Forget the Haters

There are very few things I like about Facebook anymore, but my daily "Huffington Post" articles is definitely one of them. It seems like every one has a unique and challenging thought or perspective on life. While some I don't personally agree with, there are definitely some I do... Like this one on running. http://thoughtcatalog.com/daniel-stevens/2014/08/why-i-hate-running/?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange (Minus the explicative in the last paragraph). 

What really struck me about this article is when the man writing steps on a luggage scale at the airport. He realizes that if he had to pay for all the excess weight he carried in order to get his "luggage" on the plane, he couldn't afford it even if he sold everything he owned. I had never thought about excess weight in that way before but it's definitely an interesting way for the man to realize he wanted to make a change. 

At some point or another everyone on their fit journey comes to a place similar to this man's. While you may not have had such a dramatic realization, we each have a special point where we go back to mentally so we can remember why we even started diets and inflicting pain in the form of excercise on ourselves in the first place. It's important to remember it, so write it down (if you keep a fit or food journal, write it in the front so you can see the inspiration every day!) 

He goes on further to note that while on his first run, he received an onslaught of unwanted comments and sympathy from others in public. If you've ever excercised (namely, ran or have done other strenuous exercise) in public before you were in prime condition, you might be able to relate to how self conscious it can make you feel. It's hard enough to put those running shoes on and get out the door, then add on people making comments (to encourage or otherwise) meaning that you, in fact, are not actually invisible and that people really are watching you while you exercise. It makes it even harder! 

I ran the Pittsburgh Half Marathon this past May - my first ever race and first ever time running over 4 miles straight. I was anxious to go pick up my race packet at the Running Expo the day before the race, but put on my best athletic gear and headed in. As I walked past many of the booths a few guys stopped and made mention at how I had a "unique build for a runner" meaning I am not skinny and lean like your regular vision of a runner. One seemed like a genuine compliment but others were definitely filled with competitive sarcasm that I found to be really intimidating.

Of course I know that I don't look like a runner, I am 5'7" and have an athletic frame that was designed to hold muscle weight well above what my BMI tells me I should carry. Most days I am perfectly content with myself and my fitness level because I know I'm giving it my all during every daily workout, so I should have known better than to let stupid comments discourage me, but I did. My goal was to just finish the race and not be last - and I did! 

Something that fit people may not realize is that many people who work out and are in good shape can tend to come off as super arrogant about how far along they are and how they've risen up to what they consider to be "elite status." They can beat everyone at weight on their bars and numbers of reps and distance/elevation gains of runs. Yes, sometimes these people intimidate me, but ony because I allow them to. I let their need to feel important because they can beat me at certian areas of fitness to affect my view of myself and my fitness journey. Why?! I still don't know, but what I do know is that we shouldn't allow it to happen because each of our bodies are different and were made to be pushed in different ways. A basketball player probably isn't going to look like a prima ballerina, but if she wants to do ballet as an extracurricular, that should be okay! I am definitely preaching to the choir here and it's something I'm working on myself.

 If you are in the group of "elite fitness" athletes, I'm asking you on behalf of the "working my butt off but still not there yet" athletes to please not put down on us for not looking like you, not being able to go the same distance as you, or put up the same weight on the squat rack. I'm asking you to encourage us along our journies with a genuine heart because while fitness and athletics can be really competitive during a race or competition, everyone still has to train. (Cue "we all put our pants on the same way" cliche.) The beauty of fitness is that while it can unify people who love to exercise, it really comes down to individual performance. It's about how hard can I push MY body, and how can I beat MY best times and weights in order to become the best that I can be. 

Fitness junkies and dabblers unite! You can do whatever you put your mind to, ignore the haters and embrace positivity! Surround yourselves with a solid support system and you can get to where you want to be. Don't make excuses, don't let others get to you. I believe in you. 

My wonderful fiancé and I after I finished the race. It was a really emotional day because one of my personal fitness goals from the beginning of my journey was to run a half marathon. Josh has been so supportive of my goals and efforts to achieve them.

