Transformation Tuesday: Powerful Prudie

I’m currently New Jersey bound with a car load of friends on our way to a nutritional education weekend and I am so excited to learn and be with amazing, like-minded people!

I came across this saying a while ago that you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with and if that is the case, I am pretty happy with the choices I make and the people I spend my time with day to day.  

I love what I do and being able to help people reach their goals-and I am blessed to be part of a team that is so awesome. I truly feel blessed.

One person on this team of amazing people is my friend, Prudie Duross.

Meet Prudie, age 47. Here’s a bit about this sassy gal…A bit over a year ago, Prudie started using our nutrition program to feel better and drop a few pounds. She reports that she had no energy, “could not get out of her own way” and would be in bed by 7:30 every night. She lacked mental clarity and focus.

Prudie is an accountant and during tax season, she works 60-70 hours per week and is also on the local Fire Department call force. She is also a fire investigator and photographer for the department. So as you can see, a lack of energy and focus could be detrimental to her career!

Once Prudie started her program (which was a nutrition shift with minimal exercise added), within two weeks her energy levels were up and she was feeling great! She was no longer falling asleep in her chair after work, she would now come home and workout, do stuff with her children, get the house cleaned and prepare dinner for the family. After her first 30 days, she was down 17lbs and feeling like a new woman!

In the last year she has lost a total of 55lbs and 78.75 inches!! She has completely transformed her body and improved her quality of life.

I asked Prudie to share a bit with us about her transformation!

What would be your biggest piece of advice to give someone who wants to get started on their own journey?

If someone wants to get started, I would recommend they really need to be fully invested in their journey. Without the right mindset, it is so easy to get derailed by others and your own negative self talk! Talk with family to get them on board with support, especially during the initial few weeks.

What is your favorite moment in your journey?

My favorite moment in my journey was when my daughter took my picture after a year on the program & I put the picture side by side with my before picture. It was not until then that it truly sunk in that I had completely transformed my body composition & metabolism. I could not see what my results truly were when I looked in the mirror. It is so important to take photographs at the beginning of your journey to be able to have the motivation to keep going & to truly document your journey.

If you could go back in time to the "old Prudie" and say just ONE sentence to her, what would it be?

I would tell the "old Prudie" ... You need to make yourself the priority & follow what is in your heart, not what everyone else wants or expects you to do!

What is your favorite meal?

I do genuinely look forward to my breakfast each morning which is almost always egg white omelette with spinach, parmesan cheese, chive & sometimes asparagus or tomatoes, with half a whole grain English muffin w/ all natural peanut butter.

Transformation Tuesday!

I am excited to bring TRANSFORMATION TUESDAY to Miles, Muscles & Mommyhood!! 

Having shared my own story of weight loss has brought so many people into my life that have had similar struggles and successes with overcoming obesity and reaching their health goals. I love the diversity of HOW and WHY and I am so  happy to share these stories with YOU. 

Let me introduce my friend, Jennifer. 

From Jennifer-Today, I got to live my version of a Cinderella story.  I got to tell the girl on the left that her goals of finally being healthy and running a marathon were achieved. I am now at peace with my past so I can live in the now.  All of your dreams can come true if you have the courage to peruse them. ~Walt Disney. 

Jaw dropping, right!!?? Jennifer has lost a staggering 160lbs. This beautiful Mom and Wife is just as pretty on the inside as well. I have been blessed to get to know Jennifer though mutual friends and the power of social media. I am HONORED to share her story!

In her own words:

My challenges with my weight started at a very early age. I can remember being on a diet as early as second grade. I was active as a child however so that slowed down the inevitable weight gain to a degree. By the time I graduated high school however my weight was in the 200's. When high school was done so were the sports and dance. The weight came on even faster. I tried every diet there was, TWICE. That was before I realized that diets don't work. I rode that roller coaster for years. Taking off ten or fifteen pounds and putting back on twenty or more. I did not have any health issues at this point but I dreamed of more. I desperately wanted to run and feel good. I also longed to wear the beautiful clothes that my counter parts were wearing in management for a professional hair care company. At the age of 28 I had enough. I was just over three hundred pounds and fed up. Was this really living I asked myself?! I had found my breaking point...

