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I will beat her!

This is one of my fave all-time quotes. If you've been around here for a while, you know why. If you're new here, let's catch up you a little. I'm a TeamBeachbody Coach and have been for almost 4 years. I'm actually currently a "plus-size" TeamBeachbody Coach. And, in all honesty, in a place in my life I can proudly say that. However, a year ago, I did not wear that honor well. In fact, I was such a hot mess I couldn't see anything for what it was worth in my life. And, I was letting my plus-sized-ness start to paralyze me from what I had set out to do to help myself heal and help support others along the way. You can read more of the story here and here but my life has been a history of yo-yo dieting and yo-yo weight loss. I've tried every "diet" under the sun ~ many many pills, wraps and quick fixes ~ spend thousands on gym memberships and at-home equipment like treadmills, ellipticals....even some "amazing breakthru" ab belt that was supposed to do … Read More

A reason….not an excuse.

Have you ever seen the quote "My kids are my reason, not my excuse" when it comes to finding the time to exercise? I think all us moms out here can relate to how much our lives changed after kids. Of course our lives became even more amazing :) But, our time was no longer just OUR TIME. And, I totally admire the moms who are "plus1" in the kid department. How y'all get it done every dang day impresses the crap outta me. I have the 1 kid and some days I STILL don't get it "all" done. Let's take a pause to talk about my kid :) If you're new here, this is my B :) (We were camping for the weekend and she was SO excited that she found me a heart rock 'cuz she KNOWS how much I love hearts :) ) Ok, and I just have to share one quick story :) This was from just last night :) She is 100% tom-boy & 100% girlie-girl. She loves to get dirty and ride 4-wheeler and legos and climbing trees. She's also OBSESSED with dolls and "real babies" and watching "real baby videos" on YouTube and … Read More

I feel like a crazy person!!

My IUD Story (This should maybe read "My IUD LONG Story" lol ~ sorry it's so long but not sure what to leave out) "I feel like a CRAZY person." ~me This is often how I've described myself in the past two years to family, friends, doctors, and my therapist. I've said "You think I'm crazy, don't you?!?" to my hubby more than once. I can't remember the last time I went through an entire day without thinking it. And, I've said, "I feel like I'm sucking at life" to my gynecologist and therapist very recently. I've felt like a terrible mom, wife, friend, coach and employee. I've been undependable, scattered, forgetful, and more. I've felt like a fraud, a hypochondriac and a hypocrite. AND, I'm not sure I've EVER felt more relieved than I do as I write this post!!!!!!!!!!! If you're new here, you can catch up a little HERE, HERE and HERE. For a little more than two years now, I've been dealing with an array of health issues. I've gained over 35 lbs. My … Read More

FIT(ish)

Have y'all seen FIT(ish) apparel?!?! I've been in LOOOOOOOOOOVE for a while now but every time I add a few super cute tops to my cart, I forget to ever actually checkout lol. (Hey, my shopping friends....do you ever just go to your fave online shopping site and add things to your cart....and then kinda purposely LEAVE them...IN THE CART? It's like the rush of shopping minus the spending part. lol #sometimesitworks #sometimesitdoesnt) ANYHOO, I saw another coach with a FIT(ish) tank on yesterday so I finally decided I was gonna order! But, not really seeing a FB ad for it like how I normally see them, I went to Google. So, funny story....I type in FIT(ISH) and Google asks "Did you mean FET(ISH)?" and then proceeds to pop up a warning that the key word I'm searching for MAY bring up some sketchy content. Ok, sketchy is my word, not Google's...but I had to laugh that GOOGLE tried to autocorrect the word FOR me and THEN proceeded to tell me that I probably shouldn't have been … Read More

You Fall. You Rise.

HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY strangers!! It's sad I had to look back at the last time I blogged. It was the middle of March!! I've missed it....without a doubt. But, truth be told, I've been struggling to find my words. I was stuck in a pattern of thinking I had nothing of value to say but I didn't really know why. And, the longer I went without blogging.....the easier it was not to blog. Ha, isn't that just the thing about life?! Once you go a few days without doing something....even sometimes the things you love doing....it's easy to let the days turn into WEEKS....the weeks turn into MONTHS...hopefully not YEARS but that happens, too! (I see and hear this with exercise ALLLLLLL the time too btw ~ especially when people start out with something they don't love OR they don't see immediate results! Instead of trying something else, they give up. And, instead of practicing a little patience, they give up when they don't see results.) And, as with exercise, … Read More

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

My journey to repair my relationship with my body and with food has been filled with many peaks and valleys. I've tried countless "diets", pills, potions, fads and quick fixes. I've went through seasons of totally not caring about what I ate to obsessing about what I ate over and over again. I've isolated myself from family and friends in my more obsessive of seasons. I've watched my weight yo-yo time and time again. I've spent countless hours researching and reading and reading and researching for the "best" approach to finding food freedom and a healthy body image. I've went through seasons of obsessive and excessive exercise. All in the pursuit of finding my happy and "healthy" place. "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau Wow. What an ah-ha moment reading that was for me! My answer has really been right in front of me my whole life. I just never saw it for what it was! I had been looking for something … Read More

Monday Matters ~ Why Not You?

I looked into coaching for almost a year before I finally took the plunge. I sat back and watched a few coaches online. I researched about it here and there. And, for the better part of a year, I pretty much convinced myself that I didn't have what it took to make it work. I convinced myself like so many times before that SURE other people could do it, love it, and change their lives but that I couldn't. After all, I wasn't a salesperson. I didn't already have a "BEACH BODY." I didn't know enough people. I lived in a small, rural community. I didn't feel like I could afford to use Shakeology. I didn't wanna push products on my friends & family or anyone else for that matter. And, I wasn't an expert in health or fitness. Yep, I thought all those things and let those things hold me back. But, wow, was I wrong about what coaching really was! I finally started coaching in October of 2013 and I've never looked back! I started asking WHY NOT … Read More

#TuesdayTransformation

Hey hey out there! Finally getting a blog post up! I've been busy sleeping in my free time. (Only partly kidding.) I'll admit my life right now seems a little consumed by this whole detox thing lol. While it's definitely gotten easier, there have been different phases and supplements and body changes to go through and get used to. And, being sure to LISTEN to my body has left me resting a LOT. Hence, the #ivebeenbusysleeping part. So, I'm still taking the stance that while this is not easy, it's not hard. That being said, if you know me, you know I like to say it like it is.....so.... Given how this has went so far and some things I've been researching along the way, I'm not sure this strict of a nutrition plan is a good idea for someone with a past history of an eating disorder like binge and closet eating. I will admit I was a little worried that this would set me up for failure. And, while I've stayed strong and on the plan 100%, I'm not sure I was quite ready for this. … Read More

Why me?……Why NOT me?

If you're new here, you maybe don't know that on Wednesdays I love to talk about a #wcw (women crush wednesday if you've been living under a rock...j/k lol)......someone who especially inspired me for the week and who was on my heart to give a shout-out to or about women empowerment, girl bosses/boss babes, being a woman of Faith and really simply just about GIRL POWER. Today, I wanted to share this post to talk a little more about my journey from being EMPTY and EMBARRASSED to being EMPOWERED. I spent most of my life walking through the days asking “why me.” ~Why did I have to struggle with my weight and body image and food? ~Why did I have to grow up without much money? ~Why wasn’t I more like {insert name}? ~Why wasn’t I smarter? ~Why wasn’t I better at trigonometry?? (Thank God for my besties Tasha and Traci in high school or that could’ve turned out badly lol). ~Why did I have to leave my friends on the weekends and summers to go spend with my dad? I was … Read More

One common mistake people make when trying to make a change!

One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up.....instead of what they have to gain. Has this ever been you? I know it's been me! In fact, I'm in the midst of a detox that I had on the shelf for months because I was SO caught up in what I'd have to give up (TEMPORARILY at that....well, here's to HOPING most of it is temporary because y'all know I don't like deprivation) vs. how it could help me. I had to make the decision that the good would outweigh the bad and jump in already! What things did I not wanna give up? Wellllllll...... Time ~ I knew I was going to have to spend more time planning my meals, grocery shopping & meal prep COFFEE Sugar ~ aka CUPCAKES Gluten ~ aka CUPCAKES Alcohol After Phase 1, animal protein....so no eggs or meat/fish for at least two weeks Gum ~ I chew sugar-free but the guide says the chemicals and artificial sweeteners in it can affect your body, especially if your body is … Read More

Monday Matters ~ Focus!

