cute...

Cute...it's a word that I hear...A LOT...and it's a word that still takes some getting used to.

Growing up, I had a friend in high school that used to say "cute is the same as stupid" - I didn't totally agree, but I understood where she was coming from. And it's a line that's always been embedded in my mind. Then there's Rudolph from the claymation Christmas TV show - with his stopped up little nose, saying "I'm cute, she thinks I'm CUUUTTTEEEE" (as his eyes get all googly and then spasticly flying into the air!!)

Lately, I've heard the word a lot - "oh, you're so cute" "aren't you the cutest thing" "y'all are such a cute couple""cute...cute...cute...cute...cute!!!!". And it's something that I just smile and nod about because, at 32 years old, I don't really think that people should be called cute.

Who knows - maybe I'm wrong. I don't know what other word I'd like to be called - guess it could be worse!!!!! - maybe I just need to grow up and be a big girl about this!!

I am appreciate of the praise, don't get me wrong. I just find it funny that so many people use the same word. It's not like they were in a huddle and decided to all use the same word (1-2-3-CUTE!). So I decided to look up the deifinition to try to get past this hangup I have with the word.

Here's what dictionary.com has to say:

CUTE - /kyut/ - [kyoot] adjective, adverb
–adjective
1. attractive, esp. in a dainty way; pleasingly pretty

2. affectedly or mincingly pretty or clever; precious

3. mentally keen; clever; shrewd.
–adverb
4. Informal. in a cute, charming, or amusing way; cutely

OK - so this isn't so bad.

(deep breath)...

Hi, my name is Kelly and I'm CUTE!!! :)

Gettin' Ready to Ride the Wave!

Jimmy and I just got back from an AMAZING weekend in Cali. We went out there for a Beachbody Leadership Weekend at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point. The hotel was right on the Pacific Ocean - breath taking views and accommodations!

Got there and started off with a bang...Turbo Fire workout with Chalene Johnson - this is a NEW workout that Beachbody's got cookin' and man, oh man, if you love cardio - this will be right up your alley!!! We were all pretty fit people and we were huffin' and puffin'!!! While we were working out, we were looking out over the Pacific Ocean at sunset - wow...I'm still speechless!!!

Day 2 was jam-packed! Started off with a yoga workout with Tony Horton...again, overlooking the Pacific! Then it was breakfast - the hotel staff made us Shakeology - WOO HOO!!!

Then it was time to get down to work.

They started off by showing us the new Coach website - it's going to be SOOO great - you'll be able to customize it and add all kinds of special features - I can't wait for this to come out! Then we got to see the new and MUCH improved New Coach Kit. One word...SHARP! It's short and to the point. Coaches who once felt overwhelmed when they signed up and didn't know what to do with all the stuff that came in the old coach kit are now at ease with this new sleek package! Then we saw the new 3rd party tools that they released (actually released yesterday!!!) - I think this is what I'm MOST excited about. These are DVDs (and videos available in the coaching back office) that do all the hard work for you. I'll be the first to admit...I'm NOT A SALESMAN...but I'm so passionate about Beachbody and how it's changed my life that I tend to ramble and end up vomiting waaay too much info on interested people (sorry...little graphic....but true!)! Now that I have these tools under my belt, I'm vomit free!!!!! All I have to do is send a DVD or video link to someone that's interested and voila...the video gives them all the info they need and no mess! :) There's one that explains all the great products that we have and one that focuses on the coaching opportunity! Somethin' for everyone!

Another important thing we learned that carried out throughout the weekend was Beachbody's Game Plan. These are 10 simple steps for coaches to follow to help us succeed with our business. It spells it out for you - and it takes out all the guesswork. Don't know where to start, look at the Game Plan. Ready to hit the ground running and want to really make your business take off, look at the steps! It works for everyone. It's all about simplicity. From the new website to the new coach kit and 3rd party tools to the 10 Game Plan steps - this is something that is getting ready to take off in a BIG BIG way. And I'm so stoked to be part of it!

Day 3 was amazing as well. Darren Hardy was the speaker for the day. He's the publisher of Success Magazine and his talk was one of a kind!

