Kimberly J Garcia

Category: Achieve

  • What Does it Mean to Be the Change?

    What does this quote mean to you? For me it was a life changing quote triggering a change in the way I live my daily life. I realized that many times I was frustrated by the way something was or the way someone acted, but after reading this quote, I realized if I wanted things to improve, I had to be the change. I could either complain about the situation or I could start doing something to make a difference. Sometimes we do not feel like we have the control to make a difference, but truly we do.

    For example, many of you know I get very frustrated that some companies make money off of us selling low quality food loaded with chemicals. It’s upsetting that the individuals operating these companies are making big cash creating sickness. Why should parents have to be a scientist to know how to shop healthy for their kids? Why can’t you trust that your spaghetti sauce isn’t loaded with high fructose corn syrup and your chicken soup isn’t spiced with MSG? It’s ridiculous. At first it seemed as if the food system was so far gone that I’d might as well hang it up and drink the chemical cocktail, but then I realized if I chose to do nothing, things would remain the same. I would just be venting, our health would still be failing and people would be making my money selling crap food. It’s at that moment I decided to be the change. I decided to slowly work towards switching our snacks to whole food organic options, started buying foods from local farmers and discovering how I could conveniently cook foods without buying chemically laden seasoning packets. Within two years our family’s grocery cart changed from 85% packaged to maybe 15% or less. From there I chose to share with others. If I could do it, you could do it. Or if I can make it for you, I will. These small steps helped my family, my clients and our community. In addition, now the people who are selling ethical, healthy food are making an honest living off of my money, not those robbing my health for temporary riches.

    I also work hard to be the change I want to see in the world by being as open and honest as possible. We all have dysfunction, strengths, weaknesses and insecurities. Many of us suffer because we are not willing to share what we  are going through or to reach out to others who may have advice  to support us. I do my best to share my opportunities, accept my mistakes and seek advice from others. I feel this helps me grow personally and helps me prevent making more critical mistakes. It also allows other people to know they can feel comfortable opening up about areas they may need support in. We are all human. We are each going through this thing called “life”. There’s just no way you can live without ever having a fear, doubt, insecurity, embarrassment or relationship issue. It’s practically impossible. I grew up thinking I had to hold all of these things in and to just try to do it on my own or figure it all out. Humans weren’t designed to do it alone. We were blessed with the ability to communicate, have compassion and to lift each other up. If you’re not already comfortable in sharing your doubts, concerns etc. with others, find someone you feel you can learn from, someone who can help you through the situation. Don’t do it alone. There’s no need to.  If you want others to be open and honest with you, ensure you are leading by example and being the change you wish to see.

    I could express a thousand more ways I try to apply this thought process to my daily life, but I’d love to hear from you. Each person has a profound impact on the world. Every action has a reaction and every choice you make has a ripple effect. It’s up to you as to how much of an impact you want to make and if you want it to be a positive or a negative impact. How do you lead by example or what do you do to make a situation better? What area in life frustrates you and how do you think you could Be the Change you wish to see?

     

  • The Gift of Having a Crystal Ball

    I have to share with you my love-hate relationship with my passion to help others improve their life. Living the life of a trainer, fitness enthusiast and health education junkie for more than 19 years, has truly taught me a great deal about the human body. When you research and live what you learn, you truly get the chance to experience the outcome. The cause and effect of our choices.  When I first started in this career of wellness, I could only understand how I felt from my choices and what happened when I worked out a certain way or followed a certain diet etc. Now after years of working with individuals as young as 5 years old up to 86 years young, I have gained the true gift of being able to see the future. My profession is one of the ONLY professions who actually has the opportunity to spend anywhere from 1 hour to thousands of hours with their clients. These hours are spent learning about their symptoms, their insecurities, their goals, diet plans, life stressors etc. Through this time, I get to learn not only from my mistakes or successes, but also from theirs. I get to see what a life with no activity leads to. I get to see what crazy weight loss plans create and I am also able to see the years many of us waste thinking lesser of ourselves.  Each of these experiences have taught me something new.

