your best. Great performers give their best effort, no matter the size of the audience: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people” (Colossians 3:23 TEV).

2. People who excel sharpen their skills. They never stop developing, growing, learning, and improving: “If your ax is dull and you don’t sharpen it, you have to work harder to use it. It is smarter to plan ahead” (Ecclesiastes 10:10 TEV). It takes more than desire to excel, it takes skill! Remember, you’re never wasting time when you’re sharpening your “ax.”

3. People who excel keep their word. They are reliable. They can be counted on to do what they say they’ll do. So they excel because people of integrity are rare in our society: “Everyone talks about how loyal and faithful he is, but just try to find someone who really is!” (Proverbs 20:6 TEV).

4. People who excel maintain a positive attitude. Even under pressure, or change, or unrealistic demands, they don’t allow themselves to become negative: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life . . .” (Philippians 2:14–16 NIV). And remember: “If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes” (Ecclesiastes 10:4 NLT).

5. People who excel do more than is expected. This is a secret that every successful person has discovered. You’ll never excel by only doing what is required. Jesus said, “If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously” (Matthew 5:40–42 MSG).

The Broadway lyricist Oscar Hammerstein once told the story of seeing the top of the Statue of Liberty from a helicopter. He was impressed because of the incredible detail the artist had sculpted on an area that no one was expected to see. In fact, the Statue of Liberty was completed with no idea that man would someday be able to fly over the statue!

When you’re tempted to cut corners, thinking, “No one will ever know,” remember God is looking down and sees everything you do. Give him your best this week!

INSANITY - week 4 - Shoes, Toes, Legs, & Sweat

2009-08-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've not been as good as I thought I'd be about sharing my journey here. Oopsie. Man, summer is full when you run a home business and have 6 kids! ;o)

So playing INSANITY catch up:

Week 1: I thought it was a blast, but was concerned that the muscle groups (predominantly legs) weren't getting enough of a rest to really heal. On day four I was feeling an injury from overuse starting to come on in my quads (vastus lateralis to be exact). It was on both quads, and I really babied it while I continued to do the workouts. I realized about day two how critically important GOOD SHOES are for these workouts. On the second workout I started out with some cool looking shoes that are clearly NOT for this type of cross training. I paused in the warmup to change my shoes. My running shoes arent good either for this. They dont provide enough support around the toes/metatarsals for moves like Suicide Drills. I recommend supportive, but not clunky cross trainers.

Week 2: The vastus lateralis apparently was just awakening as the pre-injury no longer even hints at taking a break. I'm encouraged. I'm loving the workouts, and am feeling stronger and stronger. Im starting to dig deeper, squat lower, and move faster without having to pause to catch my breath, punch my leg, and jump back in. I'm starting to miss my P90X weight workouts, not gonna lie. (not to mention that Horton guy :))

Week 3: Fit Test #2! Man, my numbers are through the roof! I was feeling stronger, but there is nothing like taking a test to determine your growth! I cannot believe how in two short weeks I went from feeling like the test was beating the tar out of me, to feeling like a worthy match for this bad boy. :)

**Got a chance to speak with Shaun T(hompson) and felt like I really got to know him as a person. I am happy to report that he is every bit the good guy I assumed he was from the little interaction I've had with him personally before these calls, not to mention how he reads from the tv. He has an incredible story, and I was THANKFUL he graciously carved out time to spend with our team on our National Team Genesis Call. :) Team Gen now Hearts Shaun T! :)

Week 4: Broken Toe: DOH! On Saturday night - the night before my weekly day off I hit my pinky toe so badly I'm cringing as I type it to remember it. I was barefoot in the backyard with an armload and walked too closely to a deck chair! OW!!!!! I separated that little toe so far out my skin split. <<>>

I immediately iced it and elevated it to reduce swelling, and thanks to my friend Anne Dovel I put on a shoe first thing the next morning to hold in the swelling. This worked, and though it did swell in a funky shoe pattern (I should have taken a picture) it didnt swell nearly as badly as if I'd left it uncontained. By Monday it was a bit black and blue, still swollen, but I was able to tape it and get my Pure Cardio workout in.

Now, I'm not an idiot (well, about this anyway ;o)) and would not have done the workout if I felt pain. But I just adjusted my moves so I predominantly moved off my big toe and hardly felt it but a few times. :) YAY!

So far my experience with INSANITY is a love fest! :) I can visibly see the difference in my legs, and as I said before, my stamina is THROUGH THE ROOF! :)

Oh! I almost forgot to write about the joy of finding that I DO SWEAT! For those who know me, you know I dont really sweat. I get a little "glowey" ;o) but even in my marathon I didnt do much more than glow. And I'm working hard - dont get me wrong, its just a genetic thing. But with INSANITY - I am literally dripping wet after the first half of the workout. The first time I felt sweat running down my forehead I thought it was my bangs falling out of the clip. Then it ran into my eye. ??!?!? I excitedly but sarcastically said to KC, "What is this salty discharge??!" So for me it must be keeping my heart rate high consistently that does the trick, but its a nice feeling to finish your workout and be dripping wet. It just FEELS like you really brought it. :) I love that.

Little nervous for the next phase, but just taking one day at a time for now. Its all I have to really work with, anyway. :)

Be blessed today!
TRACI :)

INSANITY - The Journey :)

2009-07-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

Tony Horton always talks about Variety. I am a fan of variety and keeping it new. Its why I love the monthly subscription to One on One with Tony Horton workouts. Always something new! And typically, if its a workout dvd, all my "newness" is centered around Tony's wide range and variety of workouts. I love him, I love his style, he makes me laugh, and I truly believe he's the best at what he does. :) He's taught me what I know about fitness and training people, and, well, the list goes on. I think you get the picture. I am Tony Horton's #1 fan. (and am in good company with many thousands of others claiming the same title :) )

Tony is the first to say "Change it up!" So to you fellow #1 TH Fans, know that its not a lack of loyalty to Tony to change over for the next 60 days, if you're feeling that way. :) We'll forever be Tony fans, but I gotta say, I am a new FAN of Shaun T. I like his style of training, the music in the dvd's that seemingly was written perfectly to every move in the workout, and I'm a fan of feeling like I'm in training for an athletic event. I'm a runner, and want to try a triathlon for fun, and I believe this is an EXCELLENT training program for an event such as that!

I'll log my journey as often as I can, so feel free to follow along either on facebook or here on my blog (http://www.traciplus7.blogspot.com/)

So after Day's one (fit test, which is a workout in itself!) and Two (Plyo-Cardio) here is what I've come up with in the way of coaching tips: :)

1. NOURISHMENT. I need to eat something (good carb) in the two hours before this workout. I used to workout on an empty stomach in the morning or evening; I cannot do that with this workout if I want clean form and to finish strong.

2. LIQUID. I drink about 12oz of water with 1/2 - 3/4 serving of Recovery Formula throughout the workout. Water just doesnt do it. With 25 minutes to go in my workout, where it doesnt get easier, but harder; I NEED the Recovery Formula. This also helps with soreness in the following days.

3. CLEAN FORM (deep squats, high knees, tight core, knees over the ankles in the jump-squats) is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than speed or numbers. Tony taught me this, and its true in anything you do. Sloppy/tired moves might bring higher numbers, but especially with this intense, non stop workout I NEED to concentrate on executing clean form. If a mirror is available - work out in front of one. Once you've viewed yourself doing the clean moves, then you get the FEEL of what the move should feel like, and then you need the mirror less.

4. ATTITUDE. Tony always says "you're stronger than you think". This is so true, and you prove that when you do something hard. I dont care if you're doing INSANITY, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Abs, or Power90; dont be afraid to push yourself within the boundaries of safety. I think you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised with what you can do, and get a healthy dose of self esteem when you stop telling yourself you CAN'T, and find out what you truly CAN do! :) Its liberating!

5. ACCOUNTABILITY. I'm going through this with friends. First thing I did is ask my friend Jason to be my INSANITY buddy. :) I have since found that other friends like Nina and Judy and Marc and JD are doing it also! All the better - the more the merrier! We ARE striving for a REVOLUTION!, afterall! :)

6. SLEEP. I am asking a lot from my body with these workouts. We all are as we do our own workout program. Our bodies recover as we sleep, so be sure to get AT LEAST 7 hours!!!!

7. SUPPLEMENTS. I am finding that I am RELYING on my supplements to do just that; supplement my nutrition plan so my body is getting everything it needs to get through my workouts strong, and have enough energy to spare to last me from sun up to sun down! :) I am supplementing my healthy diet with:

Shakeology

Peak Health Multivitamin
P90X protein bars

Omega 3

Joint Supplement (like oil to my tin man joints! Darn getting old and arthritis!!!)

Calcium Magnesium

So there you have it. Just typing about it makes me excited for my journey, so I think I'll go log my workout into WOWY! :)

I hope my synopsis will be helpful for you; no matter which program you have.

And as always, if you'd like to be coached by a coach on my team, we're here to help!

Please reach out today!!

ABSoluteFitness@roadrunner.com

TOGETHER....we're BETTER!!!!

TRACI :)

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

2009-07-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Magazines everywhere call us to live a healthy lifestyle. News articles and programs tell us how obese we are as a country (over 200,000 adults in the US are overweight or obese), and the health and wellness industry claim over $80 billion in revenue in the US alone. And yet....clearly its not providing lasting results and long term lifestyle changes because the obesity rates continue to climb despite the money we're spending to combat it.

I read an article on MSNBC.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25464987) that talks about New York law requiring restaurants to show their customers the nutritional facts of everything on their menus. While for some, the response to this is "FINALLY!!! It's about time!"; to most, its shocking and rattling the patterns of guiltless (and up to this point, uninformed!) eating. When in the world did we ever get to the place where we eat whatever, and however much we want without ever wondering if we SHOULD be eating it all? There is a definite shift happening, and if you read the above article, you'll see that many arent all that happy to be in the midst of the shift.

What Beachbody calls a Revolution is just that; but on such a deeper level than many think. Dictionary.com defines revolution as "a sudden, complete or marked change in something". The Beachbody Revolution is a COMPLETE change alright! People all over our country (and even beyond our borders) are learning how to change how they eat and view food, change from being inactive & complacent to living more active engaged, but also, and perhaps more importantly, change from living isolated from person to person contact (twitter, facebook, texting, emailing) to the accountability that comes from reconnecting socially & personally to another person; their Beachbody Coach and the Beachbody Community. Longterm change requires people linking together and saying unilaterally: "We're instigating change, and we're in this TOGETHER!" And as pastor and author Rick Warren states in his New York Times Best Seller "Purpose Driven Life" "We're better TOGETHER!!"

You see, making life changes and new choices is ENTIRELY possible by attaching meaning and accountability when you DECIDE>COMMIT>SUCCEED (Beachbody's catch phrase), and tie it tightly together with the strings of accountability. And there are hundreds of thousands of customers (and coaches) who are determined to do just that: SUCCEED...TOGETHER.

Are YOU reading this and your internal bells are going off? Do you feel energized and hopeful that your time has come? Have you had a diagnosis or pre-diagnosis of diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure? Has your doctor told you that you need to lose weight? Did you go to put on your clothes this morning and find they are just too snug?

WONT YOU JOIN OUR REVOLUTION? Together we're better, and

we are waiting for YOU!!

Email me if you'd like to join my Team Beachbody Revolution Team. :)

I've got a team of coaches waiting to link arms to help you in your PERSONAL REVOLUTION! :)

Wanting all God's best for you!!

TRACI +7 :)

ABSoluteFitness@roadrunner.com

The Problem with Shakeology......

2009-05-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

I've been using Beachbody's programs and products since I found them back in 2003. Every time they've introduced a new trainer or a new program - I bought it. When they began The Club - I signed up. When they released a whole line of supplements, I started using them. My kids.....they weren't immediate fans. Let me explain. Beachbody and my friendship with Tony represented one thing to them:

"The End of the Good Food". In an effort to set KC and myself up to succeed, we didnt keep ANY food in the house that we were trying to not eat. Consequently, with the elimination of "tempting" foods in my house, it meant my kids got what they got, and didnt have a say. In hindsight, I might have eased them out a bit more slowly, but at the time, I was the "foodnazi" and if it wasnt good; "NONE FOR YOU!!" ;o) It was not uncommon to hear "I HATE that you found Beachbody!" or "Mom, I wish you never met Tony -then we could be eating like we used to!" I laugh now, 6 years later, but it caused MANY arguments within the family when KC and I chose to dramatically alter how we ate. I did it in such a rookie way - but hey - I was a health rookie!

Needless to say, I've had a bit of trouble getting my kids onboard for the whole "healthy lifestyle" I am so excited about. I buy them all Activit every month. I have a cupboard of Activit bottles because they conveniently forget. I think its their personal rebellion. :) But I dont give up!! With the passing of time, I've realized that by eliminating all foods that I wouldnt choose for them to eat was potentially causing TOO MUCH importance to be placed on food and I didnt want closet junk foodies when they went to college. So I've compromised my foodnaziism as far as they are concerned and in turn, its made them less opposed. Amazing how that works. Now that my oldest three are teenagers, the girls suddenly are asking about a healthy food plan, and my son is asking how he can add muscle to his lean frame. :) :) :) Do you SEE me smiling? By me loosening my dictatorship so to speak, over the food rules of the house, I actually enabled them to HEAR me. :) Ahh...we're all learning....even the parents!

Now enter Shakeology - I bought one home direct order for me, and one for KC. That is one month supply for each of us....or it should have been. Until the kids tried it and decided that was the perfect snack when they got home from school, or when they are rushing out the door to music lessons or bible study and they dont want to eat the pizza offered at church. (thats another topic - dont get me started ;o)) And now I find myself in a quandry; all these years I've been DYING for them to eat how I eat and catch the bug - and now that they finally do - I find myself coveting my precious bag of Shakeology!?!?!! What is my problem??? :)

So I ordered more, and it still seems to not be enough. Their friends like it. My toddlers love "Shake-ah-gee". (*though special note here that kids under 3 shouldn't have it daily*) Every time I go to make my own shake, the blender is in the sink soaking and/or worse, the bags empty. ??? Over and over KC or I am giving the lecture "After you make Shakeology, you HAVE to clean the blender for the next guy!!" And while we're on the subject, where are all the banana's and why is the once 'not touched with a 10 foot pole' almond butter suddenly always on the grocery list? The other day I found 4 - not 1, not 2, not 3 - FOUR EMPTY Shakeology bags STILL IN THE CUPBOARD!!! This called for a plan - as of yesterdays visit from the UPS man - I am not only well stocked, but have back up too. ;o) So while I'm thrilled that my kids are finally grasping the healthy Beachbody way - it's taken some unexpected adjusting on my part too! :)

All in all, not a bad problem to have......and one easily remedied!