This is when it all clicked. If I wanted what I had never had, then I had to do what I had never done. I broke up with fast food as well as Ben and Jerry's. I started eating vegetables and fruit. (The joke at the salon that I had worked at was that I hated salad.Turns out it's delicious. Who knew?!) I started making some swaps (lean chicken or egg beaters vs pizza or cereal) and I also started walking. The walking turned to a run/walk and then a very slow jog. In about six months I had taken off fifty pounds. By the end of a year I had taken off one hundred pounds. In eleven years I have taken off and kept off, a little over one hundred and sixty pounds. I enjoy eating clean and running. It was not always easy. I have had many times that I had to remind myself why this was important to me. Now that I am here at a healthier me and I look back, I can truly see that every tear shed and every moment of frustration was not for nothing. Those times of my life built me. They made me strong enough to dare to run that marathon and to not back down when the going gets tough. It is so true that anything is possible when you just believe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. What would be your biggest piece of advice to give someone who wants to get started on their own journey?

Surround yourself with like minded people and lots of motivation. You will need a good support system which other healthy people in your life will provide. Someone to get you active on the day that it's a challenge or to share a new healthy recipe they just tried. 

The other piece of advice is motivation. SURROUND yourself with it! A Pinterst page, Facebook pages, follow blogs and make a vision board. A vision board is photos and words of what "healthy" means to you. Mine is inside a kitchen cupboard door with motivation and goals. Thinking of snacking, just look in that cupboard. 😊 All of this will keep you inspired when the going gets tough and that will be huge in your success.

2. What is your favorite moment in your journey?

Actually that would be the moment captured in the photo. When I was overweight as a child two of my teachers were running marathons. I always ached inside to someday be healthy enough to run one. I am so thankful for the photographer that captured the moment that I made that dream come true. I am crying happy tears there.It is still surreal to me.

3. If you could go back in time to the "old Jenn" and say just ONE sentence to her, what would it be?

"Your tears of despair will be 

replaced by tears of triumph."

4. What is your favorite workout?

This is tough for me to pick! I love Boot Camp and it has brought my life and fitness to a level I never thought possible but I have to go with running. That dream is what kept me going along the journey. Starting as a run/walk, running that first mile then my first 5k, 10k, half marathon and then the Dopey Challenge in January. Running puts me in the right head space. To remember how far I've come and to dream about what's next. Running saved me.

5. What is your favorite meal?

Almond flax chicken (marinated in olive oil, almond butter, lemon and spices) and roasted brussel sprouts. Yummy!!!!

Run A Mile in My Sneakers...

Recently I got to reconnect with a long time childhood friend and catch up on the last 20+ years since we last saw each other. We chatted about life, kids, family and the road we have travelled along the way--we shared the challenges, the triumphs, the mistakes and the memories. We have both faced some pretty tough situations and have come out on the other side still moving forward and trying to be the best version of ourselves.

It really got me thinking about the bigger picture and how in the end all we really need in life is love, kindness, support and understanding.

No one is perfect.
Each one of us has faltered and made mistakes.
You live, you learn and hopefully you grow from the experiences, learn and become stronger person.

As I stare 40 in the face (less than a month away), I embrace the ME I am today and the struggles I experienced to get here...to the person writing this, right now. I am pretty happy with the ME I have finally become.

While some of the things I have done in my life make me cringe now, it made me who I am today. Some of the times were painful, dark and lonely, but it makes me appreciate the bright life I live today.
I would not change a thing (ok, maybe a few things...) because without those life experiences, I would not be HERE. As I have said over and over, HERE is pretty damn good!

I am finally comfortable in my own skin, with who and I am and what I have to offer as a human being.
Gone are the days of trying to live to someone else's standards or trying to live life to satisfy other people's judgements.



I am happy and at peace with ME. 
Funky, silly, inappropriate-at-times, Energizer Bunny ME.
Quirks and all.

I think of this friend and how even just a few years ago, before I went through this journey, that I probably would have been very judgemental of some of some of her experiences...and who am I to do that to anyone??  I have never walked a mile in her shoes. Or anyone else's shoes for that matter.

just as no one has walked in mine...or run a mile in my sneakers.