    Meeting with more than 3,500 people and coaching them for more than 19,000 hours has helped me identify trends, effective programming and ineffective programming. This combined with years of formal education, has given me the gift to recognize the cause of many health issues, training injuries and weight loss failures. Not only can I almost take an x-ray of your posture with my eyes, I can almost guarantee you I have an answer as to why a person may have chronic fatigue syndrome, bronchitis, irritable bowel syndrome and  thyroid issues. Not only can I give you an answer as to what caused the “sudden” onset of symptoms, I can also give you solutions to the problem.

    How can I do this? Why do I think I can?

    Do I know it all? No.

    Am I a doctor? No.

    Am I a VooDoo practitioner? No.

    What is it then?

    I ask questions. I listen. I am PASSIONATE about what I do. It is embedded within my soul to help others live their fullest life. I seek the best of the best and I train under them. When I don’t have an answer, I seek it out. I find someone who does. When I can’t get a clear answer, I research what happened before the problem began and identify the trends. I track, test, follow through and tailor my programs to my client’s need. I live what I preach and learn from what I live.

    When you do anything with passion over a period of years, you become an expert, a master of your trade.  If you are like me, you then want to top what you know. You want to gain more answers and give more solutions. This is what I LOVE! I love being able to give someone a solution to their want or need, particularly when it comes to a better mind, body and health. Many times the solutions are simpler than what one might expect and then other times, a chronic condition may take time to heal, but it CAN be done and if it can not be 100%, a person can drastically slow the progression of their symptoms through the proper guidance. How do I know this? I experience it everyday of my life.

    Now what do I hate about this passion? What I hate about this passion is really my issue. Have you ever lived something, made a mistake and then saw someone you love about to make the same mistake? Have you ever tried to stop them? What happened? Did they listen? Did they believe you? I am sure sometimes they did. You may have helped them avoid a misery you already lived. A lesson you learned from experience.

    What do you feel like when they don’t listen? When your daughter still stands on the counter after you told her not to and then she falls and hurts herself. Or when your sibling keeps dating someone whose tearing them down and it kills you inside. Or when you see your family member continue to abuse themselves through food, alcohol or drugs with no thought of what they are doing to you or their own body? Does it bother you inside? Don’t you want to help them because you know the results of their actions? I would assume most of you would say yes. I know some are built to walk away and let others just live their journey, but for me it’s not that easy.

    When you have been given the gift of being able to absorb so much knowledge and experience from others and self, it’s almost impossible to not want to help others avoid chronic mistakes I see on a day-to-day basis. Many mistakes creating misery, depression, feelings of failure and early death. When I see someone who gives up on themselves because the scale didn’t respond fast enough or someone who is over exercising, under  eating or cutting out whole food groups to live “healthy”, it literally kills me inside. Why? Because I have been there and done that. I know the consequences. I know the short and long-term results. I know the years of quality life people are shaving off their future and the rapid aging they are creating. I know how they are impacting their family’s future by their choices and how they will miss their goal yet again.

    I have people I care about deeply hire me to help them and then negate everything I coach them to do or throw everything out the window once they are on their own. It’s so tough to see them work harder versus smarter, reliving the mistakes I have seen lived a million times over again. But I have to understand, it’s their journey. It’s their lesson to learn and their choice to make, not mine. It’s taken me some time, but I have learned that I can not put my passion on to others. I can not make them want to trust what I tell them. They have to choose what they want and I have to realize I will help some avoid issues all together and I will spend the rest of the time helping people regain the health they lost.

    Having the “crystal ball” has definitely helped me live in the moment, love myself for who I am and value taking care of the body I have today. With two-thirds of adults struggling with weight, over 26 million having diabetes and over $83 billion dollars spent on depression each year, I have a true passion to help slow the statistics. A passion to spread my knowledge to each of you and help you live it on a day-to-day basis. One person at a time, we can be the change we wish to see in the world. Many of us have knowledge, but knowledge is nothing unless it’s applied. So if you know me, you have worked with me in the past or you meet with me in the future, know that when I give you A LOT of information and I send you emails of support, it’s not to tell you what to do. It’s not to seem like a know it all and it’s definitely not to mislead you. It’s just because I have had the chance to see the future and I have learned how to live balanced and happy in the present. It is my passion to help you achieve full vitality and performance. You deserve it. Our children deserve it. And our community deserves it.

