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Editor's Note: We're thrilled to announce that singer, songwriter and SparkPeople member Tiffany Moníque is the dailySpark's newest team member. She'll be blogging a couple of times a month about her journey to lose 100 pounds and keep it off using SparkPeople--while maintaining a busy life as a musician, mother, and all-round go-getter! Tiffany credits The Spark for changing her life. Not only has she lost more than 80 pounds so far, but she kick-started her solo music career as well. We're excited to give you a behind-the-scenes peek at her life on the road as she continues to spread the Spark. Tiffany is a prime example of what you can accomplish using SparkPeople; not only did she take control of her health and fitness, but she's using that momentum to reach goals in other areas of her life. We can't wait to see how far she can go, spreading the Spark along the way, and we hope she motivates you as much as she motivates us! Welcome, Tiffany! By Tiffany Moníque (AKApella13) I'm back--and I'm excited to be a regular guest blogger on the dailySpark! Hey y'all (in my native Nashville, Tennessee, drawl). So, let me tell you what I’ve been up to lately. I hope all is well with you! For those of you who may not remember me, I am Tiffany Moníque (AKApella13) – singer, songwriter and background vocalist for Beyoncé. I was honored to be featured on the dailySpark and CBS News a few months ago for my success in losing almost 80 pounds. Prior to and since that time, I've been quite the busy lady in effort of keeping up with the incredible opportunities that have come my way. But before I go any further, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for your love, support and words on encouragement along my weight loss journey. It has been quite exciting for me as I transition into this new reality of better health, life, fitness and success. I've tried my best to befriend everyone who lent my support my way and will continue to do so in the future. Even if it takes me a while to respond, please know that I read and appreciate all of your comments and words of encouragement. For starters, I've been working on realizing more of my career goals by creating new music, working on my upcoming album and launching a Kickstarter campaign. I am an independent artist, which means that I do not have the massive machine of a major record label behind me to accelerate my efforts. As is the case for all aspects of entrepreneurship, independence has its benefits – excitement, no glass ceilings, abilities to take risks and flexibility – but it also has its setbacks. My business partner and I carry the weight equivalent of several people/departments and must ensure that we operate in a manner consistent with the majors for comparable success. On April 25, 2011, I launched my first Kickstarter Campaign, The Tiffany Moníque Project, in hope of doing just that. (Kickstarter is a platform for funding creative projects. It was established on the premise that a good and well communicated idea can spread fast and wide and that a large group of people can be a fundamental source of funding and encouragement.) Kickstarter is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded or no money changes hands. I definitely have my hands full! In addition to my music aspirations, I’ve been continuing along the path of health and fitness – fighting through a month long plateau and pressing towards my goal of reaching the -100 pounds mark. I’m currently 21 pounds away from that goal but recently had to make some adjustments to my routine as I am back on the road with Beyoncé in preparation for her upcoming album. It is very exciting! But as you can also imagine, the temptation to fall off track is all around me. I’m in rehearsals for hours a day – much longer than the average corporate job – and my breaks are minimal. In light of these long hours, I must hunt for discipline on a daily basis to get in a decent workout, adhere to my nutritional goals and get adequate rest. To remain equipped for the task, I've packed along my weight and nutrition scales, measuring spoon and cups, The Spark and the SparkPeople mobile applications. I am also fortunate to have access to a kitchen – at least temporarily – where I have the opportunity to prepare and package each of my meals and snacks for the day. I've also included a few new workouts in my routine (Zumba and Insanity), which I complete at 7 each morning with hopes of accelerating my weight loss and fitness levels. And of course, I strive to get additional workouts in whenever I can – standing, moving and dancing during rehearsals, taking the stairs in lieu of the elevators and walking back to my hotel from the rehearsal studio (a one-mile journey). More than anything, my overall objective is to remain consistent despite my very hectic schedule. Temptations will always abound throughout my life, but my #1 priority and focus is ensuring that I seize every opportunity to become the best person, mother, friend, business partner and entertainer I can be. All else – though important – is secondary. I am fueled by the progress I’ve attained thus far and motivated more now than ever to achieve each and every one of my dreams and goal. I am thankful for the support of my friends & family, business partner, Kwiz, as well as Chris ("SparkGuy"), Bruce, Tami, Stepfanie and this SparkPeople community in ensuring that I keep my priorities aligned with my goals. My dreams are in reach, and I look forward to sharing this journey with all of you! Learn more about Tiffany and her success using SparkPeople. You can also visit her website, www.tiffanymonique.com, where you can learn more about her background as well as hear snippets from her debut EP, Nemesis. Also, you may view her debut video for Nemesis--a "transitional" song that chronicles her experiences and obstacles in the music industry here: (The more views her video receives from SP members, the more she'll stick out on YouTube.) Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program. What topics would you like Tiffany to write about? Do you have any questions for her? *Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program. |
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