A Resolution is not a Goal It's a Lifestyle
January 2009

With the New Year upon us, of course we're always within an ears’ length of the typical New Years resolutions. For example losing weight, getting into smaller sizes, pointing out the womanly areas we all want to target and decrease, not to mention the bikini we all admired in the Victoria Secret catalogue, and for some of us trying our best not to conform to the typical mid-30's, soccer mom with 2 kids standard. We want to look good and feel good at whatever age. Right? And not loose site of these goals by the end of February, if we're lucky! So, should these resolution be considered goals or rather part of a desired lifestyle? To avoid that failure of Resolution, we have to make it a lifestyle.

For example, losing weight, which we not only put on extra, via the holiday season, but collected over the 10 months prior. Looking at all of the goals we want to accomplish suddenly can be overwhelming and innocently setting us up for defeat, before we've even begun our attempt. Our intentions are good and for the most part even genuinely motivating us towards accomplishing these resolutions so commonly heard discussed around dinner tables for instance.

With these resolutions come the day after. A time to put the-rubber-to-the-road and Act, taking it to the next level and taking the necessary steps even if they are baby steps. The size of the steps does not matter. More importantly it's the determination we have to not allow it to merely be a goal, but to find instead that we've transformed our lives into a physically healthy way of living.

For example, With my own experience, setting that first day of my transitions towards a different lifestyle is to get started early at 5a.m. for instance and actually enjoy the journey of sacrifice, and determination that readies me to take it to the next level. Those sorts of things I identify as one of the "baby steps" towards developing better habits within my lifestyle. Staying on course day after day is crucial. Applying this mentality to nutrition is similar. The feeling of sacrifice, requiring determination to wean off such enemies as refined sugars, soda's and sweets can seem like a baby step, though otherwise are detrimental catalysts to the development of healthy habits.

We must develop such habits as described, which in turn result in our transformation into a healthier lifestyle. So, in hindsight, we may not understand why so many of those New Years’ resolutions fall by the way side, collecting dust in the back of our minds and year after year realizing we're no further along in meeting them than the year prior. However, if we can fill our lifestyle with these good habits, eventually we'll find ourselves not only becoming a smaller size, or whatever was our old resolution, but with our healthier lifestyle, defeat the challenge of those old resolutions.

My First National Experience: NPC Nationals, 2008 Atlanta

December 2008

With so many beautifully formed, symmetrically accurate physiques, one would find it virtually impossible to pick “A Best” or “The One,” which would proclaim to all the aspiring figure athletes that that is the physique that the judges are looking for. That one was decided amongst all of the hundreds of choices, “The One” narrowed down and proclaimed the overall winner. And this winner will be admired and emulated by thousands of women who at the 2008 NPC Nationals in Atlanta tried to become that like her the judge’s choice of “The One.” Amongst such competitors was me, Jeanne Colesanti whose preconceived ideas were altered by what I’ll call optimistic enlightenment by the entire experience. With my view onstage and down into the judges’ area I saw questioning faces in a quandary over us distinguished by the numbers pinned upon us. They pointed with their pencils as the mulled over the physiques standing before them. The time it took and the patience these “Gods of Figure” exhibited impressed me.

Through the process that seemed somewhat like shuffling numbers around they were able to make their comparisons of our physiques. The rudiments of those comparisons amongst so many fit physiques were something we competitors could not see or decipher from our vantage points on stage. In those comparative views lay the deciding factor providing the difference between our placings. Distinguishing factors setting us apart could be ever so slight including presentation, congeniality, and even the photogenic “it” factors that afforded one figure competitor that special edge with the power to draw the attention from the judges like a magnet.

All in all it was all worthwhile making the sacrifices to compete at Nationals this year in part due to the thoughtful and considerate efforts of the judging staff that placed each of us in the fairest place possible amongst so many deserving physiques. I felt fortunate to have had the honor to compete amongst the best at the NPC Nationals in Atlanta finishing 8th in my figure class.

"Mom You're Going To Win the Piston-Cup Championships"

November 2008

That was the interesting choice of motivational pep talk phrases that only my eight-year-old son, Isaiah could fathom and deliver full of the utmost sincerity. This was prior to my one of my earlier competition dates that my eight and six year old children knew full well that for months their mother was getting back into figure competitions. For the weeks leading up to it I was constantly asked and prodded as to the date, time location, suit choices, color, even including my choice of hair color and skin tone… this from my children!

The continual excitement and affirmation of all of these details of my preparation brought back to me the memories of birthing my children. All of you parents can understand as you are very familiar with and recall all the preparations and physically taxing demands on “Mommies-to-Be prior to our children entering in this world. Preparing for figure competitions are in most cases similar. In both cases we prepare for several months in advance and going through literally, a physical metamorphosis as the time and date approaches.

Around my house, its not just me who prepares mentally and physically to compete. My children and husband transform into my team where we work together in order to help mommy get on stage and clinch the “Piston Cup Trophy” or in reality, first place trophy.

Back in 2007, the movie, Cars came out which was a hit at The Colesanti’s House on Family Movie Night. Little did I know it would be etched within my son’s head, as are most movie scripts. Therefore, anytime my son sees a trophy, in his special mind it’s, "The Piston Cup" and symbolizes why mommy must earn first place no matter what, in every competition. Innocently, my 7-year-old would accept no other reasoning about the placing and trophy system. What both of my children knew was that Mom was going to compete and come back with The Piston Cup….just like in the movie. Comically enough, “Mom” did bring back a trophy, although in that earlier competition as the small print underneath the statue read, “Figure Tall Class Third Place.” Of course, as any mother would try to avoid a long justification of the why’s and reasoning's, I told my adult family members not to mention the specifics of my placing and that the children wouldn’t otherwise pay any attention. I thought it could be smoothed over well because they would see a trophy and be satisfied. Well, was Mom ever in for a rude awakening…, without haven't even left the parking lot! Amongst the celebrating and congratulations in the aftermath of the competition, a small hand tugged on my shirt. And with an accompanying voice speaks up with facial expressions filled with total bewilderment. “Uh, Mom, you didn’t win the Piston Cup. It says right here that you came in third place!?” Confirming the verse in the Bible which begins, “….out of the mouth of babes…” so very true!

To my wonderful children: Mom will try harder to win that Piston Cup, my darlings. However, I think already had! What do you think?