    I hope you will allow me to share my crystal ball with you! It’s definitely worth the outcome.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • How the Successful Lose Weight and Keep it Off

    Working with so many people to help them lose weight, having many successes and having many who give up, I ask myself, how is it that I made the commitment to make better choices?  How is that many people I helped 10 or more years ago to lose weight, have kept it off? Because truly that’s the real answer. Anyone and any diet can help someone lose weight, but which methods and behaviors actually keep it off? And for that matter, which methods and behaviors actually make you healthier during the process? For today, we will discuss how to be successful at weight loss for life, but it’s a whole other story as to whether your weight loss is healthy or not.

    In recent years, weight loss has become very complicated, gimmicky and obsessive. We seem to be drawn to these characteristics, but of course we’re being marketed daily to think we should eat less, move more and if we screw up, we might as well give up.  This is why 95% of dieters fail and most attempt at least 8 times before they actually succeed. If you want to break this statistic, read on. If you want to stay on the hamster wheel, close now.

     GET OFF THE WHEEL!!! YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL FOR LIFE!

     

    I believe it’s time to make a change and I believe I am tired of seeing people get caught up in the whirlwind of the dieting industry. Each person deserves to feel their best and it’s time I share the simple, yet priceless secrets with you.

    1.  Successful people make small changes over time.

    No one can be perfect in a week. We do not become a perfect student, a perfect parent or a perfect spouse over night (if ever). So how do we think we could live completely “good” when it comes to diet and exercise? It’s just not possible to turn your world upside down and keep it that way just because the diet book or the trainer told you to. It’s also not smart to just change everything in your body over night. Going from no exercise and no awareness of diet, to daily cardio sessions and food restriction makes your body feel like it’s under attack. Many foods we are addicted to can also cause horrible feelings or severe cravings as we try to wean off of them. It’s important that we make small changes each day, each week to move us toward our goals of living healthier. I personally started drinking water versus soda or tea. Then I started to exercise. Next I started to make sure my snacks offered nutrition versus just something to put into my mouth. Small adjustments lead to long-term success.

    2.Successful people do not feel guilty.

    This is kind of misleading. In the beginning when I started seeing great success with my small changes, I did start to enjoy the results of my choices and started to become obsessed. If I missed a workout, I would feel severely guilty and then over do it the next day or not eat to make up for it. I thought that was the best way to balance it out. That method soon created many health problems for me and I realized I was doing something wrong. I also realized I was putting too much pressure on myself and not allowing myself to be HUMAN. As you begin your health journey, you are going to eat a cookie again, you are going to miss a workout and you are going to fluctuate in weight. It’s just a given. What you can do to save yourself much mental anguish, is to eliminate the guilt. Feeling guilty is poison and it adds no value to your program. The more we obsess over the mistake, the more we tend to make poor choices for our body. We tend to either over eat, under eat, over exercise or GIVE UP. If you make a mistake at work, do you just quit? If you make a mistake as a parent, do you give your kids up for adoption? No, we apologize for the mistake and we generally work to do better the next time. If you can carry this behavior over into your health journey, you will never GIVE UP again. You may have a stall, but when you over eat one day, you can get up, apologize to yourself and determine how to prevent the same mistake in the future. Or you can say, I only over eat one or two days per year, no big deal and let it go. Learning to work around your mistakes and how to prevent them, will lead to long-term success.