Do YOU have Shakeology??

xox
TRACI :)

Bringin It with the Elderly :)

2009-05-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

My mother in law Betty is a sweet little 86 year old woman with dementia. We struggled and struggled earlier this year as it came time to put her into a care facility where she would be taken care of 24/7 but out of her home with her hubby. But God was so faithful every painful step of the way and now here we are - 4 months later and she is doing SO WELL, has many friends, and is even playing along in the daily activities with her new friends. Tonight my daughter Lyndsi's art was in an art show near where Betty lives, so we went to the show and then on to see Betty. Its a funny thing about dementia; it brings people back to childlike ways; no matter who they were or what titles they held as younger men and women. There are nurses, teachers, professors, accountants, and fighter pilots from World War II living here. Each one has a story to tell and when we showed up, we were greeted with big smiles and hugs. I tell ya, its like we're celebrities arriving on the scene. My kids hug all the grandmas and grandpas and are told how cute they are and how much they've grown. Every time. :) Even if they just saw them three days before! :)

So we arrive, and typically take Betty for a walk outside in the garden. She and all the residents use walkers, so she'll grab her walker (or whoevers happens to be closest to where she's sitting - ha!) and we'll head out into the (cool & breezy today) afternoon. I love those times where she tries to remember the names of the flowers and tells me about her friends. :) Today, we ended up with a couple others joining us; we jokingly called ourselves a parade. One of my favorite moments is when we came in and passed by a wall of hats hanging on hooks for "dress up" for the residents. :) We all grabbed one and had a photo moment. :)

But what I really love about this place is that there is daily exercise of the brain and/or body. They get PE! :) What is PE for little elderly people who all use walkers? They sit them all in a big circle in the main living room and today they set up bowling pins with a rubber bowling ball and everyone got to BOWL! :) I volunteered as the pin setter upper (thats an official term ;)) and head "cheerleader", whooping it up as each one set up and bowled. I tell you it was the cutest thing ever. Many didnt remember until they were told by workers "Mr. Gates was a big bowler in his time!" or "Betty used to play in a league for years." and then they'd roll that ball with a bit more attitude than the time before! :)

Everyone got one turn (2-3 rolls) to knock the pins down, before their short attention spans were shot and ready for snack time, but it was SO CUTE! If only I'd logged them into WOWY!? ;o) hee The point here is that you're never too old to get active and find fun ways to get moving - WITH FRIENDS! :) Have a great week!
TRACI :)

Be Inspired By My Friend John!

2009-04-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

If you have tried diet after diet, and that didn't pan out for you, you may be at a place where you feel like losing weight and getting healthy and fit might not be for you. I am *happy* to encourage you that it IS ~ with an inspiring story from my friend JOHN CASWELL, who with the support and love of his wife AUDREY, decided that it was time to make a change. He started out making little changes here and there to his diet and by getting active by walking and such, and then.....well, I'll let Beachbody tell his story......

CHECK THIS OUT! :)

If you're inspired by John's story (he's now lost 119 lbs!) and would like to pick his brain, or have him for your coach, you can contact him at www.teambeachbody.com/JohnCaswell

Or, you can contact me and I can help you get started either with me, or someone on my team! Take your health back - it's what I'm here for!

Lets do this.....TOGETHER!

BLESSINGS!

TRACI :)

And the winner of the iPOD is....

2009-04-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

Kelly Newsom! :)

I held a contest for my PS coaches in February: Advance in rank and enter a drawing to win an iPOD. Kelly's name was the name I drew out of the bowl! YAY!! Congrats, Kel~

CONGRATS to the other coaches who advanced in rank in February- the real reward of course is building a business that lasts, and helping others get into shape! :)

Contest for March-April:

Step to Diamond or Star Diamond through April 30th and enter a drawing to win a Beachbody Banner (Grand Prize) and other cool prizes! (step to Diamond and beyond and you win something) :)

If you want to join my team, I'd love to have you! With the incredible programs and supplements and menu plans that Beachbody provides; we're building something that lasts! Investing in PEOPLE and helping them grab back their health and fitness....TOGETHER! :)

Cant wait to hear from you!

www.TRACIMORROW.com

Interested in Coaching? You're welcome to join my Beachbody Coaching Opportunity Webinar!

2009-03-24T15:48:00.001-07:00

The longer I coach people and see them get the results they *HOPE* they'll get when they first purchased their infomercial in- home workout program, the more jazzed I get for other people to join with me and do the very same thing! Every week I host a webinar for people interested in the coaching opportunity - and I'd love to have you join my team of incredible people who are getting fit and healthy, and making a living doing so!

As a coach we get 25% discounts off of all Beachbody Programs and Products, and typically get to try the new stuff out a week or so before its released to everyone else! What could be better than getting a discount on something you're already using anyway?! :) I have friends who coach because the discount helps them "support their habit". :) What a great "habit", right?!

If you're a coach on my team already, please use this tool that I offer my team, but also make up your own and grow it on your own! Its not hard to do, and I'm happy to have you sit in with me till you get the hang of it,so you can feel confident enough to do it on your own! Duplication through relationship. :)

If you're looking for a home based business, and one that you can be PROUD OF....give it a shot!

Lets get this country (and soon, world!) HEALTHY and Fit! :)

Contact me if you're interested and I'll add you to my list of invitees! :)

ABSoluteFitness@roadrunner.com

BRING IT!

TRACI :)

Shakeology....Fitness for your Insides :)

2009-03-22T16:14:00.003-07:00

I'm so excited about Beachbody's recent release: Shakeology Meal Replacement Shake.....but its also a multi-vitamin of sorts as well! Every serving touts $40 worth of veggies! Thats a lot of veggies!

I have both flavors and though I'm partial to Greenberry, the Chocolate is growing on me too! :)

Its $119.95 for customers, but $89.95 for coaches! What a great bargain and "nudge" to become a coach - for the discount! :) No shame in that!!

I want to hear from you once you've ordered it and tried it! I think you'll find your body just RUNS cleaner on this stuff. For fun, I thought I'd include a video clip from Carl Daikeler - the CEO of Beachbody and a health nut who isnt a fan of veggies! :)

Check it out and drop me a line if you have questions! :) Replace just one meal a day with this shake and you'll see and FEEL better!

For more info on the science and health benefits of this awesome product, go to www.Shakeology.com

We're going for optimal health here - and THIS, combined with your workout dvd's will help you attain just that! :) WoooHoooo! :)

*CHEERS* to health and well-being!

COACH TRACI :)

***You can purchase Shakeology through my website: www.TRACIMORROW.com Just hit the SHOP FOR PRODUCTS button!

Cancun - Day Three

2009-03-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

For Facebook readers, go to www.TraciPlus7.blogspot.com to view video!

Cancun - Day Two

2009-03-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

For Facebook readers, go to http://www.traciplus7.blogspot.com/ to view video!

You Too Can Be a Top Coach!

2009-03-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

I just got home at midnight Thursday March 19th from spending 5 days in Cancun, courtesy of Beachbody. Beachbody does NOTHING half way! This company pulls out all the stops on their all expense paid trips, and after being treated to now my THIRD (holy smokes!) Beachbody trip, I want you to experience it too!!

The Coach Trips will be open to anyone looking to build their business by helping people REACH FOR THEIR DREAMS! :) Not a bad reward, for doing something that naturally rewards you anyway. In this economy, when times are tight, infomercial businesses THRIVE. That means that as more people are pulling in their purse strings, they're also looking for big personal changes. Thats where WE come in. :) We get to help people change their lives PHYSICALLY, and FINANCIALLY as coaches. I find that exciting! :)

If you've been kicking around the idea of getting fit, and perhaps trying the P90X (or P90X+ dvd's that that Traci Morrow is in :)) that you've seen on the ads, and heard Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore twittering about - just hit the photo of Tony Horton on the right side of my blog - I'd love to be your coach and help you take back your health! :)

And...if you're considering coaching - please email me at ABSoluteFitness@roadrunner.com - I'd love to invite you to my weekly coaching opportunity webinar to see if its a fit for you! :)

And then maybe YOU can be on the all expense paid Beachbody trip in 2010 which will be held on Kauai!

Make the Dream a REALITY!

TRACI :)

For Facebook readers, go to www.TraciPlus7.blogspot.com to view the video!

From the Mouth of the CEO: C'mon team! Lets Huddle Up In the WOWY Super Gym!! :)

2009-02-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

From Carl Daikelers Blog:

I want to see if we can surpass the WOWY Super Gym record at 11AM ET/8AMPT Saturday March 7th.It's the official start of "Dream Extreme Week" leading up to the big Summit. And it's a symbolic test to see if this bold idea of the Beachbody Revolution has yet achieved the power to get people engaged in their health and fitness.Out of a network of over 16,000 coaches, thousands more of Team Beachbody members, plus friends, family and co-workers, can we get more than 522 people to workout at the same time?

I actually don't know. I think so. But I also know that it will take more than me blogging here about it. It will take more than me contacting a few key coaches about it. It will take real leadership from our founders. It will take leadership from our Diamonds. And it will take the enthusiasm of our Ruby and Emerald coaches to get the word out in every way possible from today through the event.One workout on one Saturday. What's possible when we pull together? What's possible when at a minimum, everyone who reads this shows up and brings one person?We'll find out when we kick it off in the WOWY Super Gym at 11AM ET/8AMPT Saturday March 7th for the official start of "Dream Extreme Week".

Will I see you there?

An Interview with a 2009 Million Dollar Body Finalist :) My aunt; 62 year old MARY CRAWFORD!

2009-02-24T07:19:00.000-08:00

People like to imitate Success. In fact, thats a leadership building principle. As a coach, I want to help you and anyone reading this hear first hand from a coach on my team (and my favorite title: My aunt :)) who was just honored with being named a $50,000 winner in the Million Dollar Body Game for GETTING HEALTHY!! Imagine that! :)

Please read on to learn a bit about how an ordinary person like you and me took the reins back for her health and fitness!

Make the Dream a Reality!!

What were the biggest things you had to overcome in your journey?
One of the hardest things for me to overcome on my journey was making the decision to start exercising!! It is hard to break old habits and ways of thinking and I knew that once I committed I didn't want to quit! so....I took one day at a time. Each day when I was ready to begin my workout, I said out loud....Mary, just push play!! It worked!!

What are your favorite supplements?
I take the TBB multi-vitamin Activit, Core Omega 3, Core Cal-Mag and Joint Support Formula. I love the Recovery Drink and the yummy Meal Replacement Bars and Shakes.

Which programs did you do – in the order that you did them?
I started with Power 90 and loved it!!! I got great results and still use the 3-4 workouts. The Masters Series is a great one too, and I especially loved the ones with my niece Traci Morrow in them!! :-) The Power half Hour and Slim in Six are great workouts as are Great Bodies Guaranteed and the Ten Minute Trainer!! I have enjoyed mixing them up and getting a fun variety going. I alternate the aerobic and weights but try to do abs daily.

Which is your favorite program for results?
Truly, I think they are all fab...but my sentimental favorite has to be Power 90!

What are some practical things that you notice since being fit?
The biggest thing for me is that I Feel Good!!!! I have way more energy and stamina so I can do things I love.... like playing with my grandkids...and to be completely truthful...I like being fit and trim too!! There is no down side to getting healthy!!

What are some FUN things that have happened since losing the weight?
I literally danced the night away at my nieces wedding and felt great the next day!! One of my brothers asked me how I could keep on going....and I said "TBB Baby!!" It was so much fun!! I love when people notice a difference in me....and ask me what did it?

What was your “Lightbulb Moment” when you realized that it “WAS TIME” to do it. By the book. Everyone’s is different, I’m interested in yours.
I was 61 &1/2 and felt miserable most of the time! My daughters were concerned for me and really encouraged me to make a change....to just try TBB and see if it would make a difference.... and of course it did!!! yippeeeeeeeee

What message would you want to send to people of all ages who are considering going for it?
Becoming fit and healthy is a wonderful way to live the life you have been given. You are worth it and you can do it!!

Are you accepting new people to join your coaching team and if so, how can they connect with you?
I'd love it!! They can email me and I will be happy to help them get started!!

***To contact Mary and get started on your own Team Beachbody Revolution, find her here, and tell her I sent ya: :)

samarytn@sbcglobal.net
www.TeamBeachbody.com/MaryTeresa

TRACI +7 :)

The Awesome 8 Finalists have been announced....Now Its OUR turn to vote!

2009-02-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

If you could have seen my spunky aunt, Mary Crawford at my cousin Joe's wedding, you would have just thought she was a woman struggling with health issues, though her smile never wavered. :) But the truth is, I was really sad. This lady always dressed cute and acted young, spunky and vibrant, and while her spirit didnt fade, she used a cane, wore special (I'm sorry, somewhat ugly) shoes because of her various aches and pains, wore pants to hide the shoes rather than a dress, and had experienced various health issues related to bone loss due to osteoporosis. I was really sad. This wasnt the aunt I knew and loved! Health issues were stealing her spunk and zest for life!

Her daughters felt the same, and came along side of her and got her to start Power90, then Masters Series, then the X! Yes - this former cane depending, ugly orthotic shoe wearing lovely woman was reclaiming her health!! And.....she did it all at 62 years of age!!!

She's not just an inspiration to those in her age bracket but to women everywhere! We CAN turn back the clocks along with Tony Horton's exercise programs, and she would be a wonderful, humble, smiley representative of the company and of womenkind! :)

Please join me and cast your vote for this wonderfully sweet grandma who CHANGED HER BODY & CHANGED HER LIFE!!!

If you're inspired and are looking to change YOUR life as Aunt Mary has changed hers - please email me today so we can get you started on YOUR journey!!

xoxo
TRACI +7

Who do YOU think you are?

2009-02-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

The reason I ask is because after having coached fellow Beachbody customers for 6 years now, I've found that how we view ourselves really has a lot to do with what we become. Let me explain.

When I first bought Power90 from an infomercial, I was 32 years old. I had been fit and active in highschool, and taught aerobics several times a week in my early 20's. I had 4 babies in 5 years and put on more weight with each additional baby; tipping the scales at 50+ pounds heavier than I typically weighed when I delivered baby #4 (my last biological child). I was active; I ran a few times a week and lost the weight after each baby with INTENTIONAL effort; eating less and exercising faithfully. At 32 years old, I had a large, young family and I stayed active by continuing to run 1-2 miles 3 or 4 times a week, and I played in 2 different adult soccer leagues on the weekends as a half back (read: lots of running). Makes you want to throw a shoe at me doesnt it? ;o) Well dont yet, cuz my story isnt as cut and dry "I've been healthy all my life, blah blah blah" as that might imply. :) I didnt eat any particularly healthy way - in fact, with our busy lifestyles, and spending lots of time on the soccer and baseball fields for our kids, we ate a lot from the dollar menu at fast food restaurants or the snack bar nachos (eew!!). But because I had youth and metabolism on my side, it didnt show any effects on my weight gain. UNTIL......

It seems like I hit 32 and my metabolism gave up. I had been mistreating my body by not eating healthy and letting my metabolism clean up after me. And forget about VARIETY in my workouts; I found what I liked and parked it there. Everything adjusted and settled into a nice little plateau. And thats when I put on weight; 15 lbs fast, without changing anything I was doing. My pants were getting tighter and I was tired all the time. I was the classic case of a 'bird eater'....I'd eat nothing all day till about 2 (I was busy with toddlers, laundry, schedule, working at the school, and I was a youth pastor for jr. highers, etc...) and then I'd carb load when I got the shakes because I was so starving I ate whatever I could grab on the go. HORRENDOUS HABITS!!! So though I might have looked like I was healthier than someone else who was carrying around some extra weight; I wasnt healthy at all. My metabolism had everyone (including me!) faked out! Until it betrayed me (hee ;o) ) and showed the real effects of what I was doing to my own body. At this rate, I was going to be 30 lbs heavier by the time I turned 33 and the scary part was that I had no idea what I had done wrong, or more importantly, what I needed to do right. Thats a sad and helpless place to be.