My family came out to support as well! They have been my motivators, encouragers, and my solid rock throughout my journey. It is so important to surround yourself with people who truly believe in you. It makes all the difference. :) 

{Guest Post} Tips For Races in Colder Weather

Running in colder weather can affect your performance. Just like anything else when it comes to sports, you have to prepare your body for the change in order to overcome the issue and achieve your goals. In this case, we will discuss some strategies in persevering through the cold so you can finish your upcoming race in the desired timeframe that you want to. Just because it’s cold, doesn’t mean running season is over! So, here we go, let’s talk about some tips for cold-weather running:

1.       Acclimatization. This is a super fancy word that basically means if you train in the cold, you’ll be able to perform in the cold. By introducing your body to these temperatures a little at a time, you will be able to adapt and thus excel. The same concept applies to preparing for extreme heat. This repetitive exposure helps to improve blood flow and regulate it as needed. So, in order to achieve this, it’s simple: run outside whenever you can and as much as you can prior to your winter race.

2.       Wear Easy Layers. And by easy, I mean easy to carry because you are more than likely going to be peeling off those layers as you run your race. We all know how it works: you start out freezing, then as your blood starts pumping from your increased heart rate, you begin to get warmer (even if it is snowing out). To sum it all up, wear layers that you can wrap around your waist or tuck in a strap real quick. With this strategy, you can adjust along the way, so you don’t end up being too warm.

3.       Start with Your Hands and Head. We lose a lot of heat through these outlets. At the beginning of the race, make sure you have gloves and a hat to keep that heat in and keep the energy to help you get going. Of course, you can always take them off as you warm up once you are further into the race. Keeping your hands and head warm at the start can make all the difference in your performance.

4.       Warm-Up … Outside. Warming up before any form of physical activity is essential, we all know that. However, when you’re about to take it outside to run, especially before a race, try and do your warm-ups and stretching outside in the cold. This not only attributes to the acclimatization aspect, but also prevents any sweating to occur pre-workout that might make you even colder when you step outdoors to take off.  

5.       Listen to Your Body. That’s the bottom line. Some temperatures are not meant to battle with. If it’s too cold, then OK – take it inside. We only progress when we do the right thing, and sometimes that means knowing when to stop pushing through. So, maybe on that one day where it’s freezing, rainy and windy, you practice at the gym. Above all, your body knows what’s best for you, so take a listen!

This article was provided by Happy Can, an Atlanta portable restroom company. We are a proud provider of porta potties and portable sinks for some of the top Atlanta-area races.

{Motivation Monday} Save Your Halloween Candy!

If you are anything like me, you probably dread the weeks following Halloween because you have a bucket-full of candy that just seems to be calling your name all day long. It's just a little 'fun-sized' piece, it won't hurt anything, right?  Well one 'fun-sized' piece turns into four in order to create a full-sized candy bar and at some point it turns into snacking on one piece every hour throughout the day. It's the beginning of the "winter downhill slide" that starts with said Halloween candy only to be followed up a month later with Thanksgiving leftovers, then another whammy at Christmas and New Years. What's a fittie to do?

This year, I took all of my Halloween Candy and stashed it in the smallest Victoria's Secret Bag that I had laying around (I did this and then hid it in my closet so my siblings wouldn't find it... and if they did go snooping for candy, they would never in a million years touch a VS bag) and covered it with pink tissue paper. I stashed it like this so it wouldn't be laying out on my dresser for my siblings (and myself) to be tempted to sneak a piece every day. Instead of throwing it all away, I kept it as a reward for myself on treat day. Anyone who has started a weight-loss/fitness journey will tell you that treat day is imperative to staying on track with your lifestyle change. Any time I think about that candy being stashed, I use it as motivation to go fit my workout in so I can earn my candy on treat day.

How do you all reward yourselves on treat day?  What tips and tricks do you use to prevent the downhill slide in winter? 

{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!

{Treat Day Recipe} Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes

Ok, that's a mouth full. And yes, I realize this recipe isn't necessarily healthy, but it's designed for "treat day" and is gluten and dairy free... so it has some redemption. I made it this afternoon with the kids I nanny, and it turned out fabulously. And actually now that I'm thinking about it, Nutella may not be dairy free, but it can be easily left out.

