private coaching Archives -

A few spots left!

11|6|2016

Hey y’all! I have a few spots left in each of my next accountability groups coming up!

We officially start the Core De Force group on the 14th. If you’re interested in more deets, fill out the form in purple below!

AND, if you’re interested in another program or a variety of workouts, check out my Be That Girl group coming up! We start prep week the 14th and launch the 21st. The application form for that group is at the bottom in teal!

Those who commit to the Core De Force group will get a free surprise gift! And, those who commit to the Be That Girl group will get a copy of the book Be That Girl, The Fixate Cookbook (which is awesome!) and a fitness tank (as pictured below)!

The holiday season can be kinda stressful, busy and tough to stay on track…but with extra support and accountability, we can enjoy the holidays and avoid the holiday weight gain together! My groups are all faith-based, all about making yourself a priority, mindset, personal development and I like to share tips on stress and time management – so about so much more than fitness and nutrition!

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30-day Results!!

09|27|2016

Well, it may be safe to say I haven’t had that much fun working out for 30 days maybe like…..EVER.

This summer was pretty hard on me. I made a lot of excuses. I had a lot of fun. I wasn’t disciplined. Life got in the way. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda.

So, it shouldn’t be too surprising that when I decided to get back on the wagon, it wouldn’t be all butterflies and rainbows.

Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly.

THE GOOD ~ I seriously needed this program. I had no idea how much. Because not only did I need something to kinda lift my spirits and country dancing…even when I’m not that good at it….did that, but I needed something to be committed to and to look forward to again. Ya’ll know that working out comes pretty easy for me. No….I’m not gonna sit here and say that I always WANT to work out and never wanna just skip my workouts….BUT, it’s just a part of my life now. I can’t even remember the last time I went more than 2 days without working out. I was sick earlier this year and there may have been a few 2 to 3-day stretches in there but even then I tried to get moving at least some because it always helped once I did. But, sometimes I just need something new and exciting to try! So, Country Heat delivered and so much so that as I finally finish this post, I’m into my 2nd round!

THE BAD ~ I’m not sure I can really say this is “bad” but I found about 2 weeks in that I needed a change from the containers. I’ve used them on and off since they came out several years ago and while I do like them and they are so simple, I would do this thing to myself of just going way too strict and even if I enjoyed an “allowable” treat, it was too much and felt like I was being weak. My relationship with food is such a mental game. I have to have just enough focus with just enough leniency to succeed. So, I just decided that I needed to get back to something that even tho it’s harder to get used to, something that I’ve been intrigued about and wanted to do for the longterm….and that’s flexible dieting. I’m just kinda tired of doing this and doing that and saying I’m going a month without any treats or beer and then saying I can’t not enjoy some of that ~ it was just an emotional roller coaster and I wanna get off lol. Sure, I’m still going to have my times where I’m more strict and flexible nutrition does NOT mean junk. I still eat primarily whole foods. And, I’m just so anxious to just get back into this fully and find my way with it and stick with it. It allows for just as the name would imply….flexibility. So, yes, while I largely still eat whole foods, I can still have my cake and eat it, too, lol. And, it’s more customizeable for adding in workouts, etc. So, it was a bit of a transition and I was FAR from perfect to finish out the month, but with the combination of the containers, Shakeology throughout the whole month, and mostly clean eating, the inches kept coming off even as I was finding my way with my macros. BUT, I’m still happy with my results and that’s all that matters…and I will get better and better at my nutrition!