After the event was over, Jimmy, Paul (one of our coaches from Austin) and I drove back down the Pacific Coast Highway and stopped in Huntington Beach to have lunch. Went to Duke's for lunch then took a stroll on the beach and on the pier. I saw surfers for the first time - so neat! It was so cool to watch them all bobbing in the water, patiently waiting for their right wave to come! I feel like a surfer...I'm waiting patiently and I'm about to ride a killer wave!!!

Then we were off to the airport to take the red eye back to NYC. It was a whirlwind trip - I got to meet some really amazing people - coaches and corporate folk. Some of the most genuine people I know - and we're all on the same page about doing this to help reverse this obesity trend and to help people get healthier. It's scary out there - this obesity problem isn't going away and it's up to us to take steps to reverse it!

(Shameless plug) If you want to help other people get on the road to a healthier, more active lifestyle and want to earn money doing it - let me know - this whole coaching thing is about to BLOW UP - and now is the time to get in. It's like when a new apartment building goes up - you want to get in early before all the good views are taken! Now is the time...

To learn more about the Coaching Opportunity: http://bit.ly/KNDecide

To learn more about the AMAZING Products: http://bit.ly/KNSolutions

If you're waiting for a formal invitation, here ya go! http://bit.ly/KNCDInvite

The Stars at Night, are BIG and BRIGHT....

So - word's out...after four amazing years here in NYC, the Nelsons are moving back to Dallas!!!

It's funny - because for us, this decision has been in the works for a bit. We finally got clarity on some things recently and everything has started to fall into place. But most people - while excited - are like "you're moving - WHY?!?!" And for some reason, I feel the need to justify it. I told Jimmy that it'd almost be easier to just say that I'm pregnant (which I'm not). So...for those who are curious - here's how it all came about...

Once upon a time...kidding...

Where to start...it's a bit of a tangled mess, but put on your seatbelts and try to follow along!!!

It all started back in July - we went to visit our friends, Dave & Erin, in Jacksonville for the July 4th weekend. They have a GORGEOUS, spacious house - 3BR, 2 1/2 baths, back yard, the works - really nice. And Jimmy and I forgot how nice it was to have space - to sort of "spread out" in a home. We currently live in a 2BR apartment in NY which is nice, but we are surrounded by neighbors. So being at the Cohen's house for a few days got our wheels turning.

We started talking about moving out of the city. We're getting to the age where kids might come into the picture in the not too distant future and we realized that while yes, there are people that do have and raise kids in NYC, it's not necessarily something WE want to do.

We'd also talked about moving out of the city once we were both able to be full time Beachbody coaches. We're not quite there yet - so thoughts of moving out on that account weren't in the forefront of our brains.

But we got to talking one day about where we'd move - we weren't sure that we'd want to back to TX and we didn't want to live full time in New Orleans (that's where our families live) - so I thought - ok, if I can pick anywhere that I want to live, it'd be near a beach on the East Coast. So I opened up google maps and looked at cities on the eastern seaboard and Charleston, SC jumped out at me. So I began to do research on it and thought it'd be a great place to raise a family. Only problem being that we'd still be away from our families. We'd be closer, but still a plane ride away. I casually looked at the area, talked to a friend that lives there - who had GLOWING reviews of it - looked around at the neighborhoods and looked at what some job options might be, but that's about as far as it went. We figured that if Charleston was meant for us, everything would fall into place for us to know that it was right. But nothing really came out of it.

August 10th...the place I was working announced that they were closing two of their three portfolios (it's a hedge fund) - which meant most people were getting let go. I was given Sept 4th as my last day there, so I immediately began the job hunt. I literally was offered a temp to perm position at great company on my last day - literally hours before I was going to walk out the door!!!

So new job is temp to perm til the end of January when a perm offer would be made if they were pleased with my work. No biggie.

Fast forward to two weekends ago - Jimmy went to Dallas for almost a week to spend time with his family and to do a Beachbody workout. He was surprising his family with tickets to the big Monday Night Cowboy game at the new Cowboys Stadium!!! Usually when Jimmy's back in Texas, he's ready to come back to NY on or about Day 2. He called me on Day 2 and said...something's different. I knew exactly what he meant and I knew that this was the sign we'd been waiting on. He said it "felt right" there now. I was on board immediately. The decision had been made.

I miss my family LOTS - and so does Jimmy - so being this far away for the past four years has been tough. For us, family comes first. So we decided that Dallas was the place we needed to be. Close to Jimmy's family (they live in the suburbs of Dallas), closer to my family (they're in New Orleans and south Louisiana) and close to friends.