Ingredients to Make Cupcakes:

- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour

- 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour

- 1/2 cup Potato Starch

- 2/3 cup Cocoa Powder

- 1 tsp. Xanthan Gum

- 2 tsp. Baking Powder

- 1 tsp. Baking Soda

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 cup Almond Milk
- 1/2 cup Brewed Coffee
- 2/3 cup Canola Oil

Ingredients to Make Chocolate Nutella Frosting:

- 4 cups Powdered Sugar

- 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder

- 1/3 cup Brewed Coffee

- 1/3 cup of Nutella

- 1 stick of Fleichman's Butter, softened 

- 1/3 cup Almond Milk

- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla 

What to Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with 24 cupcake liners.

2. Mix together all dry ingredients (including sugar) for cupcakes in a medium-sized bowl. After it has all been mixed, break up any clumps that may have formed, then add all of the wet ingredients. Be careful to not over-mix, because xanthan gum has the tendency to become gummy when it's over-worked. The batter should be somewhat thick, but light and airy.

3. Using two spoons, scoop two tablespoon-sized scoops of batter into each cupcake liner, filling about 1/3 from the top. 

4. Bake at 350 for 12-16 minutes or until your cupcakes spring back up when touched in the center and a knife comes out clean. Let cool. 

5. Mix together powdered sugar and cocoa powder, adding the butter, Nutella and vanilla. Stir until well incorporated, then add the coffee and almond milk. Whisk until frosting is a smooth consistency, spread over cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

My nanny kids wanted to make something with the Halloween Theme, so we used a kit for the liners and decorations that I picked up from Michael's Craft Store for $6.99.

{Fitspo} This Totally Happened!

Last night, my most favorite celebrity trainer, Dolvett Quince and I were able to talk a bit on Twitter! Not going to lie... I was geeking out over here. 

After having seen him on The Biggest Loser and the way he genuinely seems to care for the people he works with, he became my fitness role model. This was really exciting and encouraging for me, because exactly what he said is what I have been striving for! 

{YouTube Workout} Zumba to P!nk!

Good morning, all!  Here is a short cardio workout to add to your toning routine for today! It starts off with one of my most favorite warm up songs, and they rest are by P!nk. If you have any suggestions for songs you'd like to see in the next Zumba playlist, let me know!

The best thing about Zumba is that you don't have to be good at dancing for it to work!  Just shaking your body and putting effort in will show results. So, if it's your first time doing Zumba, remember to not get frustrated and just laugh it off when you mess up!  I've been to tons of classes where even the INSTRUCTOR messes up!  You can do it :)





My suggestion is to start with yesterday's toning post, then move to doing this playlist for cardio. If you feel like it's too much, just skip to the songs you like!

Happy Friday!!

{YouTube Workout} Total Body Workout Number One

If you are anything like me, your busy schedule doesn't leave a huge amount of time to fit in your ideal workout every day. That's why it's important to target exactly what you need to get done in a short amount of time. Over time, I will be creating and posting my own videos on YouTube of the workouts I did to help me lose 80 pounds, but it may be a while before I get the chance to get them done. Often, I find myself searching YouTube to get some fresh inspiration to keep my workout fun, and not surprisingly, there is a treasure trove of awesome stuff for fitties like us! Until I get my own videos up, I'm going to be posting links to the videos I love. Each post with the title {YouTube Workout} will be designed to do once through (or more times if you want!) and will target most of the "trouble" areas we tend to focus on.

So, if you're feeling energetic today try to complete all of the "mini-workouts" I have in the first play list. However, if you want to start easy, just pick four and make every move count!  Just a heads up, you'll need a set of free weights (or as they mention, cans of soup work too if you don't have access to a set of hand weights) and some water.

Start by stretching a little then get right into working on your abs....

Then work on your inner thighs!  I will warn you, this is tough!!

We'd be lying if we said we didn't like the results of this one. It's hard but SO worth it.

Legs, Legs, Legs

Then even it up with arms!

And just so you all know, I did this exact play list once a day for two weeks and saw results by day three. So, keep up the hard work and let me know how you like it!!! Add in a little bit of cardio to fill up and hour, and you've got a great workout to do at least three times per week.  Happy exercising!

{Fitspo} Finding an Eternal Motivation

Over the course of posting on this blog, I will be featuring a "Fitspo" section. It will be a series of posts that are intended to help you stay motivated to be healthy. Sometimes they will be quotes, pictures, articles, and Bible verses, but I wanted to start the section off with what I feel is the most important reason to have consistency in our workout lives. 

