Slow Down and Help!

What a magical week we have had! Sometimes I get so wound up in my silly little world that I forget just how lucky I am. My wife, myself our 18 year old daughter Morgan and 13 year old son Thomas just finished a vacation to Disney world in Orlando, Florida. This was one of our more fantastic trips as we took the time to do some of the extras that we would normally miss out on.

The night before we left I had an aha moment that really showed me that I need to slow down and observe what is going on around me. We stopped at a gift shop to buy some silly little gifts for folks that we know back home. When we got out of the car there was a guy (I wish I would have taken a picture of him) sitting on a bench outside the store. He was a large imposing figure, very scary looking even to me. He didn’t say a word to us as we went in but just looked at us. My daughter looked at me when we got inside and said wow that was creepy and I said yep he was pretty scary. When we were on the way out the door after our shopping excursion the guy was still out there and he called out to me. I stopped and he said “I’m not going to hurt you, I know I’m big and scary looking. I have pituitary cancer and it has caused me to look like this. I don’t drink or do drugs, and I’m very hungry. Could you buy me something to eat?” As a normal American tourist I said I don’t have any money on me (which was the truth). He said “McDonalds across the street takes a card.” I said I couldn’t help him and he looked at the bag and said “is that stuff more important than feeding someone.” The only retort that I had was this is for family!

I got in the car and the family was waiting and asked what was said. I told them and they were surprised. We pulled out and something kept tugging at me, have I become that calloused? The man just asked for food, how much strength and courage did it take to humble himself and ask for no money just a meal. God really started tugging at my heart and he turned my car around to go to McDonalds to get a meal. As I was sitting in the drive thru my family asked why I was doing this and what we would do if the guy was gone when we got back. I simply stated then I’ll have wasted the money that we are spending to get this, but he’ll be there I said I know he will.

We pulled back into the gift shops parking lot and there he sat, just as imposing as he was before, but more vulnerable looking for some reason. Maybe it was all the people that sidestepped him as they were going into the store. I got out of the car with a bag of McDonalds food and a coke and walked towards him. He looked up and saw me as I got up to him and I handed him the bag. I said here you go bub. When he reached out and took the bag he started to cry and said “thank you buddy” through his tears! I said God Bless you and he said the same back to me. It was a simple transaction, but I think God was letting me know that this human being and his creature needed help and I almost missed the signs because I was too wrapped up in my own little world. There are a million excuses not to reach out and give someone a hand. We need to slow down and find the few reasons to do it! This was an invaluable lesson to me and showed me that sometimes we need reminders just to do the right things!

Today’s post has no diet help, no exercise help, just a small reminder from me to you that we are put on this earth for a reason, we are here to help each other when the need is there! Love your fellow man and be the example that shines out, the beacon of light in a sea of darkness when you are needed! Until next time I love you all and will talk to you soon!

The “Rocket Ship” to Success

            For those of you that know me, the above statement will seem strange. For those of you that don’t really know me it will probably sound right. Either way you look at it, the “Rocket Ship” has sometimes been made of brick! Please allow me to start from the beginning. I was born in 1969, when I was 6 weeks old I had hernia surgery, for a hernia that I was born with. At 3 years old I was diagnosed with a condition called hip perthesis, what this amounted to was the ball of my hip deteriorating. I was put into a body cast for 2 years, a brace for a year and a half and on crutches for another 6 months. I was told that I may never walk again, if I did that I wouldn’t walk right, and that I would not be able to play sports like the other kids.

            At that point in my life I could have just given up and settled for what the doctors told me, as my lot in life. I made a conscious decision when I was faced with this prospect not to accept that destiny. I played tee ball while still in the leg brace. I ultimately played baseball (as a catcher), I played football, and I wrestled. I wasn’t going to accept what the doctors told me, and I did everything in my power to make sure that I succeeded in sports.

            Fast forward to 30 years old, I was working as an assistant manager for a major retail furniture company. I injured my knee and over the course of about a year and a half had three surgeries with the final surgery being major surgery. When this surgery was completed I was given similar news to what I had been faced with when I was 3. This time I took the news a little harder. I had forgotten the lessons that I learned as a child. I had lost the faith in myself that I once had. I began drowning my pain and sorrows in food and alcohol. I went on a journey of self destruction that saw me go from a semi healthy 210 pound former athlete, to a 295 pound lump of chub that had trouble climbing a set of stairs.