Then there were the logistics. We had just begun year 2 of our 2 year lease on our apartment in Astoria, so the initial thought was to move Sept 2010. Then we started talking about it and realized that we were both kind of at a crossroads with our jobs.

The place that I worked for did offer for me to stay on thru year end, but it'd be a mayyybee kind of situation in January, so I decided to leave while the job market was good here in NYC. Then I get a temp to perm offer which wouldn't be perm til February. So my thought was let's move in February. I think that kind of shocked both of us. But it made sense. If I'd accept a permanent offer (or if it'd have been a perm offer from the beginning or if I'd not been let go from my previous job), none of this move stuff would have been given a thought. I'm not the kind of person to commit then walk away. So I'm not tied down here, so I thought Feb would be a good time to make a clean break from corporate America in NYC.

Jimmy can do both of his careers anywhere - having done theatre and print work in Dallas, he knows how things work down there, so the learning curve wouldn't be bad (just getting reacclimated) and he can do fitness stuff anywhere! So for him, the transition would be almost seamless (minus finding representation...which he's currently seeking!!!).

So Jimmy called our landlord and told him of our decision. He was super cool. He said he would put our apartment on the market in December or January. Then, our neighbor across the hall has a coworker that was interested in taking our apartment - and for him, the sooner the better. Wow...ok!

We have commitments in NYC thru the beginning of November, so we thought December 1st would be a great move in date. That would give us time to finish our commitments here, come to TX to get an apartment, car and for me to interview for jobs, and pack the apartment here.

Then...yesterday morning we found out that the guy backed out...sigh...I was really bummed, but thought, ok, it's not in our time - we'll move when we're supposed to move.

So we figured we'd start spreading the word to see if there are any takers for a December 1st move in date. It would work out best for us - we'd be able to start making plans now and the new tenants would get to move in before the brunt of winter arrived.

We're both really excited about the move and being closer to family and friends and the new opportunities that will come our way. We're ready to settle down and plant roots that way when kids do come along, we're already established. This is a very positive move for us.

But it's weird - we've gotten mixed reactions. I think that some people think that if you move to NY, then move back, somehow you've failed. I don't think that at all. Jimmy and I have grown tremendously in the past four years and we know that all the nuggets we've learned here will only benefit us in Dallas. Will we miss New York???...yes, parts of it. But it will hold a very special place in our hearts and we know that there's always time for visits back!!!

It's just crazy to make these grown up decisions without being prompted by the start of a school year, or because it's something your parents tell you to do. This was solely our decision and it came about in such a natural way that we knew it was right. And I'm SOOOO thankful that we're on the same page about it. We know we're doing what's best for our our family (even though that's just the two of us for now).

So that's the gist of it. If we move down at the end of November for a 12/1 move in date, we'll go to Texas the second week in November to buy a car, secure an apartment and for me to get a job. If you know of anyone that's looking for an Executive Assistant in Dallas, please let me know!!! :)

Quick fixes

Just finished Week 3 of Insanity. Very thankful for the rest day tomorrow.

I missed doing my Day 15 Fit test, but I'm feeling stronger and feeling like I'm able to push more in the workouts. Doing extra reps of things - trying to make sure that my form is still good during it all. My lungs feel stronger - don't get me wrong, I'm still huffin' and puffin' like the Big Bad Wolf at times, but it's getting better.

I was a puddle on the ground this morning. I was not in the mood to get up. Jimmy was still in bed - he decided to take the morning off since he is training with Ray today (we're both trying not to overtrain. It's tough bc you feel good and you want to do more, but you have to listen to your body!). So when my alarm went off, he was snug as a bug in bed and I wanted so badly to stay there. Sigh.... But I knew that Ali would be at the gym waiting for me and my online workout buddies were counting on me, so I grumpily rolled out of bed and threw on workout gear and schlepped over to the gym. The cool breeze outside usually puts me in a good mood...not so much today. I enjoyed the crispness, but I also enjoyed my bed!!!!!

Warm up started...I was so ready to quit... jogging in place was a chore. I have blisters on my feet and they, like the little man in my head who apparently was using a megaphone today, were screaming at me. But I just stuck with it and kept telling myself just to push through - it would be over before I know it.