We all tend to lose inspiration to maintain a "fittie" lifestyle every now and then. When you get to those times, what do you look to for inspiration?  A lot of people follow Twitter and Instagram feeds of fellow "fitfamily" members who post pictures of themselves killing it at the gym and seeing results. Others watch shows like "The Biggest Loser" so they can be reminded of what they don't want to become. These things are great to get an immediate spike in enthusiasm, but it will taper off quickly. What if we could find a way to get AND STAY motivated? We can!

"Don't you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that will shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that will never die. So this is how I run - not with a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadow boxing. Rather, I am landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this so that I myself won't be disqualified after preaching to others."

                                                                                                      - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

When we look at exercise in the light of our call as Christians on this earth, it makes sense that it should be a practice that EVERYONE is employing. Earlier in the chapter, Paul discusses not letting anything to get in the way of the gospel of Christ.

There are plenty of ways that not exercising will get in the way of the gospel going forth. People who exercise consistently and take care of their bodies show that they are the type of "self-disciplined" that Paul is talking about. When we give our lives over to Christ and he dwells in us, our bodies have become a temple to host His Spirit (1 Corinthians, Chapter 6). We need to LIVE OUT what we know in our minds about our relationship with Christ. When we choose to take the route to beat our bodies into submission and resist the temptation of sweets, watching TV instead of getting your workout time in, and taking the lazy way out, that is how we can glorify God.

Setting a "goal weight" (I too am guilty of this) does the spiritual aspect of exercise such a grave injustice. We are not to exercise with a goal weight in mind, we are to do it in order to be the best we can be as a temple of Christ. Yes, it is good to be FIT so we can remain in good health to serve the Lord, but fit does not necessarily mean skinny. It means being in good shape and in good health and that is going to look vastly different for everyone. It also means staying spiritually fit by staying in the Word, and having a surrounding of other Christians that are going to be your "iron sharpening iron".

So here is where we find our eternal inspiration, friends. Stay fit and be consistent in order to keep your body in shape as a show of the Lord manifesting self-discipline in you; not to be the "best looking" or so that you can get the best time at a triathlon. 

How to Start Your Fitness Journey in 7 Steps

If you are feeling inspired to start your journey to good health but are unsure of where to start, look no further!  I will be posting tips, thoughts, inspiration, and work-outs (physical and spiritual!) to help get you started. Keep checking back for updates or just click the follow button to make it easier on yourself!  

Set a Goal 

Whether you want to tone up for your class reunion or lose 100 pounds, its important to set realistic goals. First start by coming up with your overall goal, then break it down into smaller goals. So let's say you want to lose 25 pounds and you'd like to tackle those pesky flapping under arms, first start by setting a date you want to accomplish your goal. For 25 pounds, 2 months is realistic. Pick a special date (a cousin's wedding, vacation, ect.) and get started. Having a date in mind will help you to envision how great you will feel at the event and will help you stay motivated to eat right and work out when you have allotted time to do so.

Side note - if you aren't sure what your goal should be, just talk to your doctor. It's a good idea to do that before getting started anyway in order to avoid injuries.

Make a Plan

A goal is great, but you have to have a plan of attack in order to make it to your goal!  Looking ahead at your overall goal can be really disheartening, so break it down into smaller goals and have a mini-celebration every time you hit a milestone along your path toward your big goal. When I was starting out, I eliminated all dairy products from my diet... this was hard because I LOVE ice cream and cheese. I hated exercise but knew it was necessary in order to get to my goal, so every Sunday - as long as I had exercised for at least 45 minutes three times that week, I would reward myself with a little bit of ice cream to help me stay motivated. 

Mix Up Your Workouts and Your Music

In order to stay motivated to work out, mix up what you do and what you're listening to while doing it. I started by walking and biking then graduated into going to Zumba with girlfriends and doing cardio/toning DVDs. Have a playlist ready on your iPod for your different routines so you can look forward to and get motivated for each different workout when it's turn comes up. It helps it not get monotonous.  

Get a Friend to Do it With You

Losing weight and getting in shape CAN be done on your own, but it is so much more enjoyable and fun when you have a friend to join you in success!  This helps especially when you don't like exercise to begin with. Going for a walk/jog with a friend is more like hanging out and provides a distraction for the fact that you are pouring sweat and burning fat. 

