Weight Loss Secrets: I never felt stoppable.

I felt UNSTOPPABLE both ways.

When I launched MizFit it was “enough” to have a passion for healthy living.

It was 2006.

I was just back from Guatemala. Gnarls Barkley was popular. Skinny jeans were only starting to emerge on the Austin hipster scene.

And The Biggest Loser television show was born.

People heard what I had to say—-but my message was diminished because I was a long-term loser. No big numbers–merely consistency.

I challenged myself as to whether I “fit” as a fitness blogger.

Could I motivate if Id only lost forty pounds? Could I relate to greater struggles?

I answered the same way I did when I owned my training studio. I returned something Id learned in my counseling masters program:

Human struggle is universal. We may struggle differently —but the experience of facing challenges & persevering is universal.

It’s in that same way Ive dedicated myself to helping girls navigate frenemies and tween’dom.

Long before the Tornado (when I wrote mainly fiction) I led mother/daughter book groups at Barnes & Noble stores.

Ostensibly we met to discuss novels, but what transpired was sharing & paralleling the character’s lives to the girls’ own challenges.

Normalizing the struggles of the group’s members and reminding them they weren’t alone.

Since the Tornado burst on the scene Ive focused mainly on *her.*

I’ve worked to send *her* the message she’s ENOUGH just as she is today and remind her shes powerful and strong (& strong is NOT the new sexy).

she loves her some her.

Helping her to learn she wil sometimes fall short of goals—we all do—but as long as she learns & grows from the experience there’s no such thing as failure.

the ability to laugh at yourself helps!

She’s older now and I’ve learned the best way to help her is to practice what I LONG to preach (and say not a word).

I’m sharing my message of GIRL POWER! through teaching yoga to kids.

I’ve started mother/daughter book clubs in my new OAKtown ‘hood.

This post is NOT sponsored by DOVE’s GIRLS UNSTOPPABLE campaign—-but the crusade has snagged my attention.

Especially the statistic of six out of ten girls stop doing what they love because they feel insecure about their looks.

That’s a whole lot of our next generation derailed from their dreams.

Girls who could change the world. Girls who could change lives. Girls who need US WOMEN to step up, stand up and lend a hand during this time which can feel daunting and Sisyphean.

I’ve lead a blessed life.

I never recall feeling stoppable even when my outsides didn’t match my insides.

I never equated my beer, pizza, and junk-food bod with diminished self-worth.

I still believed I rocked.

I’ve spent time trying to discern why I’ve always felt UNSTOPPABLE in an effort to pass it on to my daughter and others.

My confidence at many points was misplaced—but it worked for me. I unknowingly faked it till I made it (and I still do many days.).

I work to impart to my daughter these 3 concepts:

Compliment yourself! As 7 she adores compliments. Heck at 44 I do, too. The difference is, at my age, I realize telling myself YOU ROCK! feels just as good as hearing it from others. It took me years to get here–I’m trying to help her find her way more rapidly.Know where you’re headed. As women we may have a mission statement. With girls it can be a mantra or personal catch phrase. We need to help our girls have a general sense of where they’re headed or they’re certain not to get there. Plans can be fluid (the Tornado is convinced she’ll be a special ed teacher. this may change) but having a destination helps girls believe they’re unstoppable.

Join me? Six out of ten girls are waiting for you.

As the amazing Jess Weiner says: