Which way are you running? Yes, I am talking to you. We all are running in one direction or another. Some people are running towards a particular goal or goal. Some are running away from their problems. While others are afraid of challenges and use fear as a reason to run in the opposite direction. In today’s society, many are looking for instant gratification. We no longer wait for the coffee to brew the long delicious way. We want to speed up the process with Keurig machines although the coffee isn’t as flavorful. People have become accustomed to accepting that there must be an easier way. When it comes to our goals, however, may it be a family, spiritual, health, or business goal, nothing replaces hard work. In a life full of distractions it is more important now to eliminate the distractions and focus on working hard to reach our desired results. In this week's blog/podcast Coach Tadris talked with Angela Riley about how she overcame hardships through hard work. Angela has lost 100 pounds without any surgical help and is running towards her goals instead of away from them. 

Coach: Angela, welcome back to the show. We had you on episode #58 “Hard Work Pays Off w/ Angela Riley. I brought you onto the show because I was inspired by one of your before and after photos you posted online. I saw your growth from your yoga poses also. I wanted to meet you and see what drove you. You let me know that it was a hard work mentality. I loved it then and I love it now. That episode aired July 20th, 2020 during the midst of Covid-19. Why don’t you tell us what you've been up to since then? Did you put back on 40 pounds during Covid?

Angela: I turned my focus from weight loss to bodybuilding, sculpting may be a better word people tend to get nervous when they hear women saying they are bodybuilders but essentially that is what I am doing.  I maintained my 100 lb weight loss and added another 4 lbs lost presently and I signed up to compete in my first fitness competition as a Figure Competitor. 

Coach: Wow, amazing……. Right out of the gate, letting us know that you never stopped working hard. Good for you Angela, I’m proud of you. In our first talk together, you mentioned that you were not a competitive person when you started this journey. Then you joined a weight loss challenge and everything changed for you. 104 pounds ago did you ever think that you would be in a fitness competition?

Angela:  I most definitely never imagined this like 3 years ago until suddenly I could. I started imagining it, then dreaming about it. 

Coach: You have a favorite quote: “Don’t anyone outwork you!” Are those words you still live by?

Angela:  They definitely are words I still live by and I will continue to do my best to always be this way.

Coach: Angela, sometimes I like to use a quote: “The only permanent thing is change!” You are not a tree you can get up and move. You don’t have to stay broke forever or stay at an unhealthy weight forever. You were at one point homeless for six months. Now, look where you are. What can you say to our readers to give them the motivation to pick themselves off of the ground as it were and start running towards their goals?

Angela:  We can’t always control the world around us but one thing we can control is our actions, our behaviors and things like that.  If you want something you can sit there and dream about it and then tell yourself all of the reasons why you CAN’T do it or you can get up and start taking the actions needed to achieve it.  One thing is for sure, if your behavior doesn’t support your goals and dreams then you definitely won’t reach them.

Coach: Angela, why is it important to capitalize on your mornings? What did you have to give up to become a morning person? 

Angela:  For me there is something invigorating about accomplishing so much before so many people have even woken up.  It’s definitely easier to be distracted or having things “come up” that keep us from getting certain things done throughout the day but if you have already accomplished a huge chunk of your To Do List while the world is still sleeping you don’t have to worry about being distracted once they do wake up. 

What I gave up, lots of TV time, which I was a HUGE lover of my whole life.  I had many “shows” for every day of the week not even including movie nights and netflix etc.  I watch way less TV now. TV will always be there.  My goals I have set are much more important than some TV shows. 

Coach: Do you still enjoy cottage cheese and blueberries? Or is that one of the food sources that you had to give up to get ready for competition? If you could let us know what other food sources that you’ve given up to reach your goals? 

Angela:  Currently, I’m only 3 weeks out from my competition. I have given up basically everything, or it feels that way.  Dairy, beef, I have chicken (sometimes) mainly white fish, a small selection of vegetables, minimal carbs which is just jasmine rice at this point.  When the competition is over I will resume a more balanced diet that will include weekly “reward meals/cheat meals” , some dairy, some carbs etc.

Coach: When a person is ready to start running towards their goals, there may be a  ton of things that they need to work on. At times that becomes overwhelming and the person does not start at all. If you were to break down 3 simple steps to get started, what would they be?  

Angela: 

1. FIRST:  Be realistic with your goals.  You don’t go from never running to running a full marathon in two months. Maybe do some 5k’s first then once that has been conquered you move on. This applies with weight loss or whatever the goal is.  Don’t say ok I will lose 20 lbs in a month.  Maybe you can and maybe you will, but instead maybe say, I want to lose 2-4 lbs a month.  Something attainable so that when you reach it you feel accomplished instead of feeling down because you couldn’t get there. 

2. SECOND:  Once you have reached your first goal, you keep setting goals.  Don’t get complacent.  Always strive to improve yourself in whatever way you feel necessary. 

3. THIRD:  When you have a set back, or fall a little short from time to time.  Shake it off.  It happens to everyone.  Whatever you do, don’t quit on yourself. 

Coach: That's great, thanks so much for sharing that with us. When is your competition and how can we watch it? 

Angela:  It is Aug 28, 2021 and if you follow OCB on Facebook or Instagram it will be live.  The name of the show is OCB Mid Atlantic Battle For The Belt.  It is taking place in Allentown, PA.

Coach: You have been so gracious with your time. We are all rooting for your victory in your competition on Saturday, August 28th. You got this because you trained for this. You got this because you exercised discipline with your diet! You got this because you were not afraid to run towards your goals and dreams. 

Before we let you go, what can you say to all those women out there that may be where you were a year and a half ago? Give us your last piece of advice and we will say goodbye! 

Angela:

As women, and men too I’m sure, but oftentimes as women, we worry about everyone else’s needs before our own. Especially when we are a wife or a mother etc. Staying healthy is not easy. Being out of shape can happen in the blink of an eye because we have nothing left in the tank for us at the end of the day. You deserve to take care of yourself. You aren’t giving your children or your significant other your best version of you if you are run down, unhealthy, depressed all of those things that tend to follow once we gain weight and lose ourselves. Life is about balance. Having goals and dreams doesn’t have to die once you reach a certain age, or have kids or get married or have a career or gain a lot of weight or get out of shape. It’s never too late to dream but the important thing is to not just dream big but to then take action towards reaching those goals or dreams.

If you enjoyed this week’s blog or found it helpful please leave a comment below!

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