Inauguration of President Barack Obama

What a wonderful day yesterday, January 20, 2009 was. To be out there amongst the crowds of hundreds and thousands of people, all jubilant to be experiencing the historic 56th inauguration of America’s first black president, Barack H. Obama! We endured long walks through the bitter wind to stand side by side with people from all walks of life. People of all races, beliefs, creeds and point of views standing together to witness the ushering in of a new era. What a day! I am inspired to be a better me. A better sister, daughter, friend, worker, Christian, volunteer, writer, poet, housekeeper, cook, dog owner. Everything that I am, I am inspired to be better. Congratulations President Obama! We are so proud of you and your family for having the audacity of hope!

Motivation of the Day

There are two ways of attaining an important end--force and perseverance. Force falls to the lot only of the privileged few, but austere and sustained perseverance can be practised by the most insignificant. Its silent power grows irresistible with time. --Madame Swetchine

Happy Founders Day Sorors! What have you done today to make me feel proud?

Happy Founders Day to my lovely Sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Take this time to reflect on the sisterhood, service, and social activism of our Illustrious Founders.

I firmly believe that lack of motivation in one area serves as an illustration to a lack of motivation in several other areas of our lives. As we walk proudly today, revering our founders and all the work our sorority has done over the past 96 years, I challenge you to ask yourself what you have done individually, in your life and in the lives of others that you can be proud of. If you can't think of much, or it is far and few between, I charge you get the other areas in control as we take on the challenge of getting our bodies in control. As you push yourself to get fit, push yourself to accomplish your other goals. Finish each day by reflecting on what you have done to make you feel proud!

Nothing to it but to do it!

This morning I frowned as the alarm went off at 5:00 am. There is nothing more cruel to me then getting out of bed before the sun rises. Last night I told myself I must workout, but when that alarm went off, all I wanted to do was hit snooze and get an extra 30 minutes of sleep in my warm bed. I started thinking, if I sleep an extra 30 minutes, how much more rested am I really going to feel at 5:30? Why not just get up and workout? The reasoning worked and in no time I was moving and jumping to one of the exercise tv workouts on demand. I was so proud of myself for overcoming the alluring spot that is my bed and deciding that its high time I get serious about losing this weight. I followed my workout with a 20 minute walk with my dog and plan on doing a 45 minute cardio session this evening. Sometimes, as corny as the saying is, there really is nothing to it, but to do it!

Motivation of the Day

Women Fitness posts a Motivational Thought each day to keep their readers focused on their fitness and weightloss goals. We all need some motivation and that is why we are supporting each other. Here is today's motivational message:

START SOMETHING POSITIVE: Momentum can be difficult to establish. And that's what makes it so valuable. Because once you have it going in your favor, momentum can be hard to stop. With momentum on your side, small efforts can bring big results, and those big results can lead to even bigger ones. Yes, momentum takes some effort and commitment to put into motion. And it is very much worth the trouble. Take the time and make the effort to start something positive. Even though, in the short term, it would be easier and more comfortable to just do nothing, look past those immediate concerns. Look ahead to that point where momentum kicks in, and consider the value of putting it to work in your favor. Then get up, get going, and get to work on building that momentum. Start something positive, and create some valuable momentum. You'll be able to ride that momentum as far as you can imagine. --Ralph Marston

Oprah's Best Life Series

Have you fallen off the wagon? Are you ready to turn your life around? Putting yourself back on your to-do list, changing your diet and starting to exercise are crucial. But to really make a change you must take a long look in at yourself. "The journey to take better care of yourself, to honor yourself, to have reverence for yourself, to have harmony with your life, appreciation for your life, to love yourself is a never-ending journey," Oprah says. Start by answering these five questions. Complete this exercise and get back on track!

• What are you hungry for?"The weight is always representative of something other than what it looks like," Oprah says. "You don't have a weight problem; you have a self-care, self-love problem."
• Why are you overweight?"It's not because you like a certain food," Bob says. "Get deep into it."
• Why have you been unable to maintain weight loss in the past?"This one is really more about 'Why have you failed?'" Bob says.
• What in your life is not working?"You're going to find the answers in those areas that you say are really important to you," Bob says. "But they're not doing well."
• Why do you want to lose weight?"If any part of your answer hints that you'll be happy at a certain size or weight, you're setting yourself for failure because [there are] two outcomes," Bob says. "You never reach that size or weight and you're never happy. And even worse, you reach that size and weight and realize it has nothing to do with your happiness."

EXCERPT FROM THE BEST LIFE DIET by Oprah Winfrey

Another thing I know for sure now is that you’ve got to ask yourself, What kind of life do you want and how close are you to living it? You cannot ever live the life of your dreams without coming face to face with the truth. Every unwanted pound creates another layer of lies. It’s only when you peel back those layers that you will be set free: Free to work out, free to eat responsibly, free to live the life you want and deserve to live. Tell the truth and you’ll learn to eat to satisfy your physical hunger and stop burying your hopes and dreams beneath layers of fat.

From Oprah's Best Life Series Live Your Best Life

New Beginnings

I am honored to share this experience and journey with 5 fabulous chicas! Although this is ultimately about weight loss, my goal is that as we journey through rigorous workouts, difficult diet restrictions and inevitable plateaus, we will discover new things about our strength, mental and physical capacities and spiritual insights. As we transform our bodies, let us transform our minds and share our new epiphanies our AHA moments our triumphs.