“How would your life be different if…You stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter? Let today be the day…You look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.” 
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Behind every person, there is a story. A path that brought that person to the being they are today.




So today, put judgement aside. Be kind.
Not only for others, but for YOU too.

The Long and Short of It...

Just before I left for Ohio to have 1406 miles of fun, I wanted to chop all my hair off.

I had been contemplating it for a while and I was pretty sure it was taper madness talking. My Mom reminded me of the story of Samson and Delilah; Samson's strength was from his hair so I opted not to cut it just yet.

Within days of my return home to Maine, I was sitting with my girl Anne Marie, scissors sharp and ready to CHOP.

We ended up taking off well over a foot of  hair and had enough to donate.

Goodbye long, blonde ponytail.

No more long & blonde...

Bye Bye Braids. I will miss you!

I have had long hair my entire life with the exception of a really bad asymmetrical cut in the 80's...I was ready for a change.

I am still getting used to this shorter do and I'm diggin' just how easy it is to actually style it every day.
I think we need a 'lil sumthin' added so I will be channeling my teammate, Tonia for some FUNK inspiration...stay tuned! We need to jazz this up with some color.

Bye Bye 2012

Wow, has it really been THAT many days since my last blog post??

My sincere apologies for NOT blogging but life has been crazy (and I mean CRAZY) the last couple weeks...so much so that I have not even had a few minutes to sit down and jot down my thoughts (which were in the thousands! ha). Life has delivered some topsy-turvy times with some ups and downs and this gal is just rollin' with the punches. But just when things seem darkest, that is when you notice the little bits of light shining through and it gives you hope.

No matter what this little ole world throws at me, I am strong and I am resilient. I will be just fine.
Having an amazing support system of family and friends also helps :) and they have been amazing.

My word for the last couple years has been BELIEVE. A word that still serves me well and I believe that everything is going to be just the way it needs to be! 

So do you think things are going to settle down now? 

HECK NO!!

In two sleeps, I will be hopping on an airplane and heading SOUTH to sunny Florida to run with my From Fat to Finish Line crew, film a little movie and have an absolute BLAST!!

I cannot believe IT is here already...so many months in the making and the time just flew by! 

Then once I get home from Florida, it's off again to snowy Colorado to see some of my favoritist people in the entire world (more on that later!). I just love my Rev3 peeps and I am one lucky gal to have a crew like them around me. I consider them all family!! 

...and speaking of Rev3...

I am now working with a new Coach, THE amazing and wonderful Carole Sharpless and I am excited to head into 2013 with her at my side! 

2013 promises to be a year of 

Change, Growth, Positivity 

and being FEARLESS!!

Wishing you all the best in the coming new year! 
I'll post as much as I can on Facebook while in Florida. 
Who knows, I might even throw up a crazy blog post 
(from my mobile)

Happy New Year!! 

What the Camera Cannot Capture

I was recently asked to be a guest blogger on My Endurance Dream and thought I would share that post here as well. Please, take a moment to stop by Robin's blog and say hello. 

What the Camera Cannot Capture...

If you look at me today, you will see a woman who is fit, healthy and smiling. 

If you look at a picture of me from just a few years ago, you will see a much different image. What you will see is someone who was carrying around a lot of extra weight as well as a lot of sadness.

What started out as a quest to change my physical health and appearance ended up being a journey of emotional growth, self-love and finding true joy in life. There is no camera that can capture the biggest changes that have occurred in my life over the last four years.  

I was not always fat. I was “normal” (whatever that is...) most of my life. It was not until some drastic life changes brought me to a place where, in hindsight, I see that I had lost respect for myself and my health. Years of overconsumption took its toll on my body and before I knew it, I was in this body that was completely foreign to me. Not only did my body change, my personality changed drastically as well. A once social butterfly was content to sit home, watch TV and do absolutely nothing-isolating herself from the world. I neglected myself, friends and family. It was a dark time and a lifestyle that was in a downward spiral.

One day, I just had enough. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was so over feeling depressed, I was done with the sadness and I was ready for change. I wanted to be a Mom and I knew that there was no way I could be a Mother to anything the way I was...and just like that, one day I quit. 

I quit making excuses.

I quit smoking, drinking and eating garbage.

