Free 7 day Challenge

If I could offer you a FREE 7 day challenge to gain ideas in eating clean, finding foods that work for you not against you, learn how to look at labeling in a different light and give you tips on how to spot work on certain key areas that we all want to tone up... Would you be willing? Again I said it was free... All you need to do is to show up, be committed to the seven days and be active in the Challenge Group. You may learn a thing or two and be happier for it. Please message me if you would like to be included. I only have a few spots for some dedicated individuals. It would start on Tuesday May 13th.

Prepping for the future

One cannot get ready for swimsuit season in the end of May, but they can be ready for the fall festivities. 

If you want to fit into that gorgeous cocktail dress around Christmas time, then you should be starting on that now. This is a slower process and you cannot transform your body overnight.

There's not easy cure, there's not an easy pill(dangerous!!) to take, it is only achieved with hard work and dedication.

Embrace the current path you're on, stop, smell the flowers and fresh air. Accept what is standing in front of you when you gaze upon your reflection.

Own that the person may need a little tweaking, a slight renovation, maybe some new accessorizing.

But never alter who you are in your core. . You were made perfect, every cell in your body is a marvel of the universe.

If you are woman, for all that is holy STOP comparing yourself to others!

You will never be THAT Supermodel, you will be your own superstar. Your thighs will never look like airbrushed perfection, your hair full and lustrous extensions without a team of stylists at your disposal. Not to mention, your makeup flawless as a Botticelli masterpiece without some faaabulous artists. . You will be beautiful as you are!

Love your insides so much that you cannot help but radiate your light. If your outsides need work, ok, but whose do not?

My concern is your health. Are there some of you that need to decrease, so your risk of diabetes, stroke, heart attack or high blood pressure can be avoided? 

I can and am willing to help you with that.

You are a daughter(son), sibling, friend, spouse, significant other, BFF, mentor, role model or a parent. Your life is NEVER your own. Get used to it!

The world needs you on your top game!

I have Challenge groups that are running this month, there are a few spots left for a May 26th start date. If you know that you need to take a chance on eating well, watching the foods you are eating, decreasing some extra you or finally taking control and toning up your overall appearance, this challenge is for you. You will not be alone and there are other men and women who have taken the same leap of faith.

Please email me here, find me on Facebook, post on my like page on Facebook.  

Let the new you come out. You owe it to you!

What is your WHY?

What is one moment that you can say definitively that you knew your why moment? Was it the significant other, THE job, the house or car? Was it leaving someone behind knowing that sometimes you have to walk away from another person even if you loved them. It doesn't have to be a romantic relationship I am necessarily referring to, but any close personal one. Was it a moment you took control of your life? Was it a moment when you said you had enough of _______? Was it a moment from one in a white coat giving you bad news? Was it a moment when you finally looked into a mirror or stepped from the scale in shock... Was it a moment when you asked yourself "why" were you doing __________ or working 'that' job? Or was it a moment when you took steps to better yourself mentally, physically or educationally? Even IF the people around you thought you were crazy and hitting some sort of midlife crisis? How did you know? What did you do about it? Can you share some advice for other's from the 'other side' of the situation?

Who am I?

Well as existential as that sounds, I will answer the 'who I am' and why should you follow me...

First off, I thought I was too far gone to help.  Ever feel that way?

I was in my 40's (not a death sentence) the last of my 4 children had entered his senior year in High School and I was not needed.   A mom put out to pasture, left behind...

When the house gets quiet and you are no longer required to do anything for anyone, you start to look at you.  After all, you have ignored you for quite sometime, right?.  Well I did, maybe you haven't and Brava for you!  

• I had made every single possible excuse why I couldn't do 'it'.  It being workouts,(tried that before, I didn't lose weight).  
• I hate getting up earlier than 6'ish.  It is not going to happen unless I am getting on a plane to Italy, France or Bora Bora. 
• I am too fat to go to the gym.  
• My back is out(which I have a back injury so that one is totally plausible) and I can't.  The reality is, I will always have a back issue, it is never going to go away. Fact.  

The right answer should have been, I need to built up my core to help support my spine, lose weight and become the best version of me..I digress.  

• I will have to watch every single calorie I put into my mouth and become legalistic with all of my family and friends. 
• Plus, that old eating disorder you had years ago will rear it's ugly little head creating a game of how little can you possibly eat.  Twisted, negative thoughts that served no one.

Truth is, I thought I didn't have anything to offer anymore.  I could have not been more wrong!  Everyone has something to give until their last breath is taken.
How many of you wish you still had your grandparents around for one more day to pick their brains about life?  It wouldn't matter if they were wheelchair bound, their soul is what you connect with.