By the middle of the warmup, I was in a better mood already. My attitude was quickly fixed just by changing my focus from the warm cozy bed to the task at hand. I started to push and really dig deep. I was refocused - trying to put myself in the shoes of the people during the filming - pretending that there was a camera in the gym studio with me and Shaun was going to come to me at any second.

Mid way thru the first section of the workout, the little man in my head started yapping again. I thought - ok, maybe I'll just do this first half today...the second half kills me anyway. I shut him up fast. Tony Horton always says to do the exercises that you're bad at. We can all shine and do the easy exercises for days on end, but by doing the ones that we don't like so much (for whatever reason), we become better at them. For me, it's the getting up and down and just all the stuff in plank. My shoulders have been taking a beating. Dr. Piken worked on them some, but I still struggle with the second half of the Plyo Cardio Circuit. But I was determined to dig deep.

Looked at the timer...11 minutes left. I can do this!!!! So I gave it my all! Yes, there were breaks, but they were breif and just to stretch out my shoulders. It's like when I was doing ChaLEAN Extreme - I felt like I could've kept going with some of the exercises, but my forearms would crap out before my legs. I don't think of it as giving up - it just makes me want to work harder to improve in those areas!!!

I was spent by the end of the workout - the sweat was flinging in all directions - LOVE IT!!!!

My shoulders are singing to me this morning, but I will continue to stretch them throughout the weekend!


Onto other things....

I'm going home this weekend!!! Home = New Orleans

It's my grandmother's 80th birthday/Family Reunion. It will be nice to see everyone (even though there are some that I don't know their names...at my wedding, they'd come up to me and say "do you know who I am?!?!...I haven't seen you since you were THIIISSSSSS big" - like it was a game...I was not amused). Dad's picking me up late tonight at the airport and we're going to get up super early and drive to the bayou - that's where my Mom and my other grandparents are (my Mom splits time between their house in New Orleans and taking care of my grandparents). I can't wait to see them. I'm really close to them and being in NY and so far away from them is tough. I will only be able to visit with them for a few hours, but I'll take what I can get!!! I need my Mama and Papa "fix"!!!!

Looking soooooooo forward to seeing my fam- I need Mom hugs badly. Not that there's anything wrong, just sometimes you need them - like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter!!! I need to replinish my reserves of Mom hugs!!!!

I leave tonight - courtesy of Jet Blue! And I come back Sunday afternoon. It's a quick trip, but I'm so thankful that I am able to see them. Life is short and time should be made to spend with family!!!

back to INSANITY

OK - enough sap...

Today was INSANITY Cardio Power & Resistance.

Haven't slept well all week - not sure why...either tossing and turning or crazy dreams. I've come to the conclusion that the little man in my head has changed up his game plan. He's become a night owl. Thinking that by not letting me rest peacefully, I'll turn off the alarm and go back to sleep. Sorry, Charlie. I'm on a mission!!!

Walked over sleepy-eyed to the gym and just felt a little sluggish. Then I pushed play! It's amazing to me how my body just steps up to the plate. Like a well trained dog. The sound of Shaun yelling makes the hairs on my arm stand up. It's game time!

I love this workout! Granted, still LOTS of room for improvement, but I feel like I'm moderately OK at it!!! We all took breaks today, but I have to pat myself on the back for taking the least amount of breaks - really digging deep and pushing thru. I was on fire today! My endurance is picking up. I challenged myself to do two more pushups each time and to really pushed during the standing/jumping/squatting parts - just kept telling myself that if I'm not about to puke, there's no reason to stop!!! hey...whatever works!

Taking the advice from the brilliant Dr. Piken, I've been using recovery drink before, during and after the workouts. And I really haven't had muscle soreness and I feel like my recovery rate is really high. I'm also taking Beachbody's Performance Formula before workouts just to give me some oomph to get going. Both are golden. I feel great - and my energy thru the workout is consistent - no bonking. And man, oh man...the endorphins release is incredible. My moods are great and I have lots of energy throughout the day.

I'm eating close to my 2130 calorie recommendation a day. I feel like I'm eating all the time, but it's being put to good use! I don't feel heavy or bloated. I feel light and lean. Fueling your body with the right things makes SUCH a difference!!!