THE UGLY ~ Again, I’m not sure this is “ugly” but it’s also something I struggled with and often when I talk about it….blog about it….I can start to let it go and be better. It’s almost like things have less power over me just to share and give ideas. I tried EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING. for 30 days to get up and get my workouts in in the early morning. It’s the time of the day that works best for my family and is when I prefer to work out. And, even though I CAN work out over lunch with these since they’re only 30 minutes, I don’t LIKE to spend my lunch hour working out….and going back to work sweaty…even if I do have time for a cold shower. (Thank goodness for Axe body spray!! That stuff is the bomb if you’ve never tried it!! tmi??) Anyhoo, for the most part, I FAILED at this for…..30 days. There were way more workouts over lunch and a few after work than what I set out to do and I can tell you that it stressed me out and every day I didn’t get a morning workout in I felt defeated and mad at myself. But, as the month went on and I started telling myself that it was OK as long as I got it in at some point, it slowly became easier to get those workouts in between 5 and 6 a.m.! Crazy, huh? I truly believe if you set a goal and then just RELAX a little about it, it comes a lot easier. Be firm with your goal but flexible with your methods, right?!?….especially at first when trying something new or you’re trying to get back into a routine you once had. When you stress yourself into thinking you failed just because it didn’t look exactly like you intended, you really ARE setting yourself up to fail.

So, here I am! It was pretty painful to take before pics again. But, as always, I’m so glad I have them to look back on.

I lost 6 lbs. and 11 inches! And, of course I’m SUPER excited about the inches and just the way I look and most importantly FEEL. That summer bloat being gone again makes me feel like a new, old, new self lol.

Weight ~ 184 down to 178

Calves ~ 15″ to 15″ = 0
Thighs ~ 26″ to 25″ = -2
Hips ~ 43″ to 41″ = -2
Mid/lower abs ~ 42.5″ to 40″ = -2.5
Waist ~ 40″ to 37.5″ = -2.5
Chest ~ 39″ to 38″ = -1
Biceps ~ 13″ to 12.5″ = -1

I spent 30 minutes 6 days a week rockin’ out to fun country music and having a blast!
>I mixed in about 5 interval runs for about 2 miles in those 30 days.
>I walked on many of my breaks from work and made it a goal to hit between 10k and 13k steps a day. (And, my workouts were a minimum of 2500 steps just themselves!!)
>I used Shakeology every day as my healthiest, easiest meal or one of my snacks and helped with my cravings and energy.
>I used the 21 Day Fix color-coded, portion-controlled containers for the first two weeks.
>I used IIFYM principles to finish out the last two weeks, without hitting my macros consistently.

Now, if you’ve been following me for a while, you know I attribute I lot of my success to having extra accountability to my health & fitness goals. And, even as a coach….in fact it’s one of the main reasons I ever started coaching in the first place….I wanted to be held more accountable! More accountable to my coach. More accountable to my clients. More accountable to ME! And, I truly believe this road is easier with challenge groups! I don’t know where I would be without this little thing we get to do as coaches! And, I never stop participating! In the almost 3 years I’ve been a coach, I’ve never went longer than 30 days without being plugged into something for inspiration and accountability. Groups literally changed everything for me! We are just finishing up our latest one as part of the Beachbody Health Bet and I know at least 10 people who are gonna get paid soon for being accountable to their own health & fitness goals! They invested in themselves and they’re gonna get rewarded in more ways than one! And, as this group finishes out, I’m always looking ahead and excited to announce the next one I will be hosting called She Is Strong. It’s one of my favorite passages in the Bible and it’s become to mean so much to me personally.

I talk a lot about fitness and nutrition but the REAL changes that have happened for me have been finding myself ~ finding my voice ~ finding my courage ~ finding my strength. I’m not done yet…I never WILL be done….but I’m feeling stronger than I ever have. I truly believe fitness opened a door for me. If you’re interested in finding something that could help you if you’ve been feeling kinda lost and not putting yourself first, I encourage you to reach out to me. I don’t know if this is for you, but I do know a group just like this is what changed things for me and what continues to keep me in the game…and I’ve seen it time and time again for other clients and coaches. And, it’s not just the game of losing weight or getting in better shape. It’s about conquering fears ~ stepping outside your comfort zone ~ putting yourself first. Let’s connect and see if this would be a good fit! I like to spend some time talking about your struggles and your goals and then YOU decide if this sounds like something that may be a good fit! And, if the group seems too much for you, I always work 1-on-1 with you and we can do that exclusively if you prefer!