            It was time for another “Rocket Ship” to success. Unfortunately I wasn’t ready; this self destruction lasted for almost 10 years. I met a Beachbody coach named Jeff Bradford online. He explained to me that there was a better way, that I could get healthy and feel better. I bought Power90 and thought man I’m gonna rock this! Then life happened and I put Power90 on a shelf and left it there for another year! Thankfully Jeff never gave up on me. He stayed in contact, cheered me on, and encouraged me to get the Power90 off the shelf. Finally on January 6, 2011 I decided to follow Jeff’s advice. My wife, Marsha, and I went to work on doing Power90 on January 10, 2011. Jeff introduced us to Shakeology and we decided to sign up as coaches with Beachbody so that we could get a 25% discount on any Beachbody products. January 12, 2011 we ordered Shakeology and started our fitness journey.

            With much encouragement from our coach Jeff, and our crew led by Jimmy Hays Nelson, Marsha and I finally had our “Rocket Ship” moment. 90 days later we had lost almost a combined 90 pounds. Today we are seeing, not only physical and mental advances but monetary advances. Had I not had a patient coach in Jeff, and a wonderful partner (my wife) I would probably still be lying around waiting for my next day of pain. Instead I wake up every morning knowing that not only do I feel, look and move so much better now than any time in the last 10 to 12 years, but I also have the opportunity to help others find the same “Rocket Ship” to success.

            So if you are tired of your “destiny” and need someone who has been there and fought that before, leave your information here or email me at Larry@lamamoto.com and I will set up a one-on-one consultation with you. I’m excited to hear your story and help you write a different ending with you. I thank you for your time and am excited to hear from you soon!

            Have you ever had an AHA moment? You know kind of like the (slap to the forehead) and Wow I should have had a V-8 type of moment. If you haven’t sometimes they are good things and sometimes they make you feel like you are lower than dirt. I had one of the later on January 3^rd 2011. My wife and I decided to take our kids to an indoor water park in Indianapolis. I took a swimsuit that I had gotten at Wal-Mart towards the end of summer. When we got to the hotel and I put the swimsuit on it really didn’t fit. I was very uncomfortable in the trunks and of course the dead of winter is not the time to shop in Indianapolis for a swimsuit. So I was stuck, I was embarrassed, and felt like I was humiliating my wife and kids by being in a suit that just didn’t look good on me. My gut was hanging over, the waist was way too tight and I felt like a behemoth when I was in the water. I tried to keep the mood light, but I was miserable!

            IT WAS TIME FOR A CHANGE! I knew the moment that I put the trunks on that it was time for a change. I waited until I got home and I went to Facebook. I had a friend that had talked to me about a company called Beachbody. I had used TurboJam by Chalene Johnson in the past to lose weight, but like so many people, as soon as I saw results I went back to my old habits and gained the weight back. I got in touch with Jeff Bradford and asked him about the support system that Beachbody has in place. Jeff let me know that not only did I have the right program (I had bought Power90 more than a year before and let it sit on my shelf), but there was a product called Shakeology that would help me shed pounds. He told me about the coaching opportunity which he said had helped him stay accountable for his weight loss not only to himself but to others that counted on him for support. This is what I needed. I might never lose weight and keep it off just for me, but if I was able to see results and help others along the way to get results I would be able to be motivated to drive on.

            So I took the plunge, I was done killing myself with a fork every day. I wrestled 185 pounds when I was in high school and had seen my weight balloon to a high of 295 pounds. People that knew me know that I was on the edge of dropping dead. My blood pressure was up; I couldn’t walk from here to there without huffing and puffing like a freight train. My wife and children were totally supportive, but like most family members told me that I wasn’t FAT! I stayed away from cameras, mirrors and anything else that would have told the truth to me. I was eating myself into the grave, and no one would stop me, nor could they have stopped me at that time. If you haven’t gotten your AHA moment, you won’t make the changes that you need to. You eventually won’t be there for your family. What will make you realize even the skinniest of people have health related problems that we can help with. Cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, overweight are just a few of the things that can be fixed. If you’ve had your AHA moment then let us help you. If you haven’t had that moment yet go find it, don’t wait another day! Make today your independence day. Until next time keep your eyes on the prize and Dig Deep!