Hey! I'm finally finishing a blog post! I blogged some this past week but I didn't finish any of them lol! The first part of the week I just didn't feel good. In fact, days 2 through 5 of my 21-day detox I felt like I had the flu. So, most evenings, I just listened to my body and rested. The guide says days 3 through 5 are commonly the toughest. I sure hope that's the case. Day 6 was great! We had a good day as a family with church and just relaxing. And, I just felt really good! Today was a challenge, as I think I'm moving into the emotional release phase. I'll be sharing about that in another post but let's just say the human body amazes me! My plan is still not to weigh until the end but this is me before I started and below 6 days in. My bloating is so so much better! I'm noticing a lot of positives! Which makes staying the course much easier. The planning and food prep hasn't been bad at all and the best thing is it's making me get back into the groove of meal planning … Read More

New beginnings….

Happy Tuesday! I started a new plan for the next 21 days and overall it's a HAPPY DAY! I'm happy I made it through the day for 1, and I'm happy about things to come. Truth be told, I ordered the kit I started today months ago. But, I kept finding reasons....excuses maybe....that it wasn't the right time to start. And, maybe I just really needed to be ready but I also think it had a lot to do with just making the decision to do it already! I waited because of holidays.....vacations.....long weekends....social events.....and also because I didn't wanna give up my more intense workouts for the better part of a month. But, I finally decided ok enough is enough. There is ALWAYS going to be something. It's never gonna be quite the right time. And, MAYBE just maybe, I'll never be completely ready! So, I just made the decision to start. And, then I decided to let myself enjoy some treats lol. So, last week, I had one of my fave things every day......one day I had sushi ~ … Read More

Monday Matters! (v3)

A friend shared this with me today and it's amazingly powerful! And, I'm sharing the rest from HERE! "watch the motivation video and you can pick the quotes here : “So you have to trust that the dots will somehow will connect in your future You have to trust in something Your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road Will give you the confidence to follow your heart, Even when it leads you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference. Your time is limited, So don’t waste it living someone else’s life Don’t be trapped by dogma : Which is living with the results of other people’s thinking Don’t let the noise of other opinions drown out your own inner voices. You’ve got to find what you love And that is true for works as its for your lovers your work is gonna fill a large part of your life And the only way to be truly satisfied Is to do what you believe is great work And the only way to … Read More

You do you.

For most of my life, I was honestly afraid to show people who I really was. I got really good at building up walls around myself. In part, to protect myself.....but, also because I was just too afraid of what people would think of me if I was just.....me. This was often mistaken for bitchiness or being stuck up. At best, because I was shy. Funny how that was about as far away from the truth as possible. Okay, maybe I was a little shy....maybe still am...and I'm introverted FOR CERTAIN ~ but I'm not afraid to talk to people and I LOVE social settings and get-togethers and just being around people....so..? (Have you heard me talk about being an outgoing introvert?? :) ) I think shyness is really just an outward appearance of lack of confidence. AND, honestly can just be mistaken. Some people just like to listen more than they do talk and I'm not sure that's shyness. But I can tell you, I was not at all confident. I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. And, as I just … Read More

I’m choosing not to…

I spent some time last night and this morning going over more things in the Ultimate Reset guide book. And, I'm finalizing my meal plan and grocery list. I'm using something I found online so there's not much extra work ~ but I wanted to sub in some recipes that my friends have said are delish. And, as I was having my first cup of coffee this morning, I couldn't help but feel a little sad... If I haven't mentioned it yet, coffee is one thing I will be giving up for the next 3 weeks. Now, I do believe coffee has health benefits....in moderation of course. But, it's also very acidic. And, one of the main goals with the Reset is to reverse the acidity going on in your body. And, so it goes.... So, at first this morning, I felt sorry for myself. And, I said, GREAT, "I can't have coffee starting Monday." But, then I remembered...I'm CHOOSING to do this. So, I'm turning around that thinking. It's not about can't. It's about choice. And, this is actually a … Read More