Now here's where how I viewed myself comes into play. I knew that extra weight WAS NOT me! I didnt want to say "Well, I'm 30-something, thats what women and men do after they settle down and have a family" HECK NO! I believe God made our bodies to be useful for all sorts of adventures right up to the end, and I want to live life to the FULLEST! :) I dont want to resign to being old, and accept this old body that starts to break alignment with my mind: the YOUTH in me! :) I can still tap into the feelings of being a teenager, cant you? Its funny how though 20 years have gone by, I still FEEL like the same person who walked the halls of my high school, dont you? A song comes on, I smell a scent from the old times, or I watch a movie that I loved as a younger version of myself, and it takes me right back! I want to be an ACTIVE & fun mom - an adventurous and energetic wife - a fun friend - who PLAYS!! :) I still like to pull pranks, do a cartwheel if I see a sunny patch of grass thats perfect cartwheel "space" ;), climb to the top of the rock wall, and I want to be able to still do the splits when I'm 60. :) THATS how I view myself, so when I started my very first Beachbody workout, I did so because I viewed myself as a fit person that needed a new plan. That the extra weight WASNT ME, and it needed to come off. And every day that I worked out and made healthier food choices (the Beachbody CLUB plans were BRILLIANT for helping me learn how to eat right!!) was because I was becoming who I REALLY felt I was: a healthy, fit, youthful, and spunky TRACI. :)

Who YOU think you are deep down, is who you work to be. Does that make sense? If you dont view yourself as fit and thin, then you arent as likely to be vicious about getting there. Its more like "I hope to get there.....but I never was, I've always been chubby, I'm not really an exercise person, I just love food, I dont know if I can, etc. etc. etc. etc." Do any of those sound like the things you've said about yourself, either aloud or just to yourself? Did you know that in doing so, you're setting yourself to be EXACTLY who you believe yourself to be?? Good or Bad.

You have the EXACT same muscles as a fitness/athletic competitor. The only thing separating you from the body you were meant to have is the food and exercise choices you make! You can ABSOLUTELY be fit, healthy, strong, thin, lively!!!!!!!!!!

Really take this in, and print it out somewhere you can see it daily:

The only things standing between the body you have today and the body you WANT to have are YOUR CHOICES!! What will you choose TODAY?

Ignore those voices in your head (that either have come from you or someone else) that have told you you cant do it. Thats simply not true. Its not true that its not in your genetics to be fit. NOT TRUE. Every single body type can be fit and healthy and active and strong. :) Every one. Whether you gain weight first in your hips, or your waist, or your neck, or your rear end, or your arms or in your earlobes...... :) .....every body type can be fit and lean. Start telling yourself NOW who you really are based on who you want to be, and then take those steps to fulfill the dream. I'm not talking about "I'm a lotto winner"....I cant say that will happen if you tell yourself that. :) Statistics probably would show otherwise. But believing yourself to be healthy and fit and WORTHY of that dream is absolutely possible. 100% of the the time! Not bad odds, right?

Set yourself up to succeed and tell yourself that ITS POSSIBLE. When you work out, envision how strong and lean your muscles are becoming with every rep. Think in the *positive* and it will fuel your desire to BECOME what you believe about yourself!
Tony Horton said to me a few weeks ago "2009 is the year of YES!" :) Man, I love that!!!
Say YES to your healthy dreams and fit hopes for yourself....its YOUR YEAR!!

xo
TRACI +7

In Philly for QVC :)

2009-01-17T04:12:00.000-08:00

Hey, if you happen to have some down time tonight and want to find a fun channel...check out QVC at 6pm PST (9pm eastern). I'm in Philly right now with Tony Horton filming two spots for P90X (we just finished one) today, and two more tomorrow promoting Ten Minute Trainer! :)Can I just say its FREEEEEZING here in Philly?! (and no -our beloved Eagles are NOT in Philly presently - their game Sunday is in Arizona, boohoo!) Anyway, yesterday in LA it was 86 degrees, and when I stepped of the plane I had a rude awakening to the 4 degree - yes, thats right - FOUR degree weather! WOW. Good thing I didnt wear my capri's!!! (Thanks Joey and Judy for giving me the 411 on appropriate Philly wear for the weekend! :) I love you guys for having my back! :))

Anyway, if you've been contemplating buying the X, DONT buy it from QVC! Now I love QVC and all, but if you buy it from them, you become a QVC customer, not a Beachbody customer. And if you buy it from the infomercial you might be assigned another coach! If you'd like to give the program a whirl, PLEASE go through my website: http://www.tracimorrow.com/ so the Beachbody system connects me to you for your coach! Otherwise, you'll be randomly assigned to another coach. :(

ONE MORE THING WORTH MENTIONING:

A new awesome infomercial is coming out where you can sign up to be a coach just like I am! Its incredibly exciting!! But there's a catch -if you sign up through the infomercial, you'll be assigned another coach - NOT ME!! :( And once you're there, you cant change! So if the infomercial inspires you to become a coach (and I highly recommend it! :)) PLEASE join through me directly so we aren't split up! Email me at ABSoluteFitness@roadrunner.com and I'll be happy to walk you through the steps of joining my growing, fun, incredible team of people helping other people!

We're fighting the trend of obesity - ONE RELATIONSHIP AT A TIME!

Join me, and make the dream a reality!!

Dont forget to check out QVC! Who knows what Tony will say!? :) You can bet it will be something goofy and funny. :)

Okay, after a 2:30am call time (where we have to be on the set dressed with hair and make up done) and working out from 5-6am eastern (remember my body is thinking its 2-3am) I am now back at the hotel and sleepy! I'm washing off my make up, putting back on my jammies and having a day nap before our show tonight! :) Right about now I'm so thankful for light blocking hotel drapes! I hate to leave my family, but boy do I have fun with Tony and the QVC gang - and my good friend Doug Fitzgerald is here too, along with a lovely, ultra fit lady named Shannon Grella!

Check out the QVC fun and drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you if you're ready to join me in this fun venture of getting and staying in shape, helping others do the same - and making some money doing it!

Hugs and a big, sleepy YAWN..... ;)

nitey nite...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The FUN of Accountability

2009-01-10T13:43:00.001-08:00

I'm a fan of accountability. It makes me do things, go places, and talk to people I otherwise wouldn't. It keeps on task, and causes me to dig deep and go for broke, when alone I might have given up. Sure, I believe in self discipline and self control, but there is POWER in inviting someone else into your journey.

Case in point: this very morning. On Feb. 1st I am running a half marathon with many of my family members. Two of those family members are my own daughters, ages 12 and 14. It will be their first, and my fourth 1/2. My 12 year old daughters best friend (who is also running the half with us) invited my girls to run with her this morning at 6:45am. (Today is a BLESSED Saturday - meaning - my day to sleep in) My 12 year old passed, but my 14 year old (Holli) eagerly said yes! And they invited me to join them. They mapped out their run to include 6 miles through town on MAPMYRUN.com and set their alarms.

I set out my clothes the night before so as not to disturb KC as I rummaged through my dresser so early on his only day to sleep in, and set my alarm. I made sure my iPOD was charged and made sure I carb loaded a bit. (good carbs - sushi! :))

6:30 am my alarm went off in the dark. I didnt hear it AT ALL, but I did feel KC's hand sleepily tapping me on the back, which brought me "to" enough to roll over enough to shut that blasted monster off. :) But just waking up enough to turn it off, woke me up enough to think, "what is today? why is KC still here? Oh....its Saturday. Hm....no way am I getting up out of my warm electric blanket to go out into the 40-something degree weather to RUN. But I wonder if Holli is up..." I dragged my sorry self out of bed, tiptoed to her room and there she was, dressed to run and fiddling with her iPOD.

"Are you going, Mom? Cuz you look like you're in a daze." "I'm not...I'm going back to bed. Be quiet not to wake up the boys. Is Chloe up?" "Yeah...we've been texting. She'll be here soon."

I climbed back in bed. I thought, "How will I feel at 10am when I still have my run hanging over my head? Realistically will I do it? Wouldnt it feel so much better to go with the girls than go alone later?" Here my daughter got up on HER one day to sleep in to run. THATS ADMIRABLE DISCIPLINE. But its also because she had an accountability buddy. I rolled over and snuggled down deep into the warm blankets. But the visual of me running with the girls ran through my head. (no pun intended ;))

Long story short, I got out of bed, found her in the kitchen stretching, and said "I'm going too - can you wait for me?" "Yeah!!!!" :) I threw in my contacts, my running duds, a stocking hat to cover my bed head, and got my iPOD all set. I was feeling better already, and wide awake. We hit the road in the COLD morning air, and just 2 miles in did I see another mom from town, another Team Genesis coach, out on her own run! :) We smiled as we passed, both of us not bothering to quiet our music and I gave her an "air high five" and hollered "WOOOHOOO!". :) I felt a part of something bigger than just me - knowing that other moms around town were making the same choice to run that day! :)

The girls and I ran, we laughed a bit, and then got into "THE ZONE". If you're a runner, you know THE ZONE. :) When your mind checks out, and your body just finds its groove.....you feel exhilerated, alive, strong, and free - thankful for the legs under you that are taking you out into the early part of the day that many people never see. :) When we got to the most steep hill in town, which WASNT on our route, I asked "Do you want to add to our route and tackle the hill?" They looked at it, then at each other, then at me as they ran towards it. "Okkaaaay", they said hesitantly. I have em a thumbs up, and we took it on. We ran the whole way, even when that hill made us feel like we were nearly running straight up, lungs about to bust, quads and hammies screaming. :) In the end, we ran 7.2 miles with the added hill.

And I almost missed it. I didnt, solely because my little accountability buddies helped me convince myself to SHOW UP. And once running, when we hit that hill, where one or all three of us may have passed on it, or even walked when it got really uncomfortable, we all pushed one another, just by our very presence; to give our all and not just do what we planned, but a little extra. We laid all of our effort onto that pavement; TOGETHER.

As soon as we stepped foot on the base of the driveway, the endorphins kicked in. :) I was flying with that cheerfulness that only comes after hard work. :) Cheerfulness that would have NEVER come had I stayed in bed. That would have brought on regret that I didnt force myself to get up and do it.

THAT'S the fun of accountability. THAT'S why Beachbody decided to connect its customers to other customers called coaches. Cuz we do things for others that we might not do just for ourselves.

Do yourself a favor: set yourself up to succeed. Get some accountability. Log into WOWY and pick a buddy. Contact your coach; ME. :) Cuz alone we can do good things, but TOGETHER....we're so much BETTER!!!

Be blessed!

~TRACI :)

What sets Team Beachbody apart...YOU & ME :)

2008-12-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

It's true. Back in 2003 when I bought Power90 from an infomercial, I thought I was buying a program that could help me maybe lose some weight that had crept on. I thought I was buying a program that was an "easy bet" because of the money back guarantee. And while those things are true, what I got was something so much more valuable than what I could have ever imagined. I found lifelong friends. :) Friends I would have NEVER met because of where we lived, and the differences in our lifestyles, but they are treasures to me just the same!! HOW COOL IS THAT?? Let me share some of my friends with you :

Nina: I "met" Nina in 03 on the Beachbody message boards. I'd never been to a message board in my life, and haven't participated on any other boards since finding Beachbody's, and I just LOVED Nina right from the start. Going through a divorce at the time, selling her home, and taking important steps to improve her life in the midst of hardship, she was a strong woman, funny, sassy, told it like it is, and one of the most loyal friends a person could have. She chose not to have kids (see how different we are?? :)), and has 'adopted' my 6 to play the role of "Aunt Faux" to them; she sends them gifts, and fun little things in the mail to our family from time to time. She is like family to me, and I love her dearly. So much so that I had KC pull the van over on the side of I-5 just so I could hug her in the parking lot of her town's taco bell on our way up north! :) This Christmas, as we head to my parents, she may be coming up to join me for a day or so. :) (I know you'll read this Nina, so that is my strong admonition to COME!!!) :)

Dale: he and I met on the boards years ago and clicked from the start. Dale is an ER doc, and is a husband and father of four who lost a lot of weight on Power90 and ripped it up with P90X. Lucky enough for me, he has his own little plane that he likes to fly every chance he gets, and occasionally has flown to So. Cal just to spend some time with me and some of our friends here in LA. He has integrity to spare, and has become a very dear friend to me. We used to only email one another, but once we changed over to phone calling (once we realized that neither one of us were scary :)) we just talk away like you do with an old, close friend. :) I highly value his input, and he is a great encourager to me.

Judy: we met through the boards years ago and started corresponding through emails. Judy was a business woman with a husband and one daughter who was close in age to my youngest (at the time). She was looking to lose some weight like I had been, and we found a nice balance in one another. Judy is quiet, sweet, genuine, and intelligent. She's a great sport, and somewhat of an observer, who then always has valuable input on what she's observed. I on the other hand, am the opposite of Judy - I'm loud, gravitate toward the hub of the action, and make my observations from a close perspective. Whereas our personalities might not have brought us together in a room of people, getting to know one another through the boards and emails over the years, we've become great friends and work so well together as "yin and yang" and I wouldnt trade her quiet, stable support for anything.

Tammie: For years Tony (Horton) would tell me "Traci, You've GOT to meet Doug and Tammie - they are a GREAT couple and I think you'd be fast friends!" Now THERE'S a friend who knows you - when they know who you'd hit it off with. :) And he was more than right. Tammie and I have known one another for two short years but it feels like MUCH longer. She emails and calls just to encourage me and share some love! :) She is funny and so incredibly sincere; the world would be a better place if we just cloned her about a million times. She's my prayer partner, and is one of those friends that you know would do whatever she can do to help. She raises the bar for the example of servant leadership, and my life is all the better for being able to call her friend. Again....a friendship that was birthed from a connection to an online fitness company - amazing.

Anne: a message board friend for years, back when I hosted the MyBeachbody site, Anne was my right hand woman!! With TONS (and I mean TONS) of questions coming in to ME ALONE (this was prior to coaching) I was overwhelmed with trying to answer them all and Anne would answer as many as she could just to help me out. She lives in Nebraska with three sons and a great hubby, and has a HILARIOUS sense of humor! Her one liner emails to me make me laugh outloud oftentimes; we should all have a friend bringing to our life what Anne brings to mine. :)

Joey: he's young (late 20's), single, no kids, and going back to college to be a teacher. He was a pharmaceutical salesman for years who was a bit discouraged, and dare I say cynical by what he'd seen in his field. He's got that east coast edginess that I so appreciate (west coasters know what I'm talking about - east coasters are probably thinking "We're edgy?" :)) and is a guys guy: playing lacrosse and coaching it too. I doubt I've ever seen another dramatic change in a person as I've seen in Joey- he lost 49 lbs and in so doing got his purpose and excitement about life back! He is one of the most encouraging, fun, focused, excited, positive guys who wants to help and serve, that I've met, and if I cant find a way to marry him into my family, I may end up adopting him. :) (though I already have a Joey - this could pose a problem) ;o)

Yes, I am fit. Yes, I am as healthy as I've ever been. But its these friends; the RELATIONSHIPS I've built with people all over this country that make the Beachbody Experience truly unique and so special. :) They encourage me, love me, make me laugh, care about my kids, and know when its my birthday. They know who my favorite trainer is (its Tony :)) and know that I cant dance hip hop to save my soul, no matter how much fun it is to try. :) They know how tall I am, how old I am, my kids' names, and went through the whole process with me when we adopted our youngest kids. There are countless other people whom I've developed lasting, solid relationships with; I just wanted to give you a snippet of what being in Beachbody's community has brought me and so many others.