    3. Successful people commit for life.

    Do you know how long ago it was that I switched to water from soda and tea? 17 years ago! I didn’t just say let me drink this water to get the weight off and then I will give it all up to go back to my old habits. Once I learned how important water was and how many empty calories were in many drinks we choose to consume, I used my logic and said it’s just not worth it to me. I was not so logical when it came to exercise though. I started exercising about 16 years ago and became really fit the first year. Of course I was 19 or so  and it was not too hard to shape up. Once I got in shape, I said ok, I am fit now. I should be able to maintain this. Then I stopped exercising all together. About a year went by and I had not gained any weight. Yet, while riding as a passenger in the car one day, I propped my leg up by the window, looked down and saw someone elses leg. I thought is that my 20 year old leg covered in cellulite? But how? I have not gained any weight according to the scale. This is when I realized the scale does not always tell the truth. It may tell me good or not so good numbers, but they truly do not matter if my health is failing or my body fat is rising! This is when I realized, just like the water, exercise was going to be a part of my life in some fashion if I wanted to maintain a healthy looking body and not just a number on the scale. If you want to be successful with weight loss for life, you have to realize there are no time frames. Think about what you want to feel like five years from now, not just five weeks from now and start to make small changes you will commit to for life.

    The successful weight loss people you see at work, at the gym, throughout life are the ones incorporating these behaviors. Most are not genetically fit. They have just committed to apply logic to their daily choices and find ways to deal with their emotions. They have made the commitment to value their body and how it feels, just as some have made the commitment to not pay attention to their body. Our daily choices and perseverance is what equates to our short and long-term results. I hope these priceless secrets to success can help you improve your results today and on going! The power is within you to be successful. You may need guidance and support, but there are no magic pills, no magic surgeries and no magic diets, just simple secrets of success.

     

  • Remember 1440 in 2012!

    Do you know what the number 1440 represents? I didn’t realize the importance of that number until I attended a recent youth summit held last year for the Hernando Youth Initiative. Florida child advocate Jack Levine, reminded us that there are 1440 minutes in every day. With those 1440 minutes, we each have the choice as to how we use them.  He suggested that we take at least 20 minutes of alone time for ourselves and dedicate at least 20 additional minutes toward meaningful conversation with someone else in our life.  Forty minutes dedicated daily to important priorities leaving us with 1400 additional minutes to spend on everything and everyone else. 

    This message came at just the right time for me. I had many recent life changes which led me to be very focused on my business, my clients, family and friends. All of this focus was for a great cause, but in the midst of supporting everyone else, I was starting to neglect myself.  I realized how quickly days can fly by without us realizing we have not made a nice meal for ourselves or even taken time to relax our minds. The days of ordering out, skipping exercise and working 15 hours straight, were starting to take a toll on my mindset and my body.  As a wellness coach I realized that although my intentions were good and I knew what to do, I was not applying my own knowledge during my hectic days. These daily choices were starting to add up.  

    It is important in 2012 that we realize our daily choices add up either positively or negatively having a cumulative effect on our mind, body and soul.  Much of our quality of life and longevity is decided upon our daily lifestyle choices. Science suggests only 1/3 of our outcomes are based upon genetics. This is great news for us if we decide to invest at least 20 minutes into ourselves each day. Doing so may drastically slow the aging process and improve the way we feel. 

    Think about it, wherever you spend the most productive time, you tend to get the best result.

    If you spend a few hours cleaning your house each week, it generally looks well kept. If you take time to water your plants, prune them and give them proper care, they tend to live longer. We have to remember our bodies are the same way, yet our bodies are much more valuable than the car, house or plants. 

    According to a recent Wall Street Journal post, 6 out of 7 full time employees are struggling with weight issues and/or chronic health conditions. Our children are on medication for diabetes, blood pressure and depression. Although these statistics are becoming common, they are not normal. The human body was not created to fall apart. With a little upkeep, it can be rather resilient. Taking a few minutes to pack a healthy snack to go, grabbing a bottle of water or stretching before you wind down at night, can lead to a healthier you.  Small choices can add up to big rewards. 

    As we enter into 2012, think about your 1440 minutes and how you want to use them daily. Only you can make the choice as to how you want to spend your time. For your health and our future, it is my hope that you will dedicate at least 20 minutes daily to invest life’s best gift….YOU!

  • ValueSelf

    Have you complimented yourself today? Have you taken time to take care you? I hope so.

    Do you know that you are the most important piece of the puzzle?

    Without you, there is no job, there is no family and there is no driving to get where you need to be.