I just counted the days...Sept 16th is Day 60. I can't wait to compare my Before and Afters!!!

sweet rewards

I just have to take a time out from my INSANITY blog to just express how blessed I am to be a Beachbody coach - and I'm not using this to plug myself or pat myself on the back, but to give thanks. It's been something that is indescribable - I've been able to reunite with old friends and help them get started on a healthier path, I've made lots of new friends who I've helped get turn their lives around, and I've been introduced to some incredible trainers - some of the best in the industry! And as I sit here today, I'm just overwhelmed with it all...in a good way.

I feel like I'm making a difference, one person at a time. Paying it forward, one email and phone call at a time.

And each life that I help change is a unique gift. Looking back, I never thought that people would come to ME about healthy eating or working out. I used to be scrawny little Kel who ate Chick-Fil-A three times a day.

My eyes have been opened to lots of amazing information and it's helped me to make what some might think are drastic lifestyle changes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I am in the best shape of my life and I feel better than I did 10 years ago!!! And I love love love being able to pass that information along to other people. It's not a secret. It's called hard work, dedication and making smart, informed decisions.

So thank you....this is an amazing opportunity for me and I'm so excited that it's just the beginning!!

back in the saddle

After 4 lonnnngggg days off from Insanity, I was back in the saddle yesterday!!

During those 4 days, I really rested - didn't do anything, and I was hyper aware of my hips and my abs. And for little bits here and there, I started to worry about what if I couldn't do Insanity - what if Dr. Piken told me that it's too insane for me. And it made me a little sad. Yes, there are a TON of other things that I can do and still stay in great shape. But it was about the challenge and this HUGE obstacle that I set my mind to and I was bound and determined to overcome it. So I was a little nervous about Monday's workout.

My abs and hips felt like they were finally cooperating, so I was ready to "ease" back into it...well, as much as I could (Pure Cardio was on the docket). I decided I was going to do what I could and stop if I needed to.

Ready or not, here we go!!!!!

I actually felt pretty good. My intensity probably wasn't as high as normal, but that was my way of easing back into things. I skipped one move toward the end - suicide jumps, but other than that, things were feeling pretty darn good. Dr. Piken said to get electrolytes in me before, during and after the workout, so I had recovery drink and water on hand and downed both. I also stretched my abs throughout the day and tried to keep them relaxed when possible. It was funny though, on my walk home from the gym, my obliques were already sore. They were DEFINITELY turned on now... thank you Dr. Piken!

Went to bed too late last night, but the alarm went off at the same time as usual...5am. We rolled out of bed, put on work out clothes and tried to get our minds right on the way to the gym. Walked into the gym studio, and Ali (one of the guys that works out at the gym that Jimmy was talking with about the program) was waiting for us...we had a workout buddy!!!!!

We were like Dorothy (me, obv!), the Tin Man (Jimmy with his hard bod!) and the Scarecrow (Ali, since he had no CLUE what was about to hit him!) - arm-in-arm, skipping down the yellow brick road into the forest where the wicked witch (the workout) awaited our arrival!

Today was Plyo Cardio - one that I've always felt good about...well, good about HALF of it! The second half usually brings me to my knees, crumbled in a puddle of my own DNA. I try not to think about the second half of the workout.

Focus on the moment.

We pushed play and off we went, singing our happy little tunes (the little man in my head was even singing along...he's been quite pleasant lately!!! He LOVES the endorphin rush!!). We were all doing relatively well, grabbing our knees and gasping for air at points, chugging water and recovery drink, stretching when needed. Then came round two. Man oh man. I have to say that I AM getting better, but being a sweaty mess and trying to do pushups on slick wood floors was even more of a challenge than not crumbling to the floor!!! I even had little hand grip things that I use for pullups - no good!!! It was like we were all trying to play Twister and Slip and Slide all at the same time!!!! I tried to wipe the floor between sets, but it was no use, the more I wiped, the more I'd sweat!!! But we finally made it to the end. Looking at ourselves in the mirror, we had flashbacks to the 90s and hypercolor shirts. All of our shirts had completely changed colors - soaked with sweat. The floor of the gym studio looked like we'd have poured a glass of water where each of us stood.

This was hard work.

And as I sit at work today, I am SOOOO thankful that my body has gotten back in sync and that I'm able to continue this battle.

ONWARD.........