Sometimes in life you read or hear something that just makes sense! I found something on a friends blog that really hit me the other day and I want to share it with you all today! It seems that when we are trying to make things better for ourselves, our families and our friends that something always goes wrong. Some believe this is the Devil trying to throw roadblocks in front of you. Others believe that it is God testing you to see if you are ready for the blessings that he wants to bestow on us. Still some believe that life just happens! Whatever the true reason for this, the fact remains that trials and tribulations are going to present themselves at the least opportune moment for each one of us. It may be as simple as someone making fun of you. It may be a foreclosure or repossession. It may even be a death in the family, but no matter what the happening the way we react to it is what will make us the person that we are. Every decision that we make BIG or small has a direct impact on the rest of our lives. It doesn't always seem like it will but ultimately even the small decisions lead to bigger ones! It is during the tough times that we must "Shake the Dirt Off" and step up to be what we are truly meant to be. I thank my friend Bobby Norris for the story below. See you next time!

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a Well.

The animal cried piteously for hours as The farmer

tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the

Well needed to be covered up anyway;

It just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and

Help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began

To shovel dirt into the well. At first, the

Donkey realized what was happening and cried

Horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he

Quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally

Looked down the well. He was astonished at what

He saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his

Back, the donkey was doing something amazing.

He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel

Dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it

Off and take a step up.

Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey

Stepped up over the edge of the well and

Happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds

Of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well

Is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of

Our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out

Of the deepest wells just by not stopping,

Never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

Free your heart from hatred – Forgive.

Free your mind from worries – Most never happen.

Live simply and appreciate what you have.

Give more.

Expect less

Author Unknown

I often think back to my wrestling days to remember things that my coach Tim Klingensmith would say to us. One that sticks out and applies to most aspects of life was when he asked us if we trained like champions. Everyone in the room looked around and automatically said yes, because we trained everyday with him in the room. We thought it was a stupid question! Until he explained it further by saying…"Do you train like a champion? I know you train when you are here and we are watching, but a true champion does what it takes to be a champion even when no one is looking. When you are alone, do you do the things that we have told you will make you a champion?" When most of the guys in that wrestling room looked deep inside they knew that they really weren't doing what it took!

That lesson was one that I have carried with me and shared with children that I have coached, adults that I have known and worked with, and I try to live by every day. As business owners, especially in the industry that I am in, will look good, smell good, and feel good. They will look like champions in every way. Except for the most important way, they will not be honest enough with themselves to invest in their future to be a champion. They won't do the little things that it takes to move to the next level!

Is this a terminal disease, absolutely not! As I have recently read in the book "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson it isn't the big decisions that keep you on the right path or send you down the wrong path, it is the slight edge decisions, the small decisions that seem that they do nothing to your life that will cause the biggest problems. You either are on the right slight edge path or the wrong slight edge path. If you do the things that need to be done when no one is watching then you are working the right slight edge path and you will win in the end. It may not come tomorrow but it will come sooner than if you are working on the wrong slight edge.

So now it is time to look inside yourself. Will you do what it takes to be a champion? Or will you take second seat and allow the parade to pass you by? Either way it is YOUR decision to make. Only you can make it, no one can make the decision for you and no one can do the work for you. You must be the master of your own destiny! So go out today and take the first step towards the championship! Make your way to the top of the podium and take your medal! Come along with us and let us show you the way, when you hook into our system the right decisions are laid out for you and you simply have to put them into play. http://theminiurl.com/ht50 To be a champion you have to train with champions. Until next time have a great week

Day 86 of our journey with Tony Horton and his Power90 program is almost in the books. We are on the road to see our oldest son and his wife and our new granddaughter Taylin. What a journey this program and this new business venture has been. When I began this journey I didn’t know what we were in for. I knew that Marsha and I had the hope that we would be able to change the way we looked, but we did not expect things to work out for us the way that it has. We not only got the physical changes that we were looking for, but we feel better, we think better, we have a new extended family that is so super supportive, and we are seeing the start of a successful business.

