TAG: brett hoebel Archives - Traci Morrow Fitness

I am shocked to see that its been 2 1/2 months since I blogged last. I knew time had passed, but didnt realize SO MUCH. Needless to say its been a full summer of vacation, house renovation, moving my home office to an actual office space, redoing my website (you’ll see soon!) and BEING Mom.

Having a home based business is a pretty cool thing. I can conduct business WHILE my kids are home. I do calls and answer emails out by the pool while I lifeguard the kids while they swim. “Have computer will travel (to the backyard)”. My team has grown, advanced in rank, and conducted many online and facebook Challenge groups, as well as fit club Challenge groups over the summer. People have lost weight, built a team of people who are also losing weight, tried our new Vegan Shakeology, and new fitness programs like Les Mills Pump, P90X2, and the brand new Body Beast.

The point is that IF YOU WANT TO, you can build a business with time, patience, consistency, and a proven plan…and if you forget to blog for a few months, so be it.

Happy to be back at it ~ hope to hear from you!

In Relentless Pursuit of Excellence~
TRACI

There’s light at the end of the tunnel! The Ultimate Reset is something we are ALL proud of participating in and are so glad we did it as a family!!

If you’re considering it, we highly recommend it! It will stretch you, challenge you, and grow you as you embark on this journey of healthy, life giving food and finding what connections you may have with foods that are unhealthy.

In Relentless Pursuit of Excellence….TOGETHER!

TRACI

What does being a “good mom” mean to you? Can you rattle off a list? Does it look like YOUR mom, or perhaps like a television mom from the 50′s? Does she look put together always, have the kitchen well stocked with snacks & menu’s planned, laundry fresh smelling and put away, beds all made, meals all home made and healthy? Does she have an endless supply of energy and patience, and is she frugal with the family budget, leaving enough after the necessities to go to the movies or to take the kids somewhere fun?  Or does a “good mom” work all day then come home and help with homework, while she cooks dinner, keeps the house in order, gets her workout in, with the laundry done & garden tended?  Is she organized? Does she buy organic? Does she sit in the evening and hear of the kids’ day, then tuck them in and then spend quality time with her husband? Or is she a hard working single mom who would LOVE to fall in love again but barely has the energy to play both roles of Mom and Dad to her kids? Does she ever have guilt? Does she ever feel like a failure? Does she second guess herself and pray God can see her heart, despite her feelings of insignificance or perhaps failure? Do you think of yourself when you think “good mom”?

I think there is such an inner struggle for modern moms. In 2012, we have to help bring home the bacon, AND fry it up in a pan. (for those who are too young to know, that was a commercial from the 70′s) There is a heavy load on the shoulders of a woman who desires to be a good mom, while maintaining her womanhood. We have come a long way in busting through the glass ceiling in the working world for women, but honestly – though we’ve found our place in the business world, we are also wired for nurturing our kids and taking care of our home. Instead of giving us “freedom” to be viewed as equals in a “mans world”; its tripled our responsibilities and we’re left feeling overworked and truthfully, often spread so thin we feel like our efforts are ineffective. The equality movement actually caused us to play both roles as provider and nurturer and while we may love being a mom and working, most of us are burned out. Was there ever supposed to be a line dividing the two roles, I don’t know, but I choose to look to God’s word to find who I am and even more importantly; who I am meant to be. Because in my head I’ve taken all the worlds ideals and tried to do it all and be it all. Somewhere along the line I thought being my best meant doing everything the best and I stand before you today to wave the flag and say “I cannot do it all and be it all”. Whew! That felt good to admit, though I suspect you already knew. ;o)

I WANT to be fit, and healthy, and have open loving, life changing conversations with my kids.

I want to have a romantic and close relationship with my kids’ dad; my man.

I want to serve organic, well balanced meals and snacks to myself and my kids.

I want to be active in my church and community.

I love my calling as a Beachbody Coach!

I want to have a clean house, clean laundry, and the gas tank full.

I want our family pets to be groomed and up to date on their shots.

I want to be right on time to schedule all dental and medical appts and teach the kids how important it is to be on time for them.