So, if you’re looking for something new to try ~ if you’re looking for a change ~ if you’re looking for some extra support and encouragement, click on the image below and fill out the application so I can get to know a little bit more about you!

Faith In Motion

06|30|2016

I remember sitting in a Subway restaurant with my sister, Kristi, years ago when she asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks.

Yes, it was years ago….but I remember it like it was just yesterday.

It was totally casual ~ we were munching on sub sandwiches and catching up after not seeing each other for a while, when out the blue she asked, “Can I ask you a question? How is your Faith?”

I was honestly speechless….and uncomfortable.

I had no idea what to say to her. I had no idea what my answer was.

The truth is, I’m not sure at that time in my life Faith was even important to me. And, to this day, I can’t remember how I responded and that makes me very sad.

I was still going through a time where I questioned how a God that is supposed to love and protect us could allow such tragedy and loss in our lives.

I was feeling alone and helpless, and I’m certain at the time I hadn’t prayed in a long, long time.

Kristi is a lot younger than me. And, I remember thinking at the time, this girl is smart. To be so sure of her own Faith at her age really touched something in me. And, there she was, challenging me and honestly asking me one of the hardest questions I’ve ever been asked.

As I sat there trying to find my words, I remember feeling this overwhelming sense of sadness….like who was I and who was God and could I find Him again? And, then it was as if her question opened up my heart and to this day when I think of that moment, I’m overcome by His spirit.

It would be years later that I found New Hope church and finally felt like I as home. It would be years later when I decided I wanted to be a Christian writer. And, it would be years later when I finally arrived to a time when I can answer that question comfortably and with hope and complete God-confidence.

I always believed in God and that there was a Higher Power. But, I didn’t always believe I deserved or trusted His Grace.

Though the road has been long, I think of that question almost daily, “How is your Faith?” and I finally feel like I’m finding my peace and my place.

So, something hit me at the end of service last Sunday, and I thought about Kristi and that day yet again and I decided I wanted to do something I haven’t done yet and start Faith-based private coaching groups! I want to inspire others and ask the hard questions! I want people who are lost to maybe be able to find themselves again. At the end of every service, the lead Pastor will say, “We don’t just leave the Church….we go and BE the Church.” I want to do for others what my sister has done for me. Because of her Faith and her love and her belief in me, she pushed me to keep finding my way and to find Him again. I’m finding the strength to forgive and maybe more importantly the strength to ask for forgiveness and Grace. I have so many people to say to “Because of you, I didn’t give up.” I want to be that light for others.

For most of my life, I had no self-confidence. I felt weak and as I’ve said in other posts, I’ve battled depression and hopelessness. But, what I found was that the one thing I was really missing was right in front of me….around me….always with me. It was Him. I have spent far too many years looking for something to make me feel better. I can tell you there’s nothing magical about those dang cupcakes I talk about all the time. But, there IS something magical about Faith.

If you are out there struggling with your weight or with food or depression AND if you are the believing kind, I would love to connect and invite you to my newest group ~ FAITH IN MOTION. We will be reading the book Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst. This is an AMAZING faith-based book about why we are made to crave what we do and how we can change and grow our relationship with God to overcome. I have so many people to thank and stories to share about how Hope has changed my life. And, as I start the process of writing my book, compiling stories of Hope, Faith, strength, Grace and life warms my heart and makes me even more passionate about taking the LEAP OF FAITH to write.

If you’ve been following me, you know one of the reasons I’m so passionate about what I do is to be the example I want to be for my daughter. She’s the epitome of my “Because of YOU, I didn’t give up!” Brooklyn’s favorite books right now were a gift from my dad called “My Bible Friends.” They are books filled with stories from the Bible written for kids and they are amazing. I grew up with these books. I even had them on cassette tapes and listened to them over and over. And, the books always remind me of course my dad, but also of Kristi and my step-mom. Those of you reading this who know them know they are three of the most faithful and gracious people you could ever meet and I would not be the person I am without their love and support. And, I want to be sure to instill in Brooklyn what they did for me. I am watching her grow and sit by me in church and want to stand in the aisle during music and it is all amazing to me. We witnessed baptisms in church a few months ago and she was so curious and I told her that I was going to do that some day soon and she asked if she could too. I want to do my best to make sure she never loses her Faith like I did.