And I want that for YOU. Its WHY I'm a coach. Its why I answer emails (even though I oftentimes fall pathetically behind) and phone calls and encourage people! Cuz these workouts will get your body into shape, but hopefully you'll walk away with some lifelong friendships that will touch your life on a far deeper level than you can imagine! :) Its The Beachbody Way. :)

Do you know that these very people listed above, and many other people just like them hang out on those message boards? :) Every day (or nearly) they are posting - all these years later - seasoned customers and newbie's posting their first ever post - because in the midst of changing our lives, we were solidifying relationships with people. Still are. Relationships that will last. :)

***I, and those listed above, have started a 90 day fitness journey to March 14, 09 when there is a Team Beachbody Summit; where people will come from all over the country to gather, work out with the company's trainers, and learn what the company is doing to spread the word in a massive effort to reverse the trends of obesity!

Two things:

1. Join us as we post our daily accountability on a message board thread I started. Here's the link: http://forums.teambeachbody.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/5102991471/m/3251082051?r=5781013051#5781013051 Everyone is welcome, and the board is a safe, clean board. Check it out - its a GREAT motivator and easy way to connect to other likeminded people!

2. I'd love if you came to the Summit so we could meet as well! :) Coaches are the ones who buy the tickets, so if you want to come, just let me know and we can make arrangements for me to purchase your tickets for you!

JOIN US as we stir up a Team Beachbody Revolution...one relationship at a time! :)

TRACI

A Blog From Uganda, Africa

2008-11-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

My niece (and namesake) Traci (24 y.o.) is in Uganda for 6 weeks visiting my brother and his family, and her younger sister Danielle (18 y.o.), who are all living and serving in Kampala. Traci sent a portion of her journaling this morning and I was so moved by the Spirit. As is to be expected on this continent, she had one of what I assume will be many "defining moments".

I was in tears. As I read it I was there. I saw what she described. I felt what she was overwhelmed with. I just cried that deep gut cry for the "forgotten" people who pray daily for God to SHOW HIMSELF.

Anyway, it got me to thinking. What if every day when we woke up, instead of thinking of our day, thinking of our worries, and what we "needed", and of me me me me me.....what if every day we woke up and asked God to show us where he can use us to be an answer to someone's prayer that day. What if every day we did that?

Now THAT would be change. POWERFUL change.
Read on.....I'm praying it moves you as it moved me.
xo
TRACI +7

************************************

Friends and Family,

I thought I would share some experiences and reflections I've had here in Africa. Thanks for everyone's prayers for safety and growth! I am having a blast adventuring and growing here!

Today was my second day volunteering at the orphanage. The sickness, dirtiness and seeming hopelessness of the children made me feel uncomfortable and I was not really even able to enjoy the experience the first time we went. So, before I went today, I prayed that I would be able to see the kids as God sees them, and that he would fill in where I lack knowledge and ability so that I could make a difference despite my imperfection.

I walked into the orphanage (Nysambia Baby's Home) and a child ran up to me and jumped into my arms. All anxiety or uneasiness left me completely and I immediately felt at home. It was little Patrick that found me first. He is one of the older children in the home (there are currently 26).

Next, I picked up a little boy they have not yet named, since he just arrived at the home on Saturday. This child is adorable. His face remains almost completely emotionless unless you gently toss him up in the air--then, he laughs or sends out a little squeal, then immediately reaches out for my neck and holds on tight. He is so sweet and as I sat on the wooden bench overlooking the filthy play yard, I held him tight and tried to squeeze any love I had in my body into his. It was then time for breakfast, and he was given his half of a white dinner roll with butter and a small cup of juice. I was sitting next to him at this point (the Mama (as the orphanage workers are called) asked me to put him down while he ate) and I couldn't help but keep my arm around him. Crumbs, butter, juice and dirt were smeared all over my pants, and his nose had run accross each of the tops of my shoulders, but I didn't care at all. What a precious gift to be able to sit there holding this small baby in my arms and watching his excited smile as he went flying up, then reached for me on his way back down.

Later on, I found a little girl named Audrey. She is often fussy and doesn't like to be held, but after playing with her a little, she would fuss and reach up towards me until I would pick her up. Before I knew it, I was holding her, walking around the play yard, stroking her back and head while she slept. As I paced the yard, I looked around. The yard is surrounded on one side by a small step up--maybe 6 feet up. Up on that little rise, gray smoke from a trash-burning pile rose into the air; clothes lines holding brightly covered fabric stood still against the pale blue-grey afternoon sky. I looked down at my shoes, stained red from the Ugandan dirt, and in that moment I felt like I was in a dream. I couldn't believe I was standing there in an orphanage in Uganda with this precious baby girl sleeping on my shoulder. I could never have imagined that that would be me if you asked me 5 years ago. If there is anything God isn't, its predictable.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunity to see and hold and love these children--if even for a few, short weeks. They are God's beloved, and I feel how much He treasures them as I look into each of their eyes. Working in this place feels like working on sacred ground. I feel so richly blessed with this experience.

Today, I read Psalm 42. As I read this Psalm I couldn't help but echo the cries of a Ugandan girl here, Monica. I, in my naiivety and hope borne not from personal suffering, I told her, "God loves the people in Uganda, and regardless of how hard things seem, He can bring change and restoration." Her eyes looked sad as she replied, "We pray for God to save our country. People are dying and are stuck in poverty. We pray that God will save our country, our people, but when?"

I believe there is a hope for these orphans that lies in our Almighty God, but still, my soul cries out with Monica's--"When?!"

One of the most precious moments in my life took place today when I was holding the baby that has not yet been named by man (though he is surely known by name by God). I laid him on my lap facing me, I held his head in my hands and I hummed "Jesus Loves Me" to him--just loud enough for him to hear. That moment was a gift, and I'll never forget it.

My love and blessings to you all!

Traci :)

Traci, with my nephew (her cousin) Graysen in Uganda at a local public pool

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

~James 1:27

Healthy Kids Snacks ~ from the Team Beachbody Newsletter

2008-11-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

The two most important things to consider regarding snacks for kids (and for us adults, for that matter) are variety and portion size. A good rule of thumb is to try incorporating two different food groups into any snack and to keep the portion size between 100 and 200 calories. The required amount of calories will vary depending on your child's age and activity level, but a snack should ideally be a small energy booster to help him or her make it until the next meal—a snack should not be a meal in itself. Hopefully, it'll be a quick bite on the way outside to play and/or exercise, and not a side dish for a TV or video-game marathon.

Other things that make good snacks are foods high in nutrients, fiber, and protein and foods low in sugar, sodium, and saturated and trans fats. And bad news for the culinarily impaired: If it's prepackaged, processed food, it's unlikely that it will be a healthy choice for your "young 'un." But the good news is that children have simple tastes, which usually translates into food that's simple to prepare. Here are some ideas for when your munchkins get the munchies, plus, for the first time ever, my mom's nutritious pancake recipe!

Vegetables. I know what you're thinking—"Great! I get to force-feed my kids two more times a day!" It's true—vegetables are usually the diciest component of kid cuisine. But it's worth the effort because veggies give you more nutritional bang for your buck than any other food group. And if you get creative, you can usually find a way to get your kids to eat them without too much emotional scarring. Many dinner table disputes are about kids trying to assert their independence. You can get around this by letting your kids assist in the selection and preparation of the vegetables. If you take them to the farmers' market and let them pick out the vegetables, learn about how they're grown, etc., you're more likely to get more buy-in back home when it's time to eat the vegetables.

You can also give them choices, like celery sticks or baby carrots. But don't use dessert as a negotiating tool, as in the old standby, "No dessert until you eat all your vegetables." You just end up vilifying the vegetables and glamorizing empty calories—and those are values they'll take into adulthood. Talk up the veggies, and let kids know about all the health benefits they'll get from eating them. If you have a little extra time, try carving or arranging the vegetables on a plate to make faces or something more decorative and fun. You can also try serving veggies with a low-fat yogurt or cottage-cheese dip.

Fruits. Fruits are a marginally easier sell than vegetables. They're sweeter and appeal more to kids' palates. Although, one thing to watch out for is fruit juice. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking a serving of fruit and a serving of juice are interchangeable. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting juice for kids to a couple of drinks a day, as juice is a contributing factor to dental cavities and gastrointestinal problems. Whole fruit, on the other hand, provides tons of fiber and other nutrients, and kids can partake of it quite freely, without any adverse effects. As with vegetables, if you have the patience and the knife skills, fruit can be carved into fun shapes or you can make fruit kabobs. You can also come up with low-fat healthy dips like yogurt that kids can dunk their fruit into. Try freezing some grapes or bananas as an alternative to a mid-afternoon Fudgesicle. With both fruits and vegetables, you might consider setting up a big "snack bowl" in the kitchen. Let the kids help choose which fruits and veggies go in the snack bowl, and then give them permission to grab what they want from the bowl whenever they're hungry. This will help them feel like they're in control of what they're eating, but without giving them carte blanche to hit the sugar or the chips.

Cereals. Kids love cereal, and the good news is that a lot of popular commercial cereals have made the switch to whole-grain flour. However, as nutritionist Marion Nestle said in a recent interview, whole wheat Cocoa Puffs are still Cocoa Puffs. If the whole grains are largely serving as a matrix to deliver a ton of sugar to your child, they're not worth eating. On the other hand, there are a lot of cereals, like Cheerios and the Kashi line, that have a lot of whole grains and not so much sugar. So check the label and try to choose cereals that have a high-fiber, low-sugar content. Cereals create another opportunity to reinforce good lifelong eating habits. Try to discourage your kids from eating directly from the box. In fact, here's a way you can replicate the convenience of prepackaged foods right in your own home!

Just get some resealable sandwich bags or a bunch of small sealable containers. When you buy a big box of cereal, pour snack-sized portions into the bags or containers. You can even stuff the bags back in the box for storage. This is great for last-minute lunch packing, or your kids can grab a cereal snack for themselves. This will help fight against the temptation for unlimited munching from the open cereal box. Plus, who knows where those little hands have been? When they're elbow-deep in the communal cereal, it's pretty gross when you think about it.

Peanut (or Almond - MY FAVORITE! :)) butter. One of the best protein sources is a kid favorite—peanut butter. With 8 grams of protein in a 2-tablespoon serving, peanut butter's a winner. Again, portion size is key since peanut butter is fairly high in calories (188 per 2 tablespoons) and fat (16 grams per 2 tablespoons)—2 tablespoons will usually suffice for a snack. Try making that old party favorite—ants on a log. Fill a stick of celery (the log) with peanut butter; then embed raisins (the ants) in the peanut butter. When choosing your peanut butter, try to find brands that only contain one ingredient—peanuts. Some stores even let you grind your own peanuts. Many brands contain so much sugar, you might as well be giving your kid frosting.

Protein. Lunch meat is a great snack, but don't be lured into the sinister den of the Lunchables. Sliced turkey and chicken are great lunch meats to have on hand. Stay away from processed meats, like bologna and salami, though. You never know what you're getting, and often you're getting a lot of fat and sodium. If you can't sell a sandwich on whole-grain bread, try making a turkey roll-up—stack a slice or two of turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a low-cal condiment like mustard and roll everything in a whole-grain lavash, stuff it into a pita, or skip the bread and roll it up on its own. Tuna and salmon are also really healthy and can be doctored in a salad with some yogurt instead of mayo. Check with your doctor about how much tuna and other types of seafood your child should consume. There is a greater risk of mercury poisoning for younger children, so some limits may need to be observed.

Trail mix. This is another great way to involve your children in their own diets. Gather a selection of healthy snacks, like unsalted peanuts, walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, unsalted popcorn, raisins, dried berries, dried apricots, oats, healthy cereal, and anything else crunchy or chewy and healthy that you can think of that your kids will like. Despite their availability in commercial trail mixes, chocolate chips and marshmallows should probably be kept off the list. Put out the ingredients and let your kids choose which of their favorites they're mixing up. For younger kids, you can even present it as if they're making a magic potion or something. By letting them be involved in the creative stage, you'll hopefully get better results in the eating stage. After all, they made it—who are they going to complain to? Some store-bought trail mixes and granola bars are also pretty decent. Just check the labels carefully. Some less-scrupulous companies pack their "health" foods with sugar and saturated fats, like coconut and palm oils.

Pizza. While most delivery and frozen pizza is packed with fat and calories, pizza can actually be pretty healthy! It's basically a bit of bread, some tomato sauce, some cheese (*Tony Horton uses cheese as a spice for his healthy pizza! He doesnt cook it in, he uses parmesan cheese as your "spice" on top of the veggies), and healthy toppings. And yet again, it can be a meal and an activity for your child. If you don't have the time to make the full-on dough from scratch, you can make pizza with a lavash or a low-fat tortilla, or you can make mini pizzas with whole wheat English muffins. Add a dollop of sauce, and let your child choose toppings from a variety of healthy ingredients: mushrooms, peppers, onions, eggplant, and veggie or turkey pepperoni—the sky or the structural integrity of your crust's the limit. Sprinkle some low-fat mozzarella on top, and stick it in the oven or toaster oven until melted.

Smoothies. A lot of kids will refuse to eat any fruits or vegetables unless a massive amount of processing has been undertaken. Here's where the blender or food processor can be your best friend. By keeping a few bags of frozen fruit on hand, you and your little kitchen helper can make your own smoothies. Just pick a combination of your favorite fruits. Add a little plain, nonfat yogurt, some ice, some banana slices, or some peanut butter, and blend until smooth. It's a sweet, cool treat that gives your kids all the fiber and nutrients from fruit that a lot of fruit juices miss.

Healthily packed cooler. The holidays are approaching, which means it could be time for a road trip to spend the holidays with family. Hopefully, and especially for those of you with longer road trips, you'll have room in the car for a cooler packed with healthy snacks like the ones mentioned above, but occasionally, the siren song of the roadside mini-mart or vending machine is too much to resist. The Center for Science in the Public Interest recently released a list of commercially available snack foods that are relatively decent. The list includes applesauce cups; Chex mix, traditional flavor; fruit cups; low-fat/low-sugar granola bars; and raisins. But save some money and save some calories. Pack a cooler.

Lifestyle Changes Can Head Off Full-Blown Type 2 Diabetes

2008-10-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

~Beachbody Momentum News

Kathy Smith's New Program is the Healthy Approach to Managing Type 2 Diabetes
Every 21 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes. The good news is that Beachbody® has a fun, easy-to-use lifestyle approach that can help manage type 2 diabetes.
If you've been searching for a way to help get you and your family on the path towards a more active and healthy lifestyle and help reduce the risks of getting type 2 diabetes, keep reading.
Kathy Smith's Project:YOU! Type 2™ is a brand-new program from one of the most trusted names in health and fitness. This all-in-one healthy solution emphasizes lifestyle changes, including education on healthy eating coupled with regular physical activity. And it's designed to produce long-term health benefits while helping you lose weight. Did you know that being at your ideal weight can help reduce the risks of getting type 2 diabetes? And if you have type 2, it can make a big difference in managing your blood glucose.