    Many of us are so busy worrying about where we need to be, who we need to take care of or our deadline at work, that we forget the most important piece- SELF! As we hurry through our lives, many times we forget how valuable our mind and body is. Without the abilities we have been blessed with, we would be unable to do so many things for everything and everyone else, but many times we forget this.

    We spend more time ignoring our body or cutting ourselves down. We mentally call ourselves ugly, wrinkled, fat, lazy, stupid, incapable…. but all is not true. We are the furthest from any of these things, yet we somehow find ways to abuse ourselves mentally and physically while taking time to make everyone else happy.

    You have been uniquely and beautifully made with the ability to have feelings, make your own decisions, create change and to climb mountains. Incidences in your life may have caused you to forget these things, but they’re true. No matter what your formal education, your current fitness state or your current social status, you have the ability to achieve what you want. Sometimes it may be tough to figure out how to get started or how to overcome your current obstacles, but what’s important is to know YOU CAN DO IT!

    Many times if we feel behind or lost, we give up versus looking for ways to take small steps in the direction we want to head. Know that with small steps and belief in yourself you can achieve more. You can feel better, think better and move better.

    The biggest mistake many of us make is comparing ourselves to others or focusing too much on where we wish we were at versus the little steps we need to take to get to there. For example, if you have 100lbs to lose, you can’t focus on the 100lbs or your goal weight without getting frustrated and wanting to give up. 100lbs seems like such a LONG way away! Instead, you have to focus on the behaviors needed to achieve the 100 pound weight loss. Think about it, if you want to graduate high school or college, you can’t just think about the degree, you have to attend courses, study, take tests and put in the time. This is the same when trying to lose weight. You must think of the steps needed to achieve 100 pound weight loss degree. Study, put in the time and make the extra effort to ValueSelf. It takes 13 years to graduate high school and many of us achieve this. If you dedicate just one to two years to taking care of you, you can lose that 100 pounds focusing on five pounds at a time and the habits needed to achieve that loss.

    This is the same with trying to achieve a business goal. You cannot just focus on where you want to be and get stressed that you are not there yet. You have to think about what you may have to do to get you there and most of all you have to know that you CAN do it. Many of us get side tracked when working towards our goals or hung up on some of the judgment and pressures of society.

    Now is your time to know that YOU can do what you want to do and YOU can achieve your goals beginning TODAY!

    Do not wait until 2012! Start investing in yourself today, mentally, physically and emotionally.

    If you take time to fuel your body, compliment your mind and to rest your soul, you will start to function better for yourself and everyone around you. You will be able to think clearly about how you want to feel, think, act and look and you will take the steps to seek solutions to your obstacles.

    Never say “I Can’t” again! Replace that statement with the words, “I have not learned how to yet.” Because you my friend are just as valuable as the next and you have ALL the capabilities to fully live your life if you are willing to take the steps to get there.

    The most important thing is to enjoy the journey. You are only guaranteed this present moment. So no matter where you want to be or where you are headed, do not rush it and do not get stressed about not being there yet. Do what you can do and be thankful for what you DO have. Enjoy the ups and the downs. Every time there is a down, know there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you continue to persevere.

    Above all, don’t keep putting yourself last. You were put on this Earth as a gift and you deserve to be treated like a special gift. You should be the first to value that gift. The more you ValueSelf, the more others will value you. Not only will they value you, but they will be thankful for the whole person you are giving to them. A mom, a husband, a wife, a dad, a child who values their self, can give true energy and love to those around them.

    Remember, although you have lots to get done and lots to accomplish, you cannot give what you don’t have. Learn to have compassion, love, energy and time for self and you will be able to authentically give all of those things to everyone else in your life.

  • Is Brainwashing Making You Sick and Fat?

    Have you been trying to eat healthy, but still feel like crap?
    Or have you been trying to lose weight forever and just can’t seem to get it off?

    Chances are the multi-billion dollar dieting and food industries have gotten ahold of your brain and warped it into making you believe what they want you to. With two-thirds of our adults being overweight, Diabetes numbers on the rise and obesity being more dangerous than ALL cancers combined, it’s important we work together to reprogram our thoughts and beliefs when it comes to living healthy.
    Let me give you a few examples of how these industries are robbing you blind and stealing your health.