I quit quitting on myself.

The first fear I overcame was actually walking through the doors of the gym that first day. I was petrified. I thought everyone would be judging me (what’s that FAT GIRL doing in a GYM?). I think I lasted an entire 15 minutes walking that first day and I vowed to return the next day and walk just one minute more. The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months. Before I knew it, I was running. Running a mile without stopping was a tremendous victory for me. I was making small goals along the way and every time I would reach a goal, it gave me a boost. I was ACCOMPLISHING something. Little bits of self-esteem started to grow and each small step in the right direction was a learning experience for me.

I then discovered I pregnant and the journey to health became so much more important-it was no longer about ME, but this precious life that God had given me. I was going to be a Mother and I was determined to be the role model that this child could look up to and be proud of!

After the birth of my daughter it took me about 14 months to lose 100lbs. I would workout at home, in my living room, while she napped. We would take walks together and when Spring time came, I started jogging with her. I was in love! In love with being a Mom, in love with the new healthy life I was living and I was starting to love myself.

I kept a journal from day one of my journey where I would write down all these goals and dreams. Big or small, crazy or completely doable. If it was something that I wanted to do, I would write it in my journal. While losing the fat was important, the most important part of losing the weight was actually in achieving those goals I had set along the way. I started running for the sheer joy of running. I started racing and loved the challenge of racing against myself. I wasn’t out there to beat anyone else except myself.

It taught me to fight for what I want because it’s not always easy.
It showed me that I was stronger than I ever gave myself credit for being.
I learned that it is ok to make mistakes, there is only failure in quitting.

Running helped me discover an inner drive, determination and strength I had never known; it also gave me a self-confidence and sense of accomplishment that had been missing my entire life.

The process of change continues to evolve - I learn more and more every day.

I am no longer fearful of change, I embrace it. 

I live a life that is happy and joyful. My daughter has never known me fat and unhappy, that is the biggest victory of all. 

So while I am a very different person on the outside, it is the inside, the real me where the biggest make-over happened.  That change was the most important one and no camera can capture the real changes that occurred.

Wormy Circles

Last week I had another training day at the track.
Running the track is actually a new kind of training for me (told ya I was doing new, fun stuff) and I can actually count the number of times I have run on a track post high school-which is three, not including my last two prescribed track sessions.

It appears that rainy Wednesdays are really good days to run on the track or at least that is the way things are turning out! The previous week's 8.5 miler was just after torrential rains, but it was a balmy 60* and ended up being quite a nice run. I was dodging puddles and tons of earthworms- the rain brought out the little pink slimy guys and they were all over the track. I felt so bad for all the little buggers I crushed. And the sea gulls were crowding the lanes, having themselves a tasty morning snack. But I was running in shorts and a tee shirt in MAINE in NOVEMBER. This is epic stuff!! Plus, concentrating on what I was doing (HR zones) was distracting from the fact that I ran in wormy circles over and over again. I walked off the track feeling good and thinking, that did not suck.

The next track session was longer, a little more intricate and the weather was not as  friendly. It was barely 39*, drizzle to start and by the middle of my session it was full on RAINING.
Cold, wet rain.
My feet were wet, my hands were cold and I was really trying to nail the pace that Coach had set for me. I kept going out way too fast on the 800's so it was a cat and mouse game with the pace.
But at no time during this run did I think:
THIS SUCKS
I mean, yeah. Running on a track is not my first choice. Neither is running in the rain, and COLD rain at that.
While I was running though, I was thinking about my goals for 2012 and beyond. I was taking a walk down memory lane being at my High School and all (has it really been 20 years??? damn) and then I thought about change.

How much I have changed. How much my mental attitude has changed.

Just a few years ago I would not not walk from my front door to the car in the cold rain without complaining.
And here I was NOW.
Running 10 miles,
on a track,
in the cold, pouring rain.
There's a change for ya.
And I was doing this without prodding, without negotiation. I was doing this because I wanted to. Because I knew that this would make me better, stronger. I mean, no one training session is going to change you physically but jumping over those mental hurdles can.

So here's to doing something new
Stepping out of your comfort zone
And running in Wormy Circles

How did you bring POSITIVE change to your life recently??