Kathy Smith's Type 2 takes the guesswork out of how to help prevent and control type 2 diabetes by providing an easy-to-follow, step-by-step nutrition plan and exercise program that works for all fitness levels! It allows you to take charge of weight control, blood glucose management, and carbohydrate counting with mouthwatering real food and fun exercise programs perfect for every level of fitness. The Good2Eat! Cookbook will teach you when to eat as well as what to eat. Choose from a preplanned menu, use the Good2Eat! Mix-and-Match Meal Cards to create your own daily menu from a selection of meals and snacks, or delve into some delicious new recipes for entertaining. The exercise program focuses on the three key elements of fitness—cardio, strength training, and flexibility/relaxation—to help you get moving and see results. Take control of your life back! And, most importantly, there's even a combined program guide and daily journal, where you can write down your meals, snacks, and workouts to help you stick with the program and track your progress everywhere you go.

CEO Carl Daikeler at the ADA Step out in LA; getting the crowd revved up

In fact, this amazing program was developed in conjunction with the American Diabetes Association® (ADA), the leading source of trusted information about diabetes. This is a major triumph for Beachbody in the fitness world.
Special guest speaker at the 2008 Coach Summit in Anaheim, CA, Francine Kaufman, M.D., former president of the ADA and director of the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, stated some alarming statistics about type 2 diabetes, such as the fact that she "had to order new scales in order to weigh children over 300 pounds," and how "fat around your waist doesn't just sit there. It's metabolically active, secreting things into your systems that lead to all kinds of disease."

Yes, diabetes is a serious problem in this country. But even small actions taken each day have a cumulative effect, ultimately yielding big rewards. What's more, unlike most medications, the side effects that come with healthy living include a better body, more energy, and a reduced risk of getting many health conditions including type 2 diabetes—and the complications of diabetes, such as cardiovascular, kidney, and eye disease.

Kathy's quick tips for managing type 2 diabetes:

Get Active! Kathy Smith's Project:YOU! Type 2 can help you look and feel better, and help manage your glucose levels.

Get a Support System: You can't do it alone. (How about a Team Beachbody Coach, like say....TRACI MORROW?! ;) I added that part, can you tell? :)) Make sure you have a health care team, and surround yourself with encouraging support. Beachbody has an incredible online community of people who help each other stay motivated to succeed.

Milan Jensen, Kathy Smith, & Traci at the ADA Step Out in Los Angeles on Oct. 26

(notice my Halloween tights and skeleton earrings? With the walk being THIS close to Halloween, I figured some people would come in costume. NOPE. I was...the only one. :))

Track Your Progress Daily: Keep writing down your food, workouts, blood glucose readings, and moods in your personal Good2Go! Journal so you know what works for you. WOWY®, Beachbody's online gym, is full of great tools to help keep your workouts on track, too!

Carl and Kathy gettin' their groove on, & leading the masses to do the same!

Make Healthy Food Changes: Check with your health care team before changing your diet. The amount of carbs you eat affects your blood sugar more than anything else you eat, such as proteins or fats. You'll find out that our program is not about "no carbs" but eating "slow carbs." In fact, you will be eating small amounts of carbs throughout the day. That's why the Good2Eat! Cookbook and Mix-and-Match Meal Cards are so great. They have figured it all out for you.

Mark your calendars because this revolutionary program will be available in November!

You Really ARE What You Eat! :)

2008-10-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

So many people struggle with the food part of their journey. Men and women want six pack abs, and though they work out faithfully, they just dont see them without proper lighting. ;) I get so many questions like that, I thought I'd post what a daily menu plan might look like for me. (yesterday's menu)

BREAKFAST

Eggwhite omelet with lots of veggies (see photo above)

water

black coffee

SUPPLEMENTS *see below*

SNACK

Beachbody Peanut Butter Protein Bar

water with lemon and ice

LUNCH

leftover dinner (last night it was a serving of chicken and loaded with veggies, seasoned)

Whole grain rice made in organic chicken broth
water with lemon and ice

SNACK

low fat cottage cheese with frozen blueberries

DINNER

Beachbody Protein Shake

made with fat free milk, banana, some chunks of frozen mango, ice - blended in blender

I try to have veggies twice a day with my meals, and try to sub in a SHAKE for a meal every other day or so. They feel like a frozen treat - like a milkshake for dinner! :) And....I like to replace dinner with the shake because for lunch I need more food to help me have the energy to make it through the day. Thats just me, and everyone is different!

People also ask which supplements do I take:

P90X Peak Health Multi Vitamin

Cal-Mag

Omega 3

Joint Support

Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

P90X Protein Bars - my favs: blueberry and peanut butter. Kc loves Mocha. (That sounds about right for how we do things.....exact opposite, all the way across the board! ;))

I take these FAITHFULLY.

Yes, it is A LOT of pills to swallow, but I notice a BIG change on the days I forget - especially without my Peak Health. Energy DROP! :( If I am going to live an eXtremely busy and active life, I need to give myself all the advantages I can in the health and nutrition side of things. I had to really work to get to the point where I could take these supplements, because taking even ONE pill 'pre-Beachbody days' required me gearing up to gag it down. (and when I say gag, I was literally GAGGING: read: OVERLY DRAMATIC ;) I know - you're shocked that I'm dramatic ;)) But I'm proud of how far I've come. :) Its all about "MIND OVER MATTER"; if its good for you; no matter how uncomfortable: DO IT. :) Its called self discipline, and if I can do it - you can too! :) (course, I also pray for God to give me strength, and I dont believe that plays a small part in living a disciplined life, so I advise trying that too! ;))

I just started a new supplement that I am still waiting to see what the affects are, if any. If I end up giving it thumbs up, I'll post it here for you to give a try. (Its not a Beachbody Supplement)

I hope this helps you. It just takes A PLAN. (another one of Tony's Laws!) :)

Change your THINKING, (about food and supplements) and you'll have a better chance of changing your BODY!

Go gettum - YOU CAN DO IT!!

xoxo
TRACI +7

Finding Your SPORT :)

2008-10-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

After my last blog, I thought it was worth mentioning a close friend who is choosing to plug his fitness into something both fun and exciting! :)

I heard from only 3 people after my last post, and thought I'd give them a public nod for doing so and for furthering their commitment, or recommitting to their health. :) Kathy, my sweet online friend was inspired to pick up her fitness again after some time off due to family and just LIFE. YAY Kathy!! :) Lori is playing gymnastics in the yard with her kids and working on her backovers! :) LOVE IT! Kelly is taking an adult tap class! :) How cool. I didnt know they HAD such a thing?! I'm so glad they do!

So yesterday I had a "play date" with my friend Scott Fifer. :) Both of our hearts were called to help Africa in the same year - his to open a NPO for orphans in Tanzania (see his blog on the side bar entitled TunaHAKI), and mine to adopt my boys from Ethiopia! His photos were the ones that God used to stir my heart to consider adoption back in February of 06! There we were - in some nice little outdoor restaurant and I'm having my 'burning bush' moment. :) I just love Scott, and think his heart is of the purest intention! :)

Back to the play date. :) Brad, Joey and I headed in to the Santa Monica Pier to see him in his trapeze class. I had NO IDEA this even existed until he started up back in May, so to go and see him and a couple other great ladies we know do this was a BLAST! The boys were loving watching him fly through the air with the greatest of ease ;), and I was too. Then we headed over after class to play in the sand. :) Well, the boys were digging while we talked. It was blue skies, slight breeze and warm sun - a GREAT day to sit and talk with a friend. :)

But the point is: he took a chance and tried something completely out of the norm for the typical adult thinking of what it is to be an adult, and I LOVE that! :) So, enjoy his photos, and may it inspire to you have a PLAY TIME of your own! :)

Scott, chalking up before heading up the ladder

The boys, eagerly anticipating his jump!

Waving to his 'fans', who were in awe :) (me included)
VERY COOL!

Scott and the Boys! :)

xoxo
TRACI +7

Plugging Your Fitness into SPORT

2008-10-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

One of the topics Tony speaks about in his 11 Laws of Health and Fitness is the law of SPORT. :) This is one of my favorite Laws, because its SO REAL and applicable.

When I was a kid, I played soccer, took gymnastics lessons, tried 8th grade basketball (I played center..... :) KIDDING), ran track, and was a cheerleader. (Please dont hold the latter against me :)) As a people person even back then, playing sports was about connecting with other people while we played. :)

Why is it when we step to adulthood, we lose that spirit? I dont ever want to stop "playing"; running, laughing, high fiving, cheering one another on, feeling ALIVE! :) It gets the endorphins pumping, and keeps my mind light and cheerful. Who wouldnt want to keep that part of life active? But the reality is, we lose it. We get married (or not), get immersed into our careers, get busy paying the bills and taking care of our house, coaching our kids' teams, etc. etc. The list goes on. We've somewhere along the line resigned ourselves to "Thats the way it is". I challenge you to think outside the box. When I was a kid, my dad was a runner and my mom jogged, or did a tv workout with Jack La Lanne or whoever was leading the television aerobics class, or worked out using this funny contraption that fit around the handle of a closed door. That's what was available and she did what it took to stay fit and healthy. Today, there are so many fun adult activities to get involved with: adult soccer, softball, bowling, dodgeball, rock wall climbing, adult tennis teams, all sorts of dancing classes, ...... There are so many places to plug your love of sport in to - its just a matter of choosing which one first. :)

Unfortunately, thats not what happens. Sadly, its still such a new thought that most adults dont even realize that its FOR THEM (read: FOR YOU!) to try. They tend to think its for those other people. The cool thing about Beachbody Programs is that it gets your body moving, flexible, agile, fit, shed of the unwanted pounds that crept on there, and ready to PLAY. :) The hard part is stepping out of old patterns and habits and starting something new.

Life is too short (wasnt that the theme of a post last month?) to not HAVE FUN! :) If there's something you've always wanted to try or play, or pick back up again - why not look into it today? We are a country who watches shows like American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance, and Top Model, and Survivor and see these people living their dreams and trying new things. Why not go after your own? :) And grab a friend and ask them to join you!! (everything's more fun with a friend!)

Your "action step" after reading this blog is to leave me a comment. :) Tell me (and anyone else reading this) what it is you're going to try or have wanted to try. Sometimes just saying it gives you the accountability to follow through.

Here's mine: I'm finally signing up to do my Marathon. I told myself when I was in my 20's that I was going to do the LA Marathon before I turned 40. Well, the clock is ticking. :) I will be 40 in May of 2010, so why wait till the last minute, as is typical with me? :) The last time I started to train I blew out my knee....so this time I'm going to train slower, giving myself lots more time to do it well. Or at least finish. lol

WHATS YOURS? :)

Interesting Thinking Point: Chemotherapy and Vitamin C

2008-10-08T09:52:00.001-07:00

If you have a loved one who is undergoing chemotherapy, I have an article that I think is worth putting out there for people who read this. I'm not saying necessarily that I agree with it, but I think when making the decision for chemo or not - one should have all the input possible. So I share it not to endorse it, but to put information into your hands for consideration. It was sent to me by another coach on my team who is a nurse and her husband (also a coach) is a doctor. I've attached all the references of the article and contact info to the author at the bottom.

Its worth a read.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 7, 2008

Chemotherapy Doesn't Work, So Blame Vitamin C

(OMNS, October 7, 2008) When Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center announces that vitamin C may interfere with chemotherapy, the news media trumpet it far and wide. But before cancer patients throw away their vitamin C supplements, they need to know rest of the story.
Most of the media dutifully reported the researchers' claim that the equivalent of 2,000 mg of vitamin C "blunted the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drugs." But only some of the media included a study author's incredible statement that "If you take an oral dose even as low as 100 milligrams a day" even "that could be harmful" during chemotherapy (1)
100 mg "could be harmful"? That's the amount of vitamin C in a few glasses of orange juice. Something is very wrong here.

First of all, this research involved mice with implanted cancerous tumors; it was not a trial on cancer patients. A mouse study is a long way from a human clinical trial. This obvious difference was conceded by the study authors. However, there is a more subtle, and probably much more important factor they did not consider: all mice make their own vitamin C. Indeed, mice make quite a lot. Adjusted for body weight, mice synthesize the human body weight equivalent of approximately 10,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day. (2) Incredibly, sick mice make even more. Mice given transplanted tumors become sick mice.

Secondly, previous research has demonstrated that mice with cancer respond well to high-dose vitamin C therapy. One study found, "With an increase in the amount of ascorbic acid there is a highly significant decrease in the first-order rate constant for appearance of the first spontaneous mammary tumor. . . Striking differences were observed between the 0.076% ascorbic acid and the control groups, which synthesize the vitamin." (3) Another study concluded that: "A pronounced effect of vitamin C in decreasing the incidence and delaying the onset of malignant lesions was observed with high statistical significance. By 20 weeks, approximately five times as many mice had developed serious lesions in the zero-ascorbate as in the high-ascorbate group." (4) Interestingly enough, when this research was first publicized, the media discounted these findings saying that mouse studies were not particularly applicable to people.
Thirdly, a mouse's ability to make vitamin C, and a great deal of it, is an overlooked confounding factor that may well render the entire experiment invalid. If the Sloan-Kettering team had tried their experiment on Guinea pigs, their results might have been very different. Guinea pigs are more like human beings in that they cannot make their own vitamin C. As controls for comparison, the researchers also treated "no-added-vitamin C" mouse cancers with chemotherapy. Chemo worked just fine on those mice, by the researchers own admission. And each of those mice was internally synthesizing a body weight equivalent of 10,000 mg/day of vitamin C, even though given none supplementally.
So how come 10,000 mg of vitamin C does not interfere with chemo treatment, and 2,000 mg - or even 100 mg - supposedly does?

A sweeping recommendation warning cancer patients to not take supplemental vitamin C, not even 100 mg, is irresponsible. It is impossible to justify caution about taking 100 mg of vitamin C daily when your animal subjects made the equivalent of one hundred times that amount, and chemotherapy in them was still reported as effective. You cannot have it both ways. If a synthesized 10,000 mg of C does not interfere, there can be no real "interference" or "blunting" from a supplemental 2,000 mg. And most certainly not from 100 mg.

The study did report tumor shrinkage, in both groups of mice receiving chemo. That is not surprising. Chemotherapy's claimed success is based on tumor shrinkage. But tumor shrinkage, encouraging though it is, is not a reliable indicator of long-term cancer survival. As cancer research critic Philip Day puts it, many patients are "cured but dead" after five years, hardly a long-term survival. Day, noting that this is not because oncologists are not trying, explains the chemotherapy quandary: "You can be insincere, or you can be sincerely wrong." (5)
The Sloan-Kettering study team seems to have missed the essential point that vitamin C is not just an antioxidant. Inside cancer tumors, it also acts as a prooxidant, killing malignant cells. Comments Dr. Steve Hickey, of Manchester, UK: "Essentially, the paper seems to be rather misguided and shows a lack of understanding of the dual nature of vitamin C in tumors. Chemotherapy has been shown by over 40 years of clinical trials not to work in the majority of tumors, and its use is counterproductive."

