{Spiritual Fitness} Whom Shall I Fear?

I am so incredibly sorry for my lack of posting this past week. After helping my boyfriend, Josh get settled into his house in Cincinnati, my life here in Pittsburgh has become a whirlwind. I have decided that rather than spending this time apart sad and depressed that I only get to see him twice per month, I will use it to get my career together and to reach personal goals that I haven't had time to pour myself into until now. This blog is one of those things!

I have always been the type to go hard to get what I want; I feel that it is really important to have goals in life in order to stay on track and focused. With fitness, weight loss, school, and personal things, having an end goal helps to create a path for the journey and make it a little clearer. I have found that prayer is my best guide when considering things I would like to add to my plate. It seems like every time I am at a cross roads with decision/goal making, God is always faithful to reveal His desire for me when I ask Him to. This song has been a theme song for me since the day that I heard it...

Josh and I have been praying a lot lately about his decision to move to Cincinnati, wondering how to interpret the fact that he had been having a rough time adjusting to the new market. The question came up, "How do I know if this is Satan tempting me and keeping me from my goal, or if it's God telling me that I made the wrong decision?"  This one is HARD because there isn't a clear-cut answer.

Last night as I was working out, this song came up on my Slacker Radio station, and I felt like it was an answer to the prayer we have been lifting up for the past week. Immediately I sent it to Josh. This morning he was reminded to pray before he goes out into the field and by 3:00 PM he had three sales. When we include the Lord in our decisions, and follow up with Him along the way, He will ALWAYS make his will known. In this case, it was via encouragement from a Chris Tomlin song, but He can choose to show his will in other ways too. I am a firm believer that every situation can be redeemed, we just have to seek the redemption out.

There is such a relief in knowing that God has all of our days mapped out and He knows what we are going to do before we even do it. That's why He wants us to seek him when we make our goals and decisions. It's like having the guide to life!  Why wouldn't you want to use it?

{Workout} It's "Leg Day" at Home!

All you need for this amazingly intense workout at home is a set of either 5 or 8 pound weights, a great playlist, and a 4x6 foot section of carpet (even a DORM room will be sufficent!). I like to use light weights and do more repotitions so I build strong, lean, feminine muscle... Not bulk. If you're looking to slim down, this is for you; if you're looking to bulk up, it probably isn't. 

I always start with legs and glutes in the standing position...

50 weighted squats (I know you hate them, but it really is the best all around butt and legs exercise... The results are worth it!)

40 weighted dead lifts (this is great for the part of your legs that meets your rear)

25 standing right leg side lifts 

25 standing left leg side lifts 

40 right leg kick backs (kick the leg back as far as you can behind you, squeezing your glutes)

40 left leg kick backs

Then move to the floor...

50 leg openers (lay on your back legs straight in the air, slowly open them as far as you can and slowly bring them back together. That's one rep)

50 booty lifts (laying on your back with your knees bent and hands down by your side, lift your booty off the floor, hold for a second, then lower to an inch above the floor and repeat)

40 right fire hydrants (on all fours, channel your inner puppy as you lift your leg up like you were marking your territory on a fire hydrant. Keep your leg bent though!)

40 left fire hydrants 

30 right hamstring curls (again on all four, lift one leg up directly behind you keeping the knee bent; flex your foot as you straighten your leg from being bent to straight behind you, then bend it again and repeat.)

 

30 left hamstring curls

30 right leg isolated bent leg pulses (go back to the hamstring curl position and pulse your bent leg up in the air, squeezing the glutes.)

30 left leg isolated bent leg pulses

When you're finished don't forget to stretch the major muscle groups in your legs and booty :) let me know what workout you all would like to see next!

{Recipe} Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake

This shake has been so helpful in keeping me full and helping keep my migraines at bay. It's by no means a low calorie shake, but when you are living an active and healthy lifestyle it's is important to get enough protein, carbs, and calories to give you energy at the start of the day. 

Ingredients: 

1 whole banana

1 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt 

4 Tbs. Trader Joes chocolate hemp seed powder 

1 Tbs peanut butter

1 cup of ice

1/2 cup of water 

What to do: 

Mix it all together in the blender/food processor and enjoy!