I want to attend all of their sporting events and banquets, volunteering to make a casserole for them all, and having it be the best tasting casserole. (do people still make casseroles?)

I want to be a good daughter to my parents, a good sister to my siblings, a super fun aunt who always has a funny joke or fun present when I see my nieces or nephews.

I want my kids to have shoes that fit, clothes without grass stains on the knees, and a wardrobe that’s in fashion.

I want to have a garden and use the fresh herbs in my organic meals.

I want to remember to water said garden.

I want to have hours to listen to my teenagers figure life out and add invaluable guidance that they will take, after hanging on my ever wise word.

I want to have a thriving business.

I want to be team mom, room mom, PTA President, mom of the year.

I want to make daily lists and mark off every thing on it.

I want to tweet, facebook, blog, yelp and youtube till my hearts content.

I want to sit patiently with my younger kids as they do their homework.

I want to play soccer or hopscotch with my kids.

I want to plan fun family vacations & romantic getaways.

I want my kids to learn to serve and love those less fortunate than they are.

I want to build humility, strength of character, and instill core values into my kids so at every step of life they implement what they’ve learned and it serves them and those around them well in this life.

I want my kids to love, honor, and respect the God who created them, and live passionate lives for Him!

Those are some of the biggies, but I have lots of little ones, as I suspect you do too – like driving for all field trips, volunteering, family game nights, and reading lots of self improvement books and then actually implementing what I read.  What I’m coming to realize is that I have to continue to strive to take good care of all that’s been entrusted to me, but also cut myself some slack and BE STILL and KNOW that He is God. I will NEVER be able to do all these things – and what I’ve found is that I can do all that God calls me to do, in HIS strength! On my own, I crash and burn and wear myself out, then beat myself up for what I didn’t do.

So I’m learning – and invite you to learn as well – that love covers a multitude of error. That if we love the people who are entrusted to us, then we’ve done the best part! And in the end, it wont matter as much what we did, as much as who, and how we loved. And Who we trust in to give us all we need, as we need it.

So if you have a messy house, ratty lookin’ dogs, a mound of laundry, cereal for dinner, a quarter tank of gas in your car that needs a tune up, you missed your workout today, and you snapped at your teenager this morning – join the club. Its full of other “good moms” doing their best.

In Relentless Pursuit of Excellence~

TRACI

That’s what my favorite sweatshirt says on the back. On the front is Snoopy and Charlie Brown hugging. I LOVE Snoopy but I also love the message of that shirt. Its true, isnt it? We all need a friend, and you’re blessed indeed if you have one or two or even three that you can share life with.  I mean REALLY share life with them. The deepest, perhaps not so attractive side of you – the raw human part of you that needs to sometimes share unfiltered and still be accepted. Do you have a friend like that?  I’m blessed to say that I have a small few.  But I had no idea how very rare it is until I started working closely with people, only to find that many people crave to find those close friends that love them like a brother or sister. But on top of that, I found that according to a Gallup Poll, friendship actually helps you perform better in your career if you have a close friend doing your work WITH you.

And that’s what I want to blog about today. This business of Team Beachbody Coaching and the ability to invite your friends to do this WITH YOU!

Check out these statistics on ‘Friends in the Workplace’ from Gallup Polls:

• People who have a “best friend” at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their work. They also have fewer accidents, more engaged customers, and are more likely to innovate and share new ideas.
• People with at least three close friends at work were 46% more likely to be extremely satisfied with their job and 88% more likely to be satisfied with their life.
• The research overall shows that the quality of the friendships in your life are the best predictors of daily happiness and life satisfaction, and have profound implications for your physical health and longevity.
• Do friends shape your waistline? If your best friend has a very healthy diet, you are more than five times as likely to have a very healthy diet yourself.
• Successful friendships are the ones in which friends play a specific role in your life. The fatal mistake in friendships is forcing one person to fill every role.