Chemotherapy drugs have come and gone; the five year survival rate for cancer treated with chemo has remained virtually unchanged for decades. Unfortunately, just over 2% of all cancers respond to chemotherapy. Specifically, one scientific review concluded, "The overall contribution of curative and adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy to 5-year survival in adults was estimated to be 2.3% in Australia and 2.1% in the USA . . . chemotherapy only makes a minor contribution to cancer survival. To justify the continued funding and availability of drugs used in cytotoxic chemotherapy, a rigorous evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and impact on quality of life is urgently required." (6)

Perhaps this new, very well-publicized study results from an ever-growing realization that chemotherapy is largely ineffective, and the search is on for the reason why. Vitamin C should not be made the scapegoat.

Vitamin C, in doses well over 100 mg/day, is known to help prevent cancer. (7) Nearly 30 years ago, a review concluded that "Many factors involved in host resistance to neoplasia are significantly dependent upon the availability of ascorbate." (8) Beginning in the 1970s, many well-designed studies show that very large doses of vitamin C improve both quality and length of life for cancer patients since they invariably are "significantly depleted of ascorbic acid." When given intravenous vitamin C, "The mean survival time is more than 4.2 times as great for the ascorbate subjects . . . This simple and safe form of medication is of definite value in the treatment of patients with advanced cancer." (9) Additional clinical trials have confirmed this over the past several decades. (10)

Even more importantly, recent research indicates that in high doses, vitamin C is selectively toxic to cancer cells. That means vitamin C can function very much like chemotherapy is supposed to, but without the severe side effects of chemotherapy. "A regimen of daily pharmacologic ascorbate treatment significantly decreased growth rates of ovarian, pancreatic, and glioblastoma tumors established in mice. Similar pharmacologic concentrations were readily achieved in humans given ascorbate intravenously." (11)

"Cautioning" the public to avoid taking any supplemental amount of vitamin C will decrease host resistance to cancer, increase the incidence of this dreaded disease, and shorten survival times. A cynic might say it will also create a larger market for chemotherapy.

Is vitamin C a commercial competitor for chemo? To answer this, one needs to consider what appears to be serious conflict of interest at Sloan-Kettering. Bristol-Myers-Squibb makes chemotherapeutic drugs. According to a DEF 14A SEC filing of March 22, 2006, the Chairman of the Board of Bristol-Myers-Squibb is also a director of the Coca-Cola Company, and Honorary Chairman of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

(http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://sec.edgar-online.com/2006/03/22/0001193125-06-060566/Section8.asp). A previous Bristol-Myers-Squibb Chairman of the Board was a director of the New York Times Company. He was also Vice Chairman of the Board of Overseers and the Board of Managers of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Chairman of the Board of Managers of Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Resear ch. (http://www.o!%20rthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://www.secinfo.com/dsvrt.bC7.htm) Some sources say that there are even more Bristol-Myers-Squibb directors who have or held positions on the board at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. (12)
Positive endorsements for vitamin C as a cancer fighter are not in the interests of any pharmaceutical company. Scaring the public away from vitamin C might be profitable. It appears that Sloan-Kettering is biased. So are media reports that attack vitamins.
If the Sloan-Kettering study authors' recommendations to not take 2,000 mg, or even 100 mg, of vitamin C are followed, there will definitely be an increase in the number of people that need chemotherapy.
References:
(1) Doheny K. Vitamin C and chemotherapy: bad combo? Supplementing with vitamin C may reduce effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs, study shows. WebMD Health News. http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20081001/vitamin-c-chemotherapy-bad-combo (2) Chatterjee IB, Majumder AK, Nandi BK, Subramanian N. Synthesis and some major functions of vitamin C in animals. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Sep 30;258:24-47. (3) Pauling L, Nixon JC, Stitt F et al. Effect of dietary ascorbic acid on the incidence of spontaneous mammary tumors in RIII mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Aug;82(15):5185-9. (4) Paulin g L. Effect of ascorbic acid on incidence of spontaneous mammary tumors and UV-light-induced skin tumors in mice. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Dec;54(6 Suppl):1252S-1255S. Read the full paper free of charge athttp://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/54/6/1252S (5) Day P. in the documentary film Food Matters, http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://www.foodmatters.tv See also: Day P. Cancer: why we're still dying to know the truth. Credence Publications, 1999. ISBN-10: 0953501248; SBN-13: 978-0953501243 (6) Morgan G, Ward R, Barton M. The contribution of cytotoxic chemother apy to 5-year survival in adult malignancies. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2004 Dec;16(8):549-60. (7) Enstrom JE, Kanim LE, Klein MA. Vitamin C intake and mortality among a sample of the United States population. Epidemiology. 1992 May;3(3):194-202. (8) Cameron E, Pauling L, Leibovitz B. Ascorbic acid and cancer: a review. Cancer Res. 1979 Mar;39(3):663-81. (9) Cameron E, Pauling L. Supplemental ascorbate in the supportive treatment of cancer: Prolongation of survival times in terminal human cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Oct;73(10):3685-9. Read the original paper athttp://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/MM/B/B/K/Z/_/mmbbkz.pdf <>(10) Murata A, Morishige F, and Yamaguchi H. Prolongation of survival times of terminal cancer patients by administration of large doses of ascorbate. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research Suppl., 23, 1982. p. 103-113. And: Null G, Robins H, Tanenbaum, M, and Jennings P. Vitamin C and the treatment of cancer: abstracts and commentary from the scientific literature. The Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, 1997. April/May. And: Vitamin C and cancer revisited. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Aug 12;105(32):11037-8. Also: Riordan HD, Riordan NH, Jackson JA et al. Intravenous vitamin C as a chemotherapy agent: a report on clinical cases. Puerto Rico Health Sciences J, June 2004, 23(2): 115-118. (11) Chen Q, Espey MG, Sun AY et al. Pharmacologic doses of ascorbate act as a prooxidant and decrease growth of aggressive tumor xenografts in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Aug 12;105(32):11105-9. See also: Ch en Q, Espey MG, Sun AY et al. Ascorbate in pharmacologic concentrations selectively generates ascorbate radical and hydrogen peroxide in extracellular fluid in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 May 22;104(21):8749-54. And: Chen Q, Espey MG, Krishna MC et al. Pharmacologic ascorbic acid concentrations selectively kill cancer cells: action as a pro-drug to deliver hydrogen peroxide to tissues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Sep 20;102(38):13604-9. And: Padayatty et al. Intravenously administered vitamin C as cancer therapy: three cases. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2006. 174(7), March 28, p 937-942. http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/174/7/937. Also: Riordan NH et al. Intravenous ascorbate as a tumor cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent. Medical Hypotheses, 1995. 44(3). p 207-213, March. (12) Moss R. Questioning Chemotherapy. Equinox Press, 1995. ISBN-10: 188102525X; ISBN-13: 978-1881025252. See also: The Cancer Industry. Equinox Press, 1996. ISBN-10: 1881025098; ISBN-13: 978-1881025092.
For more information: Cameron E. and Pauling L. Cancer and vitamin C, revised edition. Philadelphia: Camino Books, 1993. Hickey S and Roberts H. Cancer: nutrition and survival. Lulu Press, 2005. ISBN: 141166339X. Hoffer A. Healing cancer: complementary vitamin and drug treatments. Ontario: CCNM Press, 2004. ISBN-10: 1897025114; ISBN-13: 978-1897025116. For free access to an online archive of peer-reviewed, full-text nutrition therapy papers:http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://www.orthomed.org/jom/jomlist.htm or http://www.orthomol%0d%0aecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom
Nutritional Medicine is Orthomolecular Medicine
Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information:http://www.orthomolecular.org/12all/lt/t_go.php?i=93&e=MjIyNDM=&l=http://www.orthomolecular.org
The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.
Editorial Review Board:
Damien Downing, M.D. Harold D. Foster, Ph.D. Steve Hickey, Ph.D. Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D. James A. Jackson, PhD Bo H. Jonsson, MD, Ph.D Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D. Erik Paterson, M.D. Gert E. Shuitemaker, Ph.D.Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D., Editor and contact person. Email: omns@orthomolecular.org

First Stop: Philly, Then: Dallas, Lastly: TONY HORTON FITNESS CAMP in Colorado

2008-09-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

Its been a crazy busy month! I have had a blast, hitting a few different pit stops around this country, talking to people who's lives have been changed by Team Beachbody and who are interested in helping others find that change for their lives as well. :)

Extra bonus: all three stops highlighted or were centered around Tony Horton, and its always fun when he shows up!

Our first stop: (no photos dang it) Philly for QVC to promote P90X. We were on air for an hour, and sold nearly 4,000 programs! :) We had a great host; Dan something or other ;) and though I cant remember his last name, he was lots of fun! The day we were LIVE was his 10th day of the X, so next month when we go back (they're having us on about once a month) there should be some fun change. I'll be sure to post when we go back next so you can tune in and get some motivation. Tony is great LIVE, and makes the viewer WANT to work out!

Next stop: Dallas; for the Team Beachbody Opportunity Meeting. :) Got to spend some time with old friends, and meet new! LOTS of newbies! :) I love to see and meet new Team Beachbody coaches and faithfuls! You can tell a recent grad of a Beachbody program - they're the ones with the giddy smiles that never fade, and who cant stop talking about how much they love to workout now, and how their pants are smaller, and how people dont recognize them now! :)

Final Stop: Parker, Colorado for our final Tony Horton Fitness Camp of the year. We had 45 campers. It was intimate and fun, with lots of information, mixed with hilarity passed on from Tony. :) I have a really great job, if you can even call it that. :) Tony and I have a blast at every camp; and with our new administrative partner, JuliAnne Forrest - they run smoothy-smooth! (Hortonism) Tony and I keep waiting for the day when we get to host our own health and fitness show; where he is witty and charming and informative, and I laugh at all his jokes. :) Would YOU tune in to that!?? :o)~ lol We may just end up being our only viewers. ;o) However it turns out; we are a really good fit for a team, which makes it all the more FUN. I jokingly call him my "work husband", cuz we sort of feel parental about our camp attendees. :)

My REAL husband is a *STAR*; he encourages me to go and participate in these things while he stays home with our 6 kids! Not only that, but of the two nights I was gone, my kids were treated to the following: Friday night date night with Dad: he took our three daughters out to sushi for a gab session. But lets be honest: we can be certain that he did VERY LITTLE of the gabbing, as our girls CAN TALK! :) (Hmmm.....I wonder where they get that from? ;)) Then Saturday night was Guys Night Out with Dad: he took our three sons to Speedway for motorcycle races and stunts. :) He said the little boys eyes were as wide as saucers when the trick bikes came out. :) What a guy, right? Its funny how that seems just as romantic to me as bringing me flowers or taking ME out. :) We make a good team, me and my REAL husband. :)

So here are a few photos for you. If you have ANY desire to come to a Tony camp; the website is http://www.thfitnesscamp.com/ Up to date info will be posted as we ink our '09 camps so you can pick the one you want to attend and then PLAN ON IT. :) We'd love to meet you!!! :)

Keep Bringin It! And ***don't forget*** to email me your questions for answering in my coaching tips! Include your address so I can send you a present for "playing"! We're trying to make getting and staying fit and healthy FUN!! :)

In this with you!

TRACI :)

Glancing Back - Looking Forward....

2008-09-09T11:34:00.001-07:00

Life is busy and time is short, I will be the first to acknowledge that.

But as I look at some of our recent family photos from the summer, I am reminded of just how short time really is. The small snippet of time that is my childrens childhood is the same period of time where I grew from a young, inexperienced mom, to an older, seasoned mom of budding adults. For my older kids, I am in that final phase of helping them "become" who God made them to be, and letting them "fail forward" a little within the safety of family and parents, where we can tweak and adjust things that we taught that they may not have fully learned.

Being a parent is not a sissy job; it takes effort, PRAYER, thought, PRAYER, guidance from mentor parents, PRAYER, reading books, and developing each child as the individual, incredible creations they are. Did I mention prayer? ;o) I have good kids, but they are not cookie cutter kids. They all react differently, think differently, view situations differently, have different senses of humor, and their hearts are touched by very different things. One needs me to reprimand them firmly and LOUDLY, and one needs me to speak softly and calmly so as not to send "her" into an emotional meltdown. One needs the schedule for the next week of what we'll be having for dinner, and one forgets to actually eat because she's playing...until its bed time of course. One needs to know what we're doing 6 months from now, and one never seems to know whats happening in that very minute. Different. Every one of them. All created in God's image, all showing off different aspects of God's heart.

They do however, all have one thing in common. They're all being raised in the same house by the same parents; they're Morrows. All these kids, with all these different personality types need to be raised so as to learn to flourish in their uniqueness. I find that a fascinating role with great responsibility; as a woman, a mom, a follower of Jesus. I want my kids to enter adulthood with the wind at their back and sprinting towards their future. That takes EFFORT on my part and on their dad's part.

We do "check ins" with one another in the evenings when the little ones have gone to bed. We go for evening walks where we not only touch base as a team/couple, but we strategize, share what we see in the kids that we need to work on a little, share what (or whom!) we're struggling with, and then pray for our kids and for one another. When we walk back through that door, we are a united team going back into "the game" with our plan for that day, week, and sometimes just to get us through the next hour. LOL Hey - with teenagers, sometimes its an hour to hour basis. :)

I'm not saying we have it all down, and that we do it perfectly. NOT BY A LONG SHOT. There are some days when I dont feel I've done it well at all, but I never give up trying. There are days I feel like I had no patience, and kick myself that I didnt stop what I was doing to hear my quiet child tell me a funny part from Hannah Montana (the focused part of me has a HARD TIME stopping to listen to a recap of a tv show rerun - just keepin it real :) ), and days when I miss an appt. or phone conference, but God's mercies are new every morning. I ask forgiveness, receive it, and start my next day off with the intention of operating out of God's infinite grace and mercy. I love daily "second chances". :) Its what I always tell my kids: I dont have to be THE best, I just strive to be MY best.

I guess this isnt really a coaching post, but today I'm a bit introspective. My encouragement to you is that we're all human, doing our best to serve others from a place of abundance and not an empty tank. And sometimes it helps to hear that we're not the only one fighting the good fight! Not by a long shot!

I'm praying today for those who read this to be encouraged and find hope that you're not the only one who struggles with time, patience, and to keep up with the changes in our growing kids. We're in this together - and TOGETHER....we're BETTER!

Have a blessed rest of your week! From one busy parent to another!

TRACI +7

Sunglasses; they do more than make your kids LOOK COOL

2008-08-30T11:43:00.001-07:00

I dont know about you, but when my kids were big enough to start asking for sunglasses, I bought them for them because I thought it was so cute to see a little kid looking so adorable and hip at the same time. :) But with four of my six kids being blue eyed, I had no idea that my decision was the best thing I could do for them!