    Brainwashing #1- Lets think about HIGH FIBER FOODS and SUGAR

    Current marketing would make you believe it is much smarter to eat a high fiber bagel, cereal or pasta, than a banana, baked potato or an apple. We couldn’t possibly eat a piece of fruit or a potato. THOSE ARE CARBS and SUGAR!
                                 
                                                  Potato Ingredients: Just Potato :>)

    Sandwich Thins Ingredients:WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, UNBLEACHED ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, REDUCED IRON, NIACIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID], WATER, CELLULOSE FIBER, WHEAT GLUTEN, YEAST, SUGAR, CRACKED WHEAT, RYE, POLYDEXTROSE, SALT, GROUND CORN, CANOLA AND/OR SOYBEAN OIL, PRESERVATIVES (CALCIUMPROPIONATE, SORBIC ACID), GRAIN VINEGAR, GUAR GUM, CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, BROWN RICE, OATS, MONOGLYCERIDES, SOYBEANS, TRITICALE, BARLEY, FLAXSEED, MILLET, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, SUCRALOSE, SOY LECITHIN.  YUCK!  HMMM? Do I see sugar and sucralose in these thins? What about genetically modified Soy?

    Please do not fall for this tactic anymore. If you will eat a bagel, sandwich thins or cereal (which are ALL processed CARBS), I am here to let you know, it is definitely OK to eat natural, whole carbs from the Earth. Natural carbs from the Earth do not contain high amounts of sodium, synthetic vitamins or food additives. Go Organic and/or to your local farm for the best!
    Brainwashing #2 Food is YOUR LIFE, YOUR COMFORT, YOUR HAPPINESS.
    Modern day commercials would lead your kids to believe they will be a super hero if they eat a certain candy bar or have a party in their room with each bite of cereal. Fast food commercials and common restaurants want us to believe our happiness can only be achieved through eating our hearts out at their establishment.
    FOOD is good, but it can never replace how good it feels to put on your pants or your dress and actually have them fit. It can not replace how you feel when your pictures are taken and show your healthy body.  Will it make you happier to eat whatever you want, even though it will cause you to die 5 years earlier and miss out on your children or spouses milestones in life?
    FOOD is GOOD, but it does not bring LONG TERM HAPPINESS and you do not have to feel deprived because you set a few boundaries on what you will put in your mouth. You can know that you will be happier living a healthier life and having your favorites in moderation.
    Brainwashing #3- YOU MUST LOSE WEIGHT FAST OR YOU ARE A FAILURE
    Learning how to eat healthy, is just like any new habit, job or task we take on. When learning how to play a new sport, you stumble, make mistakes and it takes time to excel. You practice, keep trying and you may even hire a coach. When you get married, it’s tough learning how to communicate and overcome obstacles. A new business is a HUGE learning process. You make lots of mistakes, you put your life into it and you work hard to get through the early stages so you can hopefully reap the benefits later.
    Since when do we think we can learn how to change every unhealthy habit we have in two weeks? How can we just start losing weight and know how to keep it off if we are not experts in this field and we have been practicing poor habits for years? Losing weight and improving your health is just like the new job, the sport and the new marriage. YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES! YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE SETBACKS! The key is to know this and accept it. Look at ways to overcome your obstacles, hire a coach, put in some extra studying time- DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO TAKE CARE OF YOU! If you stay consistent and keep your eye on the prize of what you want to look and feel like 3 months, 6 months, 6 years from now, YOU WILL ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS!
    It’s time we get off the hamster wheel and GET REAL about taking care of our health!
    If you want to continue to be lied to by weight loss doctors, pill mills and gimmicks, stay on the wheel.
    If you want to save your money, your time and your life, contact someone who cares about helping you take care of you!
    Visit www.gimefitness.com, www.chekconnect.com , www.acefitness.org  or http://www.ideafit.com/fitnessconnect to find professionals in your area to help you change your life once and for ALL!