Report Cards

I was not a stellar stand-out superior student.  The last time my report card had a sea of A’s, was in elementary school.  But before all of you brainiacs label me dumb please keep reading.

I honorably held a strong A-B, with the occasional C in math, sort of report card.  And…unlike most of my esteemed group of friends, I was never in National Honor Society or recognized for perfect attendance.  So sue me!

My teachers said I was “well-rounded” which is another topic to be covered next month.   

Naturally, my hoe-hum average A-B report cards didn’t always please my parents.  The stigma of shame and disappointment lingered for days after the cards came home for a parental signature.  This is amusing to me now thinking back to that dreaded awkward feeling.  Now…I chuckle and so wish I could tell that ordinary young girl…”baby doll don’t you worry about a thing…straight A’s are not the end all be all to life and it all works out! in the end.”   Because if I do say so myself…those few scandalous C’s only contributed to building character.   I didn’t turn out so bad, RIGHT!?!?

PSST…I went on to redeem myself and impress my parents by graduating from TCU, Texas Christian University, in FOUR years with a glaring 3.5!!  

But enough about me…what about you?  Did you receive the up most highest accolades, rewards and bragging rights for studious school work?

Were you punished with a “wait till your father gets home” promise of a belt or paddle spanking then sent to your room without supper?  Perhaps your parents disciplined you by the ever so effective silent treatment coupled with a good old-fashioned grounding.

Who knows, maybe in your house report cards didn’t matter at all. While others…and it’s a long shot… took the whole report card thing more seriously than their folks.

I had a friend in middle school who was enticed and motivated by dollars!  BIG money.  Her dad gave her $100 every six weeks IF she made straight A’s.  Furthermore, she would receive an additional $100 a year if she never smoked a single cigarette.  This was of course on the honor system and I can vouch for her that she never smoked or took a puff of anything in her entire life.  That’s roughly $800 dollars a year in her pocket!

All I know is that a report card was and is supposed to be a reflection of lessons learned.  The end of every six weeks or the semester was a crucial time.  Being graded on how well you absorbed all of the subject matter.

But what about the variables?  LIKE SUBJECT INTEREST!!!

I can look back and point out the teachers who influenced my learning style and truly taught me life skills.  The other stuff was just fluff. filler and coincidence.  Communication, method learning, project-based learning,  are in my opinion fancy educational buzz words.

The way I see it, students/ people are motivated to learn by reward, organic interest or some form of fear.  

But what about now?

Do you get good grades in adult life?  I want to know how you rate “your PERSON.”

Do you divvy out daily progress reports in your mind?  At the end of the day do you red ink pen rate the day by the check list or how well you parented your children?  By gosh I sure do. I’m a list maker and checker-offer extraordinaire. I think that I checkmark myself to death.  My grade is reflective of how much I accomplish each day.  Like did I publish a blog post, did I workout, was the bill paid, did I make the important phone call, was all of invoicing and receivables reconciled, have I cooked a meal this week, did I publish the right amount of social media content, did I read and meditate on a devotional, did I pray with my family, etc etc.

Back in the day circa 1988-1991 a “D” was a passing grade.  It was barely, chinny chin passing, but it counted. The “D” signified that a warm body was present and occasionally turned in a few good homework assignments so the teacher rewarded the minimal effort.

This is basically equal to working out twice a week, eating a decent diet but blowing though a sleeve or box of Girl Scout cookies every night!  Girl, that’s a big fat D.  You’re scarcely passing and making little progress because you’re yucking it all up one cookie at a time.

Ladies…some of yall think that your diet is rated on a sliding scale. I got news for yall…you aren’t fooling anyone with your oversized sweater and skinny jeans. If you want to get a double-A plus on your blood work from doctor’s office you’ve got to step up your exercise game.  Otherwise, you could be at risk for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.  If you want a B plus in toned arms for tank top and sundresses season you better get on the ball and do some homework.

Homework and School Supplies

What will you need for a healthy report card?

An open book attitude.  Honey trust me, that bulky cardigan and loose pull over isn’t disguising what you know to be true.

Fill in the blank…You want to lose weight because_______________!

You have Summer vacation plans!

You’re ready to shed the baby fat.

Wedding season, prom and spring break are right up the road.

You’re tired of being sick and tired of the excess flab, muffin top, and constant belly bloat.

None of your clothes fit.

Your doctor gave you an “F” on your last exam.

You want to attend your grandchild’s graduation without a wheelchair or walker.

You’re the bride-to-be.

Get in shape for a ski trip or a mud run.

You’re fed up with fat.

Fight for it!  Be honest with yourself.  Address your weak spot.  Is it diet?  Or do you struggle with finding or making time to exercise?  Which subject is the hardest for you?

Find a tutor.  A personal trainer or an accountability partner is a great way to stay motivated.  Trainers, like me, have all kinds of tricks up their sleeve to make the process less cumbersome. Group workouts are encouraging because where two or more are gathered…

Take measurements.  This is a super-duper hard assignment and usually freaks most females completely out.  The numbers don’t matter until they change.  Taking measurements is a key factor in trusting the process.  Lifting weights burns fat and the tape measure can’t lie.  The scale fluctuates but measuring tape does not.  Measure then FITget about it. Don’t measure again for at least 6-8 weeks after a consistent workout.  The results will have you beaming and boasting with joy.

Measure your chest – make sure you come directly across and in the center of the breast line. 

Measure at the waist.  Make sure to come across the center of the belly button.

Measure the hips and buttox.  Center in the dead center of the butt cheeks.

Measure the tricep and the center of the tight.

Do the work and watch the inches fall off!

Paper back weight loss journal AMAZON $7

UNSTOPPABLE FOOD JOURNAL $7

MAKE THINGS HAPPEN JOURNAL $13

Take notes.  Write down and journal everything single morsel that goes into your blessed body.  Do it from your smartphone, lap top or dictate it in a text.  Keep a record.  At the end of the week look back and see where you could have improved.  Maybe you can look for ways to substitute.

Pick a diet.  Maybe multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank exams were not your cup of tea.   Follow a structured meal plan if you need to.  Consult with your doctor to see if Keyto or juicing are right for you.  I’m not a fan of HCG or Keyto in a long-term health plan.  These diets are a nice way to strike hard and get some FITmentum going.  But in my expert opinion, these diets can lead to burning out and if you don’t learn how to eat a healthy BALANCED diet of proteins, and carbs the weight will all come back.

What I know now is that we NEVER stop learning.  Much like education, FITness is an ongoing process,  Living a healthy lifestyle is the ultimate goal. To have a healthy operating cardiovascular fat-burning machine.

I would love to help educate you and help you get good grades.  I have a meal plan and workout program with proven results.

Live, laugh, love

Angi