I was on Dr. Greene's website http://www.drgreene.com/43.html reading up on sunglasses and their important role in the protection of the eye from a young age, when irreversable damage is done to the eye; specifically lighter pigmented eyes. Dr. Greene states that unlike other cells of the body, "the cells of the lens of the eye are never replaced once damaged; the proteins of the lens are never replenished. The lens cannot repair itself; and damage accumulates over a lifetime." And that its in our youth is when our eyes are damaged the most BEFORE we think to put sunglasses on our kids for a purpose other than looking cute or cool.

Here's what he has to say on the subject, :

Excessive exposure to sunlight during early childhood is harmful to the eyes. Sunlight contains harmful UV radiation. The risk for retinal damage from the sun's rays is greatest in children less than 10 years old, although the consequences usually do not become apparent until well after they are adults.

Teaching your children to wear sunglasses may be more important than giving them a college fund.

All children should be taught to wear sunglasses, especially between 10 AM and 2 PM, when ultraviolet exposure is the most dangerous. This is true even for children with darker eye colors, even though their darker pigments afford partial protection. Of course, children with light-colored eyes need sunglasses all the more. Ultraviolet exposure is at its peak when children are at high altitudes, snow-covered landscapes, bright sandy beaches, or near reflective bodies of water.

Most people wear sunglasses to reduce glare. This is trivial compared to the long-term protection they afford for the precious ability to see. Parents can set a good example for their children by wearing sunglasses at the appropriate times.

All sunglasses are not the same. Effective sunglasses should block both UVA and UVB radiation. Large lenses that fit close to the eyes are best. Those that block visible blue light are even safer. Thankfully, all sunglasses block UVB radiation. A great many sunglasses, however, do not afford UVA protection. Expensive brand names and polarizing lenses are no guarantee. The sunglasses must be measured to block 99% to 100% of UVA or UV400 (400 nm is the wavelength of UVA radiation).

Ordinary sunglasses make the situation WORSE! The dark lenses cause the pupils to dilate, allowing more of the dangerous UVA radiation to damage the lens and the retina.

This is a BIG WAKE UP CALL, fellow parents!! And the solution is quite simple. We all know that a toddler can demolish sunglasses in two seconds flat, so thats why its a blessing that childrens sunglasses are so inexpensive at places like Target or Wal Mart. You can get a pair for about $5 just about anywhere, and if you teach them to wear them from a young age, and model wearing them yourself, they are quick studies and as they will be a regular part of going outside, they'll leave them on after a few times. (I've got six kids, so I'm speaking from firsthand experience!) They may not like it at first, but they'll get the hang of it. :)

The long term dangers of life without sunglasses? Macular Degeneration and Cataracts are two common eye problems that have been linked directly to sun damage to the eye from childhood sun exposure. They damage the vision and without surgery to correct the problem, the vision is damaged. (see photo for an example of the vision of someone with macular degeneration)

So get some glasses on your kids (and of course, yourselves!!) :) You'll all look cool, and you can be proud for helping take care of the health of your kids' eyes!

Then email me some snapshots of you and your kids in sunglasses! :) I'd love to see them, and maybe put some on my blog. :) ABSoluteFitness@roadrunner.com

And send me any questions you have to the above email address for the chance of having your question answered on camera and a little something from me in the mail! Be sure you include your mailing address!

Blessings and Health!

TRACI +7

Tony Horton Hits the Numbers in VEGAS, BAYBEE!

2008-07-24T07:32:00.001-07:00

I've been hosting Tony Horton's Camps for about four years now. :)

When I first met Tony, it was 2003. We hit it off as if we were born to be friends. :) He's one of my favoritest people that walks this earth, and when he asked me to host his camps I was so excited at the opportunity! To be a part of what he brings to people is incredible enough, but to do something so powerful with one of your best friends - now THAT'S an awesome gig! :) And so, the TNT Fit Camps were born (Tony N Traci).

What started as a great idea by message board regular at the time and original Power90 Success Story Tony Mestaz; the first camp was before my time, and it was launched in Santa Monica, CA. Mestaz' brilliant idea was to bring people from the message boards together to meet the man who'd changed their lives, and to spend some time with him at Santa Monica's Original Muscle Beach. I think the number was under 20 participants, but something far beyond his imagination was born.

This last weekend, July 19-20, we hit a high of nearly 90 campers in Las Vegas! People sign up to BRING IT LIVE! with Tony during 4 sweat inducing workouts, and four very informative and entertaining (would you expect anything less from Tony? :)) seminars, where he shares all that he knows packed into two days; which actually feels like four! This camp had what we've been wanting and needing for a long time: a Nutrition Seminar headed up by Tony's personal chef and Nutritionist Melissa Costello. She added what we knew instinctively we needed, but with the perfect timing, she crossed our paths and our newest player was added to the lineup! :) (Lucky us - we LOVE Missy, and not just for her cooking - she's a SWEET, Beautiful woman! :))

JuliAnne Forrest has also been added to the team, though campers wont fully understand or appreciate how critical her behind the scenes role is, as we do. Well, other than their camp experience being as smooth as butte......er.....coconut oil. :) As our behind the scenes organizer and administrative genius Jules makes sure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed! With the number of attendees growing at camp, and my family numbers having grown at home ;), we were in desperate need of someone to book us, organize the crew and money matters, so that we could concentrate on camp and on what people were coming for: Tony Time! :)

So here are a few snapshots of our weekend. It doesnt matter what level of fitness you're at, if you have a desire to come...COME! Tony is the master of encouragement and alternate moves, so whether you have 100+ pounds to lose, or have completed the X+ multiple times - this camp is for you! Please visit the official site for future listings of a THFC: http://www.thfitnesscamp.com/!

We cant wait to meet YOU at a camp!

Blessings!

TRACI :)

Team GENESIS Summit :)

2008-07-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time at our Vegas Team Building Summit! :) We had coaches come from Hawaii all the way to New York to share, learn, CRACK UP, and just BE a team! A special thanks to Kevin and Milan Jensen, Doug and Tammie Fitzgerald, Dave and Anne Dovel, Kory Edwards, & Randy Watson for your presentations about team building with integrity and through relationship! I took lots of notes, and hope to share the crib notes with the people I am entrusted to coach!

In Summary:

Milan led us in a fun team buidling game, and then as she spoke, I learned that in conversations I/we should:

1. Set my intention for the conversation
2. Think: "How do I want my words to make this person feel?"
3. Think: "What do I want them to take away from this conversation?"

When we are intentional in our conversations with people (our spouse, kids, friends, coaches, customers) we will both leave those conversations blessed and having accomplished something, and not left wondering what the heck just happened?! (anyone been there?)

Then I learned from the Fitzgerald/Dovel team that its important to Develop a Plan as I build my team of coaches, and then Keep it Simple! :) It boils down to these three points:

1. Here's what we're doing.
2. Here's where we're going.
3. Come along!

I learned that inside every person is a "Dreamer", a "Doubter", and a "Realist".

1. Our Dreamer holds our deepest desires; that place where we dream big;
2. Our Doubter holds us back sometimes and tells us (sometimes in our own voice, sometimes in the voices of those who have actually spoken them to us) WHY we CANT do it, and
3. Our Realist is the part of us that helps us find the balance between what we WANT to do, and what NEEDS to be done, and helps us figure out a plan of strategy to MAKE IT HAPPEN.

They all work together to help us find balance, but I felt encouraged to really listen to my "Dreamer". :) For me personally, its that part of me that really connects with what I feel God has for me, in spite of what fear might tell me cant be done! Oh, that blasted FEAR!! What a loudmouthed liar it is!!!

Kory Edwards shared from the heart all about the impact we can have on people's lives for decades to come. He spoke of his own experience in another fitness based company that he and his wife were a part of; how years later, after people had gained back the weight they'd lost with them years before - that they felt comfortable to come back because they knew he and his wife were there to help! THATS COACHING! :) Total acceptance and love - thats what I'm talkin about!!

He also shared how his worst nightmare came true when his wife was diagnosed with cancer and passed away a short time later, and how that caused him to dig deep into what he really believed about life and the afterlife, as well as really putting his core message to trial by fire: that living a healthy, fit lifestyle is worth it for optimal living...TODAY. We really dont have any idea how much time we have on this earth - lets make the most of what we've been given and help others do the same! What a gentle giant. :) Love that guy! Doug Couch came up later and said "Thanks to Kory, I just fell in love with a man for the first time in my life." :) Couch...that guy makes me smile just thinking of his humor and delivery. :) But I think we all fell in love with Kory that day as he spoke from his heart in front of his team: a group of strangers at 9am, but by 5pm: FAMILY.

Lastly, Randy talked about talking to professionals about the Team Beachbody opportunity! He encouraged us to:

1. Be Prepared. Professionals will not waste time. (actually, no one wants their time wasted!)
2. Be organized.
3. Be brief
4. Be confident
5. Look professional
6. Listen - DONT SELL (EW!!!) - dont worry that they wont be interested!

What we have with Team Beachbody is something that every person needs whether they know it or not. Our goal is to share it with them - the opportunity to have optimal health, and to help others have that too - in such a way that we are genuine in extending hope to people! :)

If you missed this: our third Team Genesis Summit, you now have the summary. :) But there's nothing like "huddling up" with friends who are likeminded - even friends you've never met - to encourage one another to be the best possible versions of ourselves! :)

Sooo HAPPY to be in this with you -

TOGETHER....we're BETTER!! :)

TRACI +7

Tony Horton Fitness Camp in VEGAS

2008-07-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to Vegas for the weekend! :)

Our team is having a team building day on Friday, and then Tony's camp kicks off on Saturday Morning. :)

I've been helping Tony with his camps for four years now, and we always have such a fun time. People come from all over, at all different fitness levels to work out, learn from him in his seminars, and connect with people they've met through the amazing Beachbody community of people. People just like you and me who want to be healthy and fit for life, and do so with friends! :)

I'll be posting lots of photos (similar to the silly one above of us sneaking some chocolate mousse pie at an LA Camp). I hope they will inspire you to consider saving your pennies for one of our camps! You'll never be sorry you did!

For more info on attending a Tony Horton Fitness Camp, please go to http://www.thfitnesscamp.com/

Check back for fun updates from both the coaching training (something we offer our team twice a year) and Tony's Camp!

TRACI :)

Testing your EQ: how strong is your running emotional intelligence?

2008-07-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

The following article/personal test is an exerpt from Runners World Magazine, and though its designed specifically for runners, it goes for anyone who is working out on a regular schedule and experiences physical pain that wouldn't be considered within the "normal" range.

Take this test, plug it into your personal fitness, and see how you measure up. If your score is mostly a's and b's, you need to work on taking your emotion out of your decision and make your decisions based on long term fitness/health goals!

Since I was a young girl I have always loved survey's and T/F questionaire's. I hope you do too. Enjoy! :)

1. During your cooldown at the local track, an older guy flies past you. You:

a. Speed up, pushing yourself until you pass him.

b. Stick with your cooldown, but think, I hope no one saw that geezer lapping me.

c. Think, Wow, he's in great shape for his age, and return your focus to your workout.

2. Worried you won't sleep the night before your first marathon, you:

a. Take a sleeping pill that night.

b. Don't do anything. Being keyed up may help you perform better.

c. Visualize the hours leading up to the start, picturing yourself calm, relaxed, and in control.

3. A few weeks before a race, your doctor says you have plantar fasciitis and tells you to stop running for a month. You:

a. Continue running through the pain.

b. Hammer out workouts on the eliptical machine so you can keep in shape for race day.

c. Pick a different race goal and cross-train until you're ready to resume running and racing.

RESULTS:

If you answered mostly As, your EQ is low. You give in to your emotions and react to them, looking for a quick fix, rather than managing them for long-term health and happiness.

If you answered mostly Bs, your EQ is average. You're aware of your feelings but could improve on how you manage them.

If you answered mostly Cs, your EQ is high. You have emotioal awareness and you practice the right methods for managing your feelings.

Let's all aim for mental, physical, and emotional awareness, with our goals for long term optimal health and fitness! :)

Blessings!
TRACI :)

Summer's Here - are you ready?! :)

2008-06-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

And I dont just mean bathing suit ready! Nope - the kids are coming home for a few months full time, and that means a messy living room - messy kitchen - friends coming and going - wet towels laying wherever they were dropped! Its enough to make a mom go mad! ;o)

My solution to keeping sane this summer? Make sure you carve out some quiet time for yourself each day, and EXERCISE too! :) I like to wake up each day and spend some time in my bible, and listening for God's voice. :) Starting out my day with some time with him always means a good day - whether crazy things happen or not. Also - when stress happens, (and it does when you have 6 kids with active social lives) exercising just keeps me.....grounded. Level headed. Cheerful even! :)

I love my kids, and I wouldnt trade em for the world, but gosh sometimes they drive me bananas. Sometimes I'm a yelling, not so patient mom. Sometimes I've been known to say "Get out of this house and DO SOMETHING ACTIVE - I need a time out from you, and that means you all go outside and leave me in peace!" :D When they come back, we're all the better for that "mom time out".

The first two weeks after school lets out for the summer is what I call "School Detox". They are rude to each other, snap at one another, lazy, and dont know how to co exist. Its happened every summer for as long as I can remember. Then.....ahhhh. They get into the groove of the new schedule and routine and how to be around one another (and me!) again all day and its a peaceful home (mostly) again. It doesnt make it any easier to deal with them in the two weeks, but I know its coming, so I brace myself and take lots of little breaks in the garage where NO ONE else is. :) QUIET. Ahh....

I say all this now because next Thursday is their last day of school. :) That also happens to be "Moving Day" for the Morrows. GULP. Lots going on for one day, but thats the way life seems to happen. Nothing....nothing....nothing....and then suddenly 3 things happening all at once!

Lets take this summer, all you moms out there, and really focus on spending one on one time with EACH of our kids (no matter how many you have) and connect with them. Lets look beyond their annoying stages and see them for who they *really* are. That adult in there that will be our friend one day, when puberty has come and gone. :) Plan fun activities and try not to lecture them AT ALL while we're doing them! (thats a special note to MYSELF :) ) And lets work to keep our own stress at bay by pressing play a minimum of 5 times a week!

Summer is coming! :) Lets make it a summer to remember!!Much love!

TRACI +7 :)

What happens in Vegas.....hopefully happens EVERYWHERE!!

2008-05-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Well, at least as it pertains to Team Beachbody! ;)

Milan Jensen; my dear friend and coaching partner :)

I traveled to Las Vegas a couple weekends ago to hang out with the Vegas Team Beachbody Coaches; a team of people who are growing a team of excited, enthusiastic coaches who are raising their hands to say "Yes! I'll be a part of
the solution to end obesity!" It was inspiring on so many levels, but my favorite part, as always, is connecting to people who are in this with me!

Doug Couch and I: this guy is so much fun and the coach of Kim Barnett!

Tony Horton got the crowd pumped as only he can do. :)

Our team is spread out all over this country, but there's nothing like it when we huddle up! :)

Kim Barnett: SWEET woman who just happened to have won $250,000 dollars with the Million Dollar Body Game!! :)

Here are a few photos from the event, where Pete Pena was awarded the company's first 10 Star Diamond Coach; which means he has achieved the rank of Diamond Coach, and 10 of his Personally Sponsored Coaches have achieved Diamond status as well. :) Pete is a great, and humble guy, and I couldn't be happier for him and his wife Sue!!

This company is changing lives and I would love to answer any questions you may have as you contemplate if its for you or not.

It all starts with YOUR STORY. :) BE a success story yourself and that starts today with food choices and workout choices. :) All you have is today....what will you do with it?

The Vegas team is just a group of individuals who excitedly joined this health and fitness revolution and lives are being CHANGED!! :) I'd love to see that happening country and then world wide!

JOIN WITH US!! :) Come get healthy and fit - and help others do the same!

Love!
TRACI :)
ABSoluteFitness@roadrunner.com

More Pics from the Beachbody Gala :)

2008-03-17T17:05:00.001-07:00

Kimberly Barnett -
one of the

$250,000 winners! :) She's a TeamGENESIS Coach! :) WOOHOOO! I spoke with her on the phone just after she'd been to the bank - she said it was the WEIRDEST feeling to cash a check for $250,000!!! All those zeros!! :)

Gwyn aka Gmearth from the boards.
:) Love her!

Jason doing his thing for a fun "surprise" to the guests. I'll bet it was WAY cool for the band to get to play back up to the lead singer of Chicago. :) He was of course....a HAM. :) (what's funny is that he held this ridiculous pose for SO long while my lame camera booted up :) good sport that he is!)

Judy Z. and me. :) Judy is such a blessing to me!

Tony, Mason, and me. :) The QVC crew. ;o)

The winners up on stage at the Gala. :)

Lastly....

does this pose look comfortable to you?

Its not.

:)

Some of My Favorite "things" are PEOPLE! :)

2008-03-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

Man, we have a fun group of people doing this Beachbody coaching thing! :)

Here is a shot of me and my sweet Brina - $50,000 winner for her results with Turbo Jam and P90X. :) Isnt she lovely? (makes me look like Skipper to her Barbie) :)

Here is a shot of Mark Briggs, Tony, Jason Scheff and me. The P90X+ crew, minus Mace.

Jason :) We've exchanged emails and posts for so long -it was fun to meet face to face, though I felt like we'd known one another for years. :) Thats the way the message boards are. :)

Mark Briggs: My Friend "Nacho". :)

Tammie Fitz. :) She's a fav of mine. :)

Shaun T. He is, in the words of Tony Horton: a

"GOOD DUDE"

My cutie cousins.

:) LOVE THEM!!

Are you asking: "WHERE THE HECK DID MY COACH GO??"

2008-03-17T16:06:00.001-07:00

I've been all over, crossing through three time zones in the last three days alone! :) Not my regular schedule, but sometimes life just happens all at once! :)

The FIRST EVER Beachbody Coaching Summit was on March 7th, but our team huddled up a day early and met at the hotel on the 6th for a GREAT Summit of our own! :)

Milan, our fearless leader, came down with a kidney stone and was calling me from the ER (NOT KIDDING) to update me on what the day will look like should she not be able to attend. GULP. I was all serene on the phone, so she wouldnt worry, but in my heart I'm thinking two things "WHAT??? How can we do this without you??" but also "NOOOO...you CANT get sick!" This trip to Hawaii (Top Coach trip) was the first thing she said she's ever won. :( For her to miss it would be heartbreaking!!

She did in fact miss nearly the whole TeamGENESIS Summit, :( (boo hoo) but thankfully Doug and Tammie Fitzgerald and Doug Couch stepped in and helped it all come together. :) At the end, she MIRACULOUSLY passed her stone (I know - it just SOUNDS painful, poor woman) and was able to make it down for the final moments, (YAY!)where her sister Mandy was able to present her with a book of thank you letters from our team for all she does for us. :D And she DID end up getting to go to Hawaii, thank you, Lord! It just would have been WRONG if she didnt get to go!

So that was the 6th!

I roomed with Coach Kit Caldicott - Tony Horton's sister - and we had a GREAT time as roomies! :) She's just a fun woman to hang out with. :)

That night, we all met for a fun night at the bowling alley where tons of TeamGEN coaches were treated to food, drinks, and a night of bowling to build some team spirit! :) I'd say that goal was more than accomplished! :)

Here are some pics from the event! Hope you enjoy!

TRACI :)

Ethiopian Merkato: Authentic food, Authentic Friend! :)

2008-02-11T08:11:00.001-08:00

Two years ago on February 10, 2006, I met and had lunch with my dear friend Scott Fifer who had just come back from a volunteer vacation in Tanzania. He had brought me back this adorable Tanzanian angel made of a banana peel, and had wonderful stories and photos to share with me. Well that day, that looked just like any other day, was a day that God plucked me off the path that my life was on, and plunked me down onto a path that would lead KC and I to our 5th and 6th children; adopted and home from Ethiopia just 10 mos after that lunch with Scott! :) When God touches your heart with the things that touch his heart - your life will NEVER be the same. Over and over throughout the bible, he talks about his love for the poor and orphaned and forgotten. If that doesnt describe Africa, I dont know what does.
Last night was our 2 year anniversary of that lunch, and we celebrated with a dinner in an authentic Ethiopian restaurant in Los Angeles where Scott met our boys for the first time, and our other kids as well. :) We had a great time eating the food, chattering and laughing, and enjoying one anothers company! (oh, and trying on cool Ethiopian hats!) Its incredible to me how our hearts are entwined with each others as we share the love and concern for people on the other side of this much smaller than I had previously thought, world.

Scott is in the process of raising money to build a home, school, water system for an orphanage entitled "TunaHAKI" which means "We have a right". Link: http://tunahaki.org/how.html He already raised money to purchase the land, so now its a matter of getting the remaining funds donated, and the project built. Over 20-something kids live in this orphanage of kids with varying Christian denominations. Which got my wheels turning - wouldnt it be cool to get a group to head over there to give them a week of Vacation Bible School, complete with their own bibles and games, and skits, all teaching about the love of their creator?!?! :) Yes, meals with Scott seem to be the catalyst for Gods "dawnings" for me! Think twice before you accept a meal invitation from him! hee KIDDING, of course! :)

God just keeps flinging open doors for my heart to be drawn to the orphans of the African continent - I encourage you to listen if you are feeling that same tugging at YOUR heart! It doesnt mean life will be easier, but FAR RICHER!! :) What better way to live, than to have the creator of life directing your next steps?! Words cant describe the exhileration and joy! And to do it side by side with friends....all the better! :)

Easy, Healthy Kids Lunches

2008-02-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

One of the questions I'm asked regularly by parents is "Any ideas for a healthy lunch?" :) Why, I'm glad you asked! Because its far easier than you may be thinking! Kids whose parents start eating healthier find less Ho-Ho's, Twinkies, Lunchables, and juice boxes in their lunches, and trust me, that is not a fun occurance for ANYONE involved! (can you tell I'm speaking from experience?!)

The one thing I've learned from both having BEEN a kid, but also by having my own, is that even though kids like to have something thats on the cutting edge of new and cool, they dont want it to be so far outside the normal realm that we're actually called...gulp....different. :) Cuz when you're THAT different, then you're called 'weird' by other kids, and that is the next thing to torture for someone who's just trying to blend in and carve out their niche in their crowd of peers. So, what does that mean? Do we as parents give in and make a decision that is contrary to what we believe to keep the peace in our home? Thankfully, I dont think the answer has to be THAT dramatic of a solution!

Giving our kids healthy options but made to look appetizing and dare I say it, "CUTE", is our goal! At our Tony Horton Fitness Camps, I've spoken about making their lunches with a bit more effort with the hopes of finding the happy medium of what they want, and what I'm willing to give. I'm a fan cute plates, stickers on the younger kids napkins with a little love note from me, cute little baggies with decorations, or a sticker from me, sandwiches cut into cute shapes with a cookie cutter, cute little containers for their fruit or whatever, so they dont miss the heavy corn syrup laden fruit cups they used to get before I knew better, cute spoons with characters on them, a decorated lunch bag with various colored markers and stickers, etc. You're getting the idea.

Do I EVER give my kid a Ho-Ho? The answer is yes. Every once in a blue moon, in teaching them moderation, otherwise they'll hit that age where they can buy their own food and have learned no sense of self discipline and balance with food. Being too extreme, and putting that onto our kids can actually bring a contrapositive result, and attaching a sense of power to food that has no business there! And 9 times out of 10 they complain that the Ho-Ho didnt set well in their stomachs because their bodies repel the unhealthy ingredients they dont normally get. What is the lesson learned there? One that I couldnt teach nearly as well with words! They get a stomach ache eating the thing I have said is not good for them, and they learn: EW. It hurts to eat that food. :)

Do I make cookies and baked goods? Yes, rather than store bought - thought I occasionally buy those too - because I can substitute the butter in the cookies for coconut oil, and add in some whole grain flour instead of pure white flour, where cane sugar is replaced with fructose (I have a child who cannot have any cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup so that drives me to find newer, healthier versions of foods), and where I can put in one less egg yolk and one more egg white into the recipe! :) Little adjustments to make it better for them.

So get creative parents! A "sandwich"doesnt have to be on bread - some meat and a low fat mozzerella cheese stick with some organic pretzels is a homemade, healthier version of a "lunchable", without all the processed meat and cheese! Or make an OPEN FACE sandwich with only one piece of bread, meat, and make a face with the tomato for a mouth and a couple raisins (or nuts, or craisins) for the eyes! Or roll up that meat and some mustard and lettuce and pine nuts into a whole grain wrap, cut it in half and hold it together with a colorful toothpick! :) Lets use these quick and easy tools; recipes, baggies, markers, containers, stickers, packed with a lot of love to help our kids "blend in" but in a healthy way! :)

I've posted a couple different versions of my kids' lunches over the past couple days. One a sack lunch, one an at home lunch for my toddlers. HAVE FUN with it - and get CREATIVE! :)

They're listening and watching!!

2008-01-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

Our KIDS are listening and watching, that is. My 13 year old 7th grade daughter had to write a persuasive essay on her topic of choice for her english class. She chose the topic: Should Middle Schools Ban Junk Food?

I'm sharing this with you so you'll be encouraged that our kids ARE learning from us and our habits. They HEAR what we say, but more importantly, they are LEARNING from our actions. You've heard that actions speak louder than words? :) Read on......this is what she's learned from observing us talk about health and nutrition and though she puts up a stink that she has to "eat healthy" (said as if its a bad word :)) she's getting it. :)

So without further ado, here it is:

Persuasive Essay
by Holli Morrow

Did you know that U.S. teenagers are being smothered with unhealthy food choices at school? There is a proposal to ban junk food from middle schools. That means no pizza, soda, or chips owuld ever enter or exit the cafeteria door. In my opinion, this would be much better for teenagers because the population is becoming heavily populated with obese people. Danger to health, bad effect on moods, and growing avoidance of fruits and veggies are all reasons why junk food should be banned from middle schools.

One reason why I believe junk food should be banned from middle schools ils because it has a danger to health. For example, posters around the cafeteria say things like, "Take care of your body, eat healthy!" but then they serve greasy pizza, fries, and chocolate milk. Right there the kids are downing almost six hundred and fifty calories! This is very dangerous to their hearts and they don't even know it! In the fruit bars they so "generously" provide, the fruit is warm and melted and usually has flies buzzing around. Some might argue that junk food is not a danger to health. However, foods like pizza and fries are saturated in fat and covered in salt, it has no real nutritional value, and is terrible for your heart and overall health.

A second reason why I believe junk food should be banned from middle schools is because it has a bad effect on a teenager's moods. If you have had a bag of chips, there are no vitamins or nutritional value in that little bag, but is is full of fat and empty calories. Even if the bag says, "10% less fat", what about the fat that's still in there? Without real foods in their stomachs with protein or vitamins, kids get short tempered and ornery. Kids come home and fight with their parents or siblings, just because they are tired, sluggish and grumpy from eating unhealthy foods. You may say junk food has no effect on teenager's moods. However, studies have shown that teenagers who regularly ate fruits and vegetables were much less ornery and thought more clearly than those that ate a lot of junk food.

The third reason why I believe junk food should be banned from middle schools is because teenagers are rapidly adding to the climbing number of obese people in our country. At the word "healthy", kids are turning away and running for the pizza. Just because its good for your health, doesn't mean its gross. Fruits like grapes, cantaloupe, and watermelon are all delicious and good alternatives to sugary junk food. Vegetables like celery, lettuce, and carrots are sweet, juicy, crunchy alternatives to junk food, and have lots of good vitamins and nutrients for growing bodies. You may say teenagers are not growing in their dislike for fruits and vegetables. However, fruits and vegetables are picked at, and recent polls have shown that teens would rather have junk food than healthy food.

Three reasons I believe junk food should be banned from middle schools are bad effects on moods, danger to health, and a growing avoidance of fruits and vegetables. There is a proposed ban on junk food from middle schools. This means no pizza, soda, or chips would ever enter or exit the cafeteria doors. In my opinion, this would be much better for teenagers because the population is becoming heavily populated with obese people. Banning junk food from middle schools is the right choice.

*****

Don't lose heart, moms and dads! :) Keep giving them healthy alternatives and have conversations about it! Model regular exercise and offer healthy food choices because THEY ARE SOAKING IT UP, despite the rolling eyes and drama about "its so unfair that we NEVER have good food!!"

You're becoming a hero to your own kid!

Have a blessed week setting the bar high for your family! :)

Clean out the cupboards and fridge!

2008-01-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

Most people are looking to get their eating in check, begin an exercise program, and lose some weight year round, but for some reason, the start of a new year is when people collectively set their intentions for a healthy new start! This is a good plan, however, every day is a new start for healthier choices! So whether its January 1st or a random Thursday, TODAY is a NEW DAY to make new, HEALTHY choices for taking care of your body!

A great STARTING POINT for anyone looking to change old, bad patterns is to clean out your fridge, freezer, and cupboards. An old friend once said these wise words:

Say no to yourself ONCE: at the market!

Wise advice, and I quote it often! You can say no to yourself several times throughout the day, but around 7:30pm when you're grazing and bored; all it takes is saying yes once to a bad food choice to undo all of your good choices throughout the day! Then you figure "Well, I already blew it, so I'm just going to finish off this "fill in the blank" (cake, pie, tub of ice cream...) and start over tomorrow." You lay in bed feeling like you failed with your stomach beyond full at the worst possible time of day to be full. Its a vicious cycle, and if you're reading this and thinking "Oh man, is that me!!" Dont ya wonder how I know? Because it is an age old story that plays out in many, many households, only in each house the main characters are played by different people!

Well, you can change that in YOUR house by setting yourself up to succeed, not fail! Pack the house with raw veggies and fruits, whole grains (beans, lentils, brown and wild rice, oatmeal, whole grain pasta), lean proteins, and healthy fats, water bottles, green tea, and lots of other healthy choices that are in line with your desire to lose some stored fuel (body fat) and get healthy and fit!

And you can do it any day of the week, month, year!

WHY NOT START TODAY?

New Year, New Blog!

2008-01-05T12:27:00.000-08:00

Lots happening with Beachbody/Million Dollar Body and coaching, so I figured a coaching/family blog would be a good idea. :) A large part of my fitness journey has everything to do with being a healthy and fit woman so I have energy to do all the things a mom does and still have energy left over!

Getting FIT and being HEALTHY has never been so fun - lets have a blast...TOGETHER!

Welcome 2008!!

TOGETHER...we're BETTER!

~TRACI+7 :)