This tells us that there is light at the end of the tunnel for anyone that is out there looking for hope. Believe me when I say that if we can do this, anyone can get it done. I remember the first week of Power90 I thought I was going to roll over and die! Not only were we starting a new workout regimen, but we were going with the entire lifestyle change. That meant that I had to manage my time better, eat better, spend better quality time with my family, and figure out how to fit in a new business, my regular full-time job, being a full-time student at Indiana University East, and being a father, wrestling coach, and husband. Not only was I doing this but Marsha was forced into these roles and so much more.

We understand the, I don’t have time excuse! What we found out that is if you want something that you don’t have, you have to do something that you aren’t doing now to attain that which you are yearning for. That meant that I had to change the way that I ate, I had to start exercising, that I had to step outside my comfort zone to share this opportunity with everyone that I could. I had to get rid of my excuses. The first excuse that I had to lose was time, without losing this excuse nothing else was going to work. So I woke up an hour earlier every day to make time for our “new” exercise program that had been sitting on our shelf for almost a year. Was this easy? No, there were nights that I got off of work at 8 p.m. went home grabbed something to eat and sat and did homework for 4-6 hours. By somewhere between 2 and 3 a.m. exhausted and ready to pass out, I would crawl into bed only to be awake in 5 to 6 hours to do a work out that was kicking my butt when I was getting enough rest.

My second challenge was changing the way I ate. If you knew me before I started this journey, you know that I love to eat. I ate all the time. I ate all the wrong foods! Give me pizza, cheeseburgers, fries, gravy, noodles, bread with everything, biscuits and gravy, I EVEN DEEP FRIED HOTDOGS for God’s sake! I owned a one way ticket to the morgue with a heart attack. I didn’t realize until recently how worried Marsha was about my health. I knew how fat I was but I didn’t realize how really fat I was. I was physically fat, mentally fat and had no way out. Then Team Beachbody Club came to my rescue. When I got back in touch with my coach Jeff Bradford, he let me know that at the Team Beachbody Club a meal planner was included that helped anyone that was a member to clean up their diet. I signed up at the club and took advantage of the meal planner to get Marsha and me on track to cleaning up our eating habits.

The third excuse that we encountered was money! With Marsha working part-time and me with a fluctuating paycheck from a commission sales job, there are times when we definitely have more month than money. The first thing that we were faced with was the cost to get started as a beach body coach. The primary products that Beachbody has are the fitness training videos. We had jumped that hurdle when we purchased Power90 with Tony Horton for $59.95 from one of the television commercials that Beachbody produces. The next hurdle was the $39.95 to open up a business center for me and $39.95 to open a business center for Marsha. On top of that we had to make the decision to pay $90 each per month to purchase the Shakeology product and $15 a month to be a coach. Now we were up to $210 a month for us to use the shakeology product and to be coaches in the business side of Beachbody. That is two thirds of a week’s check for me! But again to have something that we don’t have now we had to change what we were doing. To own a traditional business it was going to take thousands of dollars to get started. After much conversation with Marsha we decided (reluctantly for Marsha) to go for it!

The fourth excuse wasn’t really an excuse as much as it was a fear. Now remembering that I am a salesperson by trade, I’m good when I am in a store and people are coming to me, but to have to find people to bring into a business scared me to death. What I quickly learned with the Beachbody opportunity was that I didn’t have to go and sell to people. I simply had to tell them my story and other people stories of success. The easiest way that I can explain this is have you ever went to the movie and seen a show that you absolutely loved? Did you go out and tell everyone you knew about that movie? Did the movie’s producer, stars, theatre owner, or anyone else for that matter send you a check? I’ll bet the answer is no isn’t it?  Yet you told your story to those that would listen. That is exactly what I do now and people are hungry for some part or all parts of the Beachbody opportunity. Look around you, America has become a nation of obesity. I’ll guarantee you can’t walk down the street and not see someone who you can tell needs what we have. This doesn’t include those that need it because of a medical condition. It definitely doesn’t include those that need it because financially they are drowning!