Two years ago I had an A-ha moment.  No, not the band from the 80's and Oprah was nowhere around.  I and a friend were having a heart to heart about life, post kids, post high school, post our 'prime' and how did we get to this overweight stage.  Life flies by, if you blink, you will miss it.
As I was giving her my long laundry version of all of my excuses, and I had practiced them well.  She finally waited for me to take a breath and simply stated "When are you going to stop making all these excuses and just do something about yourself".  I was shocked. Did she not listen to me? She was the one person I knew would always listen.  How could she dismiss me?  But the look in her eyes told me that she had heard me.  "I mean, I love you, but you always say 'I wish I could __', but you are not doing anything about it"  Boom!
Truth had smacked me in the face.

Now what I didn't say is, we were sitting in a lovely garden outside of a very nice hotel against the beach in Clearwater at 4 something in the morning.  Not a many a soul was about, it was dark, romantically lit with path lights and a warm breeze blowing the palms.  When she said that last statement and I heard her as if she were talking to my soul, the automatic sprinklers went on.   If I didn't know before, I knew at that moment it was 'divine intervention to get my attention'.

We made a pact that we both were going to do this thing together.  We were both going to be 100% honest with each other and we were going to be accountable to each other and have weekly check-ins.  And we did.  That was April 2012.  I gave it my all.
She had 55 lbs to lose, I had double that to lose.  She and sexy blonde self lost all of that weight by December!!   I did not.  I hit plateau after plateau.
I was eating as well as I could with the information I had, walking 5 days a week and going to Zumba 4 days.  The first year I was only down about 28lbs but I had lost a lot of inches. I was stuck, but I was determined to NOT give up.  The weight didn't come along overnight and it wasn't going to leave me that way.

I started to watch how I was feeling, the sugar highs were gone, I replaced empty carbs with more nutritious options, I watched my portion sizes(surprised me to actually know what a serving of whatever I was eating was) started to fill up on foods that are 'free' to snack on instead of unhealthy ones.  Gave up all drinks that were sweetened by artificial means, diet sodas, iced teas, sugar laden frozen drinks and lattes.  And drank pure water. I started to eat breakfast.  I craved getting more sleep hours. I felt better than I had in a long time, a really long time.  I had energy and wasn't waking up with back pain.  My clothes were being passed on and I felt better in my skin.
My old way of life was changing and so was I.

I needed to lose more weight and inches, I was tired of the "plateau of death". A friend let me try Brazil Butt Lift, in 6 weeks I had lost 9.5 lbs and almost 4" from my waist!  I had better curves and I was toning up.  I became confident, drug friends with me on walks, to the gym, or doing exercise videos, I even joined a local fitclub every Saturday.
I never judge another's journey, everyone has to have that moment, and you cannot force it by your views.

Fast Forward to present day.. I am a work in progress.  Although I am not at my goal weight, yet, I am farther than I was 2 years ago.
I am down 61.3 lbs, and have lost 69 inches.  I am more flexible than I was.  I have just completed P90X3 and LOVED it, now I have started my T-25 journey.

I have learned that success isn't determined by a number on a scale.  That when you are toned and have become leaner, the scale may not reflect that but your clothes will.

That I enjoy helping others!  That, I know, is my truth!  It truly breaks my heart to hear another man or woman say "you cannot know how hard this is".  Yes, I do.   I feel I have been on this journey to help other's out, that my weight wasn't supposed to come off slow, that things are earned and not given, that you will honestly know who your friends are. Mine are the folks that stood by me and cheered me on.  That I want to be that person cheering another on.  I do understand and I can be that person who has 'your' back.

I am still sporting my sassy pants, excelling in wit and sarcasm.  I am trying to become more comfortable in front of the camera and not die inside when someone snaps a pic of me.
I still am in hog heaven over my kids; being a mom has been the best thing I have ever done.
I am still a card carrying fabriholic and hoarder of all things quilting related.
I will still travel in a skinny minute to anywhere.
I am passionate about health, nutrition, new recipes, fashion and last but not least my faith.
Those things didn't change.  What changed is how I viewed myself.  If I can't love me, how is anyone else going to truly love and respect me?

So if you are willing to take a journey with me, I hope that you follow me, subscribe to my posts, tell all your friends, join me on facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ChosenFitnesswithDarla or friend me www.facebook.com/darla.pavlak.ballard, tell all your friends, follow me on Instagram  http://instagram.com/quiltnwoman, oh and tell some of your friends!

If I can answer any questions or be of any help, I would love to do so...

Here we go!!!  

What a ride it has been this far!  The support from friends and family has been overwhelming!

First ever blog post, so it is going to bumpy, rough, possibly sharp around the edges, but it is my first

My next step into the realm of fitness and helping others achieve their dreams. 
No goal is too large or impossible.  You were meant to have a second chance.  
Everyone deserves to have someone to cheer them on and be in their corner!
Don't listen to the naysayers, listen to that small voice inside of you.  Listen until it becomes a big booming voice that people will have to pay attention to.
You were not meant to be invisible.  You are worthy in this life and your legacy will follow you.

But first you have to believe in you?  I hope you do or you wouldn't be here...

Once you have that fine point nailed down, the doors are open wide.

Are you ready?

Let's start this ride..