Sooner or later, you'll be able to go it alone, but in the beginning, it's helpful to have that other person to lean on, complain about how badly your back hurts with, and also to share recipes for yummy, healthy snacks that you love. 

Pour Your Heart into It

With weight loss and getting into shape, you have to give it 100% effort. Pour your heart and soul into your work out. You are only cheating YOURSELF and YOUR results by giving half effort. You want to get to your goal and you want to be PROUD of the hard work you put in to get there. Over time, I have grown to love my workout time because its the time of day that I get to release all anger and anxiety from the day and take it out on my body in a healthy way. Some people go to the bar, I work out - it's healthier AND it's cheaper :)

Take Pictures!

When I first got started with my journey, I needed to lose 80 pounds. I took my first journey picture and was absolutely disgusted with myself and how out of control I let myself get. This picture not only served as a wake up call, but it has helped me to be able to see where I came from and keeps me motivated to NEVER GO BACK!  You may hate it, no one has to see it, it can even be a cell phone picture, but just take it!  And take one every time you feel like you are having a good day with your journey so you can scroll back through your phone to get inspired by yourself. This is a journey to fitness and to seeing yourself how God sees you; God thinks you are BEAUTIFUL!  The pictures are just there as a visual representation of the work you're putting in to make your outsides match your insides. 

Pray

As God daily for strength to over come Satan along your journey. That piece of chocolate cake sitting on your counter is temptation to stray you off your path to becoming the best YOU can be for God. Pray for diligence, physical ability, and for God to bless your efforts to get healthy so you can serve His kingdom better. When you keep God at the center of your goals, He will bless it, friends!  I am a living testimony to that!  You can do it with help from God and the people who love you. 

I'm praying for you!

Becoming Fit: Inspiration for Finding the Best You!

The worst picture I could find of myself
at 230 pounds. 

Many of my readers are friends who follow me on Facebook and know my weight loss testimony. However, I am aware that many of my readers may not know me in person, so I want to take this opportunity to share my journey and my hope for the inspirational future of this blog. 

A common misconception with weight loss is that the journey starts the day you decide to make a change. It's a misconception because it doesn't take into account the reasons that led you to be the weight that you are so unhappy with. If you don't address what is causing the problem, diet and exercise will only be a band aid for the issue. It will only fix it symptomatically and everyone knows that leads to even bigger problems. With that in mind, I will begin to tell you about my story. 

At age seven, I was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome. When people hear that someone has TS, they immediately think "Oh, that's that swearing thing."  Well, that is true, but there are a few different types of TS, and that kind only affects about 2% of the TS population. My manifestations were always with muscle movements that we like to call "tics" and vocal tics that are more like repetitive noise making (NOT swearing). With the help of my family and peers, it didn't take long to realize that I was different and that it was pretty annoying. The ridicule led me to question what I knew about God and why He would allow me to have something like this.

Junior Year.

By age ten, my body was in pain. My neck and shoulders ached from the constant uncontrollable muscle movements that just seemed to slip out. The more I became aware of it, the worse it would get. The more people would comment on it, the more sad I would become because I couldn't help it. Somewhere during this time, I realized how easy it was to make myself feel better with food, so I would eat. Chips, ice cream, Cheese Its, chocolate, anything I could get my hands on because in my mind, I was always hungry. I was ten and couldn't make the distinction that I was hungry to fit in, not psychically hungry. 

Because I was a kid, the amount I ate every day didn't really start to affect me until my teen years because I was really active. I played sports and was involved in a lot. Over the summer between my 6th and 7th grade year, my body changed into a woman's shape which was earlier than most of my peers. While most of the girls in my grade were just barely out of training bras I was shopping for a C-Cup in the women's department. This led to more tormenting because people make fun of what they don't understand and what they are jealous of. I hated the fact that I was a size 8 in 7th grade while all my friends were still between a 2-4. We all hated the fact that I had a chest but for different reasons; me because I was ostracized and them because they wanted the attention I got. I HATED IT!  I wanted a boyish body so I could be like everyone else. 

My mom always told me that some day I would appreciate the body that God gave me. That it was designed especially for the husband He had picked out for me and that he would be a "Honey". I wish I would have

Most people say I wore 230 pounds well and
that they couldn't tell, but I definitely could!

believed her back in seventh grade before I began years of tearing my self down part by part and cell by cell. 