With those excuses out of the way I now know that I can make this business happen. I have already started to make this business work and so has Marsha as we have both become Emeralds within the Beachbody opportunity. I guarantee if you are willing to do the physical work you can make huge physical gains by being healthier and in better shape than you have been in for years. If you want to join the journey like Marsha and I have please contact us either by the email link, facebook link or twitter link above! We are waiting to help you become a stronger, healthier, more financially fit you! Until next time remember the three things that make this work…

DECIDE–COMMIT–SUCCEED

Day 71 of Power90 is in the books. I feel so much better than I did when we started. I'm doing some regular push-ups and even hitting the decline pushups to start the sculpt 3-4 session. I modify very little at this point in the program. The weight is still coming off and I have already lost 42 pounds. Not only that but I have taken a total of 27.25 inches off of my body since starting this 90 day journey. With that being said I think I am going to enter the Million Dollar Body contest and see what happens. I hope when my link comes up you will take a minute to vote for me. New pictures will come after day 75 this week, but the 60 day if you haven't seen the changes that have taken place since I started the Power90 program look like this!

I have really enjoyed the journey of lifestyle change that this program has brought to me. The information that I have taken in over the last few weeks has really been awesome. I have learned more about diet and nutrition in that time then I knew from all my years prior to this. To learn about how foods and exercise interact, how vitamins, minerals, protein, amino acids, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, antioxidants and phytonutrients work to make your body run like a well oiled machine rather than a broken down clunker. This month I have also started reading a book titled The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. It is amazing to get the aha moment when reading a book, but I had an aha moment when I read the following quote it goes…"Some day, when my ship comes in… Some day, when I have the money…Some day, when I have the time… Some day, when I have the skill, confidence…Have I got some shocking new for you: some day doesn't exist, never has, and never will. There is no some day. There's only today! When tomorrow comes it will be another today; so will the next day." Are you still waiting for your some day? I'm not, this book has lit a fire underneath my rear and we are looking forward to making this business a full time business.

The idea of providing for my family with something that started as a program to "lose weight" is amazing. The idea that to do this I get the opportunity to help other people change their lives and feel the same things that I am feeling right now is not only an awesome feeling but also an awesome responsibility! I feel that this is what I have been put on Earth to do, to help others realize that they don't have to settle for what life has decided to do to them, they can utilize the slight edge to realize that "some day" is actually today. Then take what they have today and do something to better themselves just .003 percent and by doing that they will be almost 110 percent better at the end of a year. I am on my journey now please let me help you to start that journey today by going to http://beachbodycoach.com/LawrenceD and become a coach today!

What a way to start a day! At 4:05 this morning I got a text from my oldest son (Dustin) saying that his wife's (Cherish) water had broken. That means that sometime today I am gonna be a grandpa! This is a totally awesome experience. As I sit here at work making this post I am waiting to hear word of the new arrival. The last thing I heard was that she was dilated 5 cm and had her epidural in place already. God bless her she has had a horrible time during this pregnancy and I pray that everything goes smoothly from here on out.

With the new baby almost here I have pondered back as to why I actually started out on this life style change called Team Beachbody. Originally my thought process revolved around how badly I had let myself get out of shape. My concern was not as much for me but for the family that I would leave behind earlier than I should simply because I wanted to stuff my face with food and be a fat boy! Let's face it those of you who know me, know that I love to eat! I also looked at my family and saw that I was dragging them into the same bottomless pit that I was already in. My kids were eating as much unhealthy food as I was and my wife was too! It was time for a change and since I am the proverbial leader of the family (also everyone who knows me knows I wear the pants, but my wife is the belt THANK YOU HONEY) it was time for me to make that change. Marsha had been begging me to work out with her, to give her the support that she needed to make the change in her life that we all needed to make!