The beauty of Beachbody Coaching is that we get to choose who we invite to work with us! Do you know what that means??? We get to work with our friends!! Is it any wonder why our business and message is spreading so quickly?! Statistics above show that we are more satisfied, more innovative, and those we serve are more engaged because we’re HAVING A BLAST! I have said since we launched the network that “TOGETHER…we’re BETTER!” That doesn’t mean we’re better than other people, it just means you make me better and I hopefully make you better by simply working TOGETHER. We get and stay fitter TOGETHER, we play a specific role in one anothers lives, and we are more satisfied in our lives….because of one anothers involvement! Those are pretty powerful statistics!

So, I ask you – why not join in the fun and share YOUR ideas? My team and I are just waiting to live and enjoy life – WITH YOU!

In Relentless Pursuit of Excellence,

TRACI

I think its fun to take some time every now and again and answer questions asked of me privately, on my public blog. Especially the ones that are asked more than once, because then I know its a question many people might be wondering. Most of them are personal, but the occasional question has to do with actual coaching. So kick back and read along to see if YOUR question gets answered, and in the process learn more about me than you may ever have wanted to know. ;o)

Q. Traci, my wife is pregnant and swears you must have had surgery to remove the excess skin after having all your kids. I told her I read somewhere once that you said you’d had no surgeries. Would you mind answering this email in attention to my wife to give her some hope that you CAN get a ripped stomach after pregnancy?

Happy to answer this one because I get asked a lot. I am thankful to report that I have never had any kind of plastic surgery, whether to remove excess skin, or remove fat, or enhance commonly enhanced body parts. ;o) Funny thing though – no one ever asks if I’ve had a boob job?! lol Okay, all silliness aside, I was genetically blessed with skin that stretched without stretch marks – in fact the nurses used to call to one another when I came in that “the mom with no stretch marks” was here! I use Palmers Cocoa Butter lotion (bought at Target at the advice of my sister, a mom of four) which makes me smell like marshmallows and is great for keeping the skin soft and hydrated from the outside, and drank lots of water. Hydrating your skin helps against stretch marks, but in the end its a lot about genetics. As for shrinking the skin after weight loss, pregnancy or otherwise, hydrating your skin from the outside and inside is your best pro-active step! Time and consistency with clean eating, exercise, and hydrating (drinking lots of water) will slowly help your skin to firm up. I’m not opposed to plastic surgery but do all you can do naturally before you go under the knife! (and remember that you cant have had surgery if you want to be considered for the Team Beachbody Challenge!) The last thing I want to say on this subject is: PLEASE remember that your body was made for giving birth and while we would love to have firm skin forever, the reality is, we arent designed to stay young for life. Learn to appreciate your body for providing a safe, healthy place for your baby to grow and dont curse the marks of passage from woman to mother. Please dont strive for perfection. Be the best YOU you can be, and be thankful for your body, by taking care of it.

Q. You look more fit in P90X2 than you did in P90X+. What programs have you been doing in between filming?

First of all, THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU, and CAN WE BE BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE!?!? It is so nice to hear as a woman nearly 42 years old (my birthday is in a few weeks) that I look more physically fit now than I did when I was 36! I feel like pausing from my computer and doing a cartwheel for that fun compliment!!! <3 This is also a hard won compliment because I have begun early pre-menopause symptoms, which includes a slowing of metabolism, hot flashes, and the common characteristic of body fat gathering on the abs that WAS NOT A PROBLEM BEFORE!!! booohoo! But taking my own advice from the answer above, I understand that this is common for women as we age, so I have spent the last year + trying to find a new norm for my eating and workouts to see if I can beat the odds of nature. Or at least go down kicking and screaming. That means making sure I take my calcium supp to ward off osteoporosis, weight train (easy!), and play with my cardio. Since the filming of P90X+ I’ve done about 5 half marathons, one marathon, P90X, Insanity, Asylum, Turbo Fire, mixed in always with Tony style of training. I helped run a test group for Body Gospel, run a weekly fit club where we are trying all Beachbody programs, and always use running as a supplemental workout to my program. I continue to eat clean, though I’m a terrible water drinker (just not really a thirsty person), try to remember to take my supps, and Shakeology every day. That’s what I’ve done since I found Power90 back in 2003, and hope to continue for the rest of my life. Thanks again for the compliment!