High school was especially hard. I made the decision to be home schooled/ cyber schooled so I didn't have to deal with being made fun of on a daily basis. I always tell people that it was because I liked to work during the day babysitting, but if I were to be honest that was a beneficial result of my being so self-conscious that I would cry at the thought of even setting foot inside Peters Township High School. 

I played softball and volleyball and that was pretty much what kept me active, but it slowed down as I got older and lazier and my interests changed from running around in the yard to reading and crafting. My senior year, I was able to eat a foot-long from Subway all in one sitting and could eat a brick of cheese in a day. I landed my dream job working in a photography studio in Canonsburg about half way through my senior year and loved it until my boss started projecting her own weight insecurities on me by commenting on what I would eat and how my outfit choices made me look heavy - an aesthetic she didn't want for her studio. Finally one day, I had enough and decided to quit. Right about that same time a person that was very dear to me say some really hurtful things about my weight that ignited a spark in me to make a change. It was the "I'll show you!" Spark. Regardless, it made me wake up and realize that being 230 pounds at 18 was ridiculous. 

The first thing I did to lose weight was eliminating ALL dairy products. Cheese, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, milk. GONE. Over a month and a half I dropped 30 pounds with out exercise. I plateaued and realized I needed to lose more in order to get under the 200 pound mark. If you have ever weighed over 200 pounds, you know the excitement that comes when you hit 199 on the scale. I rejoiced privately though, because I was so embarrassed about having been over 200 pounds in the first place.

After so much hard work, I finally got to where I wanted to be
but it was hard to keep up with such ridiculous habits.

The next 40 pounds came off with exercise - obsessive exercise 2 times per day 6 days per week. I biked a lot and bough SELF Magazine after SELF Magazine, did countless OnDemand exercise videos, walked with friends, swam, hiked, anything that burned calories. During this time is when I discovered my love for Zumba and would go 3 nights per week to various classes.

After I got the hang of what I was doing, I would create my own exercise routines and Zumba choreography which helped me to lose the last few healthy pounds I wanted to get off. Two summers ago I was in the best shape of my life. 

My goal weight was 145 pounds. It was the lowest weight in the BMI index for my height and I was on a mission to get there no matter the cost to my body. I really regret being so reckless with it now, because it has caused a variety of heath issues I am still working on. Even though I got down to 155 unhealthily, when I finally got help for my problems, I gained back ten pounds and am usually settled around 165 now. 

This is me now, on the right. I'm happy with who I am and how
my body looks. I still workout almost daily, but I'm so much
healthier now and I've gained so much self-confidence. 

I realized that 16 of that 165 pounds is chest and it makes me feel a lot better about accepting my body because I know that I was intended to be this weight. There is nothing else I could possibly do that would get me to 145 pounds and I have embraced it. I found a man who adores my curves and thinks I am the most beautiful thing in the world. 

On this side of of my transformation, I can say that I am genuinely a lot happier than I used to be and I know it shows. So many of my friends have witnessed the results of my hard work and have chosen to make a change for themselves!  I love it when people ask me to help them lose weight because it allows me to share my testimony with them of how I changed physically and how the physical change helped me spiritually. It might sound crazy, but on those nights when I really didn't want to work out, I asked God for the strength to get through it to be the best I can be for His kingdom. 

This guy is my motivation to stay healthy!
He is so good to me when he knows I'm
starting to feel down on myself again. I thank
the Lord for him every day. 

I know exactly what I am supposed to do with my life now, and it is to help people make the change that I made so that no one has to feel the pain that I felt when I was younger. Being bullied by people who are supposed to be your friends and even some family members is scarring, and if there is something I can do to help put an end to it, I will and that is what I am dedicating my life to... helping others see themselves how God sees them - as beautiful creatures. I am getting my Zumba Instructor Certification next Friday and want to eventually finish my degree in health and physical fitness so I can help women lose weight, get healthy mentally and spiritually and begin to love themselves how the Lord loves them.

On your own, it's really hard, but together and with the power of the Lord we can do it!  My hope for the future of this blog is serve as an inspiration for your personal goals for spiritual and physical fitness. I hope that we can be an encouragement to each other through the process so if you have something to say, I would LOVE to hear it!