So 59 days ago we decided to not only start working out but also to make a lifestyle change. I mean how much good would it do to work out and then eat a bacon double cheeseburger, large fries and a coke?!?! We introduced not only a workout program, (that had sit on our shelf for several months) Power90, but also started to clean up our diet. This translated into the 2 younger kids having to clean up their diets as well! Marsha and I also started using the shakeology product that we have available to us through our beachbody business. Not only did this give us the much need vitamins, nutrients and probiotics that our bodies were starved of, but it helped our bodies recover from the workouts quicker and gave us more energy than we had encountered in a long time.

This change lead us to move from a "preferred customer" status where we just saved 25% on our products to being coaches in the business. We decided that the changes that we were seeing in our physical appearance and mental status was something that we wanted to share with our friends and family. You have seen me post things on a daily basis about the changes that we are having go on in our lives. We are ready, willing and able to share this with you and your family. We want to help others achieve the results that we are seeing happen with us. Even if it is just by starting to log in to the team beachbody site every day for free. Sign up for your free account at http://beachbodycoach.com/LawrenceD and hit the join frame in the middle of the page. Sign up for the free account and look around. It doesn't cost anything but a few minutes of your time. Come along and enjoy the ride of your life. Until the next time we talk remember…

DECIDE–COMMIT–SUCCEED

 Welcome back my friends. I must first apologize for my absence over the last couple of days. Our wrestling club had a tournament on Sunday. Thomas woke us up early Sunday morning(before 5:30 a.m.) to let us know that he had gotten sick in his room. What a start to an already long day on tap. He ended up wrestling and winning his weight class even though he was sick. Here comes the problem, he made me sick as well. I woke up Monday morning feeling like a train had ran over me! I ended up taking him to the doctor where we had found out that he had lost 3-4 pounds since he had weighed in for the tournament. We both woke up sicker Tuesday than we were on Monday. So back to the doctor we went. Thomas was running a 101.2 fever and had lost a total of 7 pounds since last Thursday. That's not good for a kid that weighs 110 pounds. The doctor wanted to put him in the hospital to rehydrate and watch him. I asked him to let us take him home and work on it! We gave him a glass of shakeology and he pinked up quite a bit!

What I have found out from this is that we have to figure out what is important to us. While I got Thomas into the doctor and taken care of, I couldn't afford for the doctor to look at me without having insurance. I look at this and it makes me wonder how many people out there are in the same type of situation. How many people don't have control over there own lives because they settle for what someone will give them. I know that I have to go out and take what I need in this world. As a father I can't allow the world to dictate whether I can provide for my family and myself. I have to take ownership of that because no one else cares as much about that as I need to.

What can we do you ask? Well we can make changes in our lives that provide for a better life. We can build our own business, we can make our own decisions. So this is the first day of my 90 days to diamond. It is time for me to get off my rear end and make this happen. For those of you that are tired of settling for what your boss will let you have come along with me. For those of you that are okay with having that lot in life I am here for you when you either change your mind and want more, or when your employer decides that you don't need what your getting now. I am willing to work with you when you are ready! Know though that I am going to be running hard now and will be working this hard for not only me but those that are starting with me now!

DECIDE–COMMIT–SUCCEED

Another day another dollar! Marsha and I finished our 47th day of Power90 today. After working out we had a healthy breakfast of eggs, turkey sausage, and wheat toast! I had the day off, but had a lot of things on the agenda. Did some homework, got my hair cut and Thomas had a middle school dual meet tonight!

Thomas wrestled well tonight. He is a sixth grader and was put up against an 8th grader. He was down 2-0 in the third period when he got an escape he was tied at 2-2. With eight seconds left in the match he caught his opponent in a chin drop long enough to score 2 points for the win! I'm not used to the nail biters that he is giving us this year.

Our wrestling club is hosting a tournament this Sunday at Terre Haute North High School. We are setting up Saturday night which is conflicting with our Shimmy and shake party. Marsha is going to go early to help out and I will go after if there is anything going on when we finish up the party! This is our first shimmy and shake, but there will be more coming soon. I'd like to host one a week in the near future!

We are having a great time with this program and we are looking forward to the fun that we have ahead of us. We hope that you choose to come along for the ride, we want our friends and family to be here beside us for this journey! Have a great day and a better tomorrow!