Q. I didn’t know you were in P90X+?! Are you in any other programs?

Actually I have been blessed to be in three of Tony’s series. Power90 Masters Series (my hair is darker, and longer and flippy; think Carol Brady circa 1970 ;o) – I was growing it out – show some mercy! ), P90X+, and P90X2 Plyocide. I laugh and giggle on all sets, be forewarned. Its just what happens when I get around Tony Horton. He’s a dear friend, I think he is one of the funniest people I’ve met on this planet, and I love him like a flesh and blood brother. From the time I met him I’ve told him what I believe to this day: He is made for the worlds stage. He is funny, inspiring, caring, and the real deal. Created to bless many. I’m thankful to say that his life has graced and blessed mine. <3 Its an honor to lift him up and  promote him in any way I can.

Q. Do you ever have a cheat meal? If so, what?

Um……my answer isnt exactly what you might think. I don’t cheat. I don’t attach guilt to food or drink. If I choose to have it, I have earned it with my workouts and clean eating, and I will eat and drink what I want if I feel like it. Guilt free. And I dont and wont consider it cheating. Its freeing to view food like this, and its been a process with me. At first I was all or nothing. No cheating. I was crazy lean and hungry usually most of the time. I learned to live with it because I was learning a new way of viewing food and discipline. But my stomach was a road map of veins I got so lean and my cycle stopped several times. And my husband (thankfully) said “Your muscle looks cool, from an aesthetic standpoint, but it doesn’t look womanly anymore”. Greatest words spoken. It freed me to put on a little weight, not to live hungry, and realize that I was no longer a slave to food and I didnt have to be so anal anymore. Oh, how I need him in my life to speak the truth in love.  And he doesn’t mince words. He gets straight to the point and that works for me. It was a process, and your story might not be the same as mine, but the goal is to view food as fuel, and to enjoy it and take care of your body in the process.

Q. How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

I am just under 5’3″, but not as “short” as 5’2 3/4. ;o) hee I would guess I weigh anywhere between 112-118 but I don’t have a scale. Haven’t owned one since 2004.  I have three daughters and I didn’t want them measuring themselves by a number on a scale. I use a measuring  tape and go by how my pants fit. My sweet maternal grandmother, now passed away, used to say to never let yourself get more than 3 pounds up; cut back and bring it back to where you are comfortable. I love that advice. Its timeless. So I go by my inches – if my thighs get 3/4 inch up, I restrict my calories for a week and it gets back to normal. But I don’t measure often, and NEVER the week before my cycle!!!! That’s plain crazy! Mostly I try to focus on what I can do because I am fit, not what I look like.

This was so fun! Thanks for writing and asking me questions. I’m happy to answer them and hope it in some way encourages you or inspires you in your quest to Live Healthy and Live in Relentless Pursuit of Excellence!

Blessings!

TRACI

If you’d like to join a Challenge Group with me as your Coach, I’d be honored!!
Just hit the Contact Me Button up top and I’ll add you to my next group! <3

If you are a Team Beachbody Customer or Coach, or a ‘Biggest Loser’ fan, then you know the name Brett Hoebel. He’s the creator of Rev Abs and also one of the newest trainers in the most recent Biggest Loser Series. He has a passion for fitness; as a formerly overweight teenager (when Brett was between the ages of 11-15 he was 50 lbs overweight) which fuels his desire and drive to help people.  I’ve had the opportunity to hear Brett speak, both on a stage as well as one on one, and he’s an all around good guy with a big heart. Brett’s brand of fitness has a body-mind approach that comes from his diverse experience in Eastern and Western disciplines, including his martial arts training in Afro-Brazilian capoeira  and Muay Thai kickboxing  as well as his undergrad education as a premed in biomedical science  and post-graduate studies in functional strength training, nutrition, yoga and holistic health.  Brett is dedicated to empowering people with the knowledge, motivation and ability for personal change.

Please grab your friends and come hear Brett share, and let him work you out to some high energy house-music! It will be an event to remember, and NOT to be missed!

Register TODAY, before spaces fill up! We’re expecting this event to sell out~ http://www.LIVETrainerEvents.com

TRACI