And, I honestly have found my way back by surrounding myself with positive, full-of-faith, like-minded people and hosting groups just like this have change my world as I know it! The people I’ve met and connected and bonded with have become my light. I want to keep paying it forward and keep finding new ways to change the world. I’m reminded of a saying on the marquee in Nashville last summer at our Coach Summit ~ “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead

INDEED.

As coaches, we are far from perfect. But, we do have a passion for health and fitness and believe that God wants us to move and honor our bodies!

If you would like more details on this new Faith in Motion movement, you can fill out the app below or email me at fitstrongpink@gmail.com to learn more! AND, anyone who joins TODAY, June 30th, 2016, with the requirements and the commitment to themselves, will get a $25 Scheels gift card and this tank top!! *Must not be a coach or be working with another coach.*

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#realtalk with Dina ~ You can have your cake & wear your skinny jeans, too….

06|10|2016

ok, did I get your attention?

CAKE? #yesplease….. SKINNY JEANS? #canthetwobeinthesamesentence #theanswerisYES

Don’t believe me?

Keep reading.

My goal is to recommend a book a week to ya’ll that has helped me in my health & fitness & sanity & overcoming struggles & #hotmessmom journey we call life!

Welcome to the first official book recommendation! (yes, I have recommended books before today!…but welcome to the first edition of a blog post centered around it!)

Today I wanna talk about a concept I’ve been thinking a lot about lately ~ “never hungry, never full.”

I don’t know about you but I’ve been hungry since like 1980. And, I also seem to always have to eat until I have that ~~stuffed~~ full, completely satisfied feeling.

I’m gonna be straight up honest with you (#keepinitreal) and say that growing up…even well into my adult years if I’m REALLLLLY honest…I would look at thin chicks and be envious. Envious of their metabolisms and their damn genetics and small bone structures and on and on of the list of reasons why I assumed they were thin. I even felt this way about sister. I often thought it wasn’t fair that she “got the good genes” lol. She’s always been thin and tone and muscular and could eat whatever the heck she wanted.

Now, while of course we all have our own unique body compositions and shapes and genetics DO in fact play a huge role, I want to talk about another reason some people just are naturally thin.

Looking back on how I looked at other women…..and now honestly since I’m in a better place mentally and stronger physically….I believe a lot of the women I was comparing myself to simply lived their lives with a healthy relationship with food. They didn’t know some secret I didn’t (ha, well maybe they did…..they somehow knew that food could NEVER solve a problem or a hurt). They didn’t see food as a coping mechanism like I did. They didn’t see food as some magical bean that would erase all their problems. They didn’t eat just ‘cuz they were bored….or tired….or sad….or happy. (Yes, that’s what people like me….emotional eaters…do. And, for me, believe me it’s ERRRRY emotion. Just like I don’t discriminate any food….I like everything….I don’t discriminate which emotion I eat with lol.) They didn’t have unhealthy food behaviors like binging or closet eating.

This is my sister!

She eats when she’s hungry and stops eating before she’s full. And, growing up, she wasn’t the one getting up in the middle of the night sneaking food. She wasn’t the one hiding food. She wasn’t the one who guilted herself to the point of being even more unhealthy and drastic after indulging in something. And, even more to my point about having a healthy relationship with food…..she LOVES food. And, she would be the first to say that! But, she just doesn’t see food the same way I do and therefore the way she uses it is very different. If she wanted (and still to this day) something delicious and decadent, she had it and didn’t spend even one minute feeling guilty for it!

And, now I’m going to divert a little bit but I promise I’ll bring ya’ll back.

In my quest to look at my nutrition as a source of what’s been going on with my body, I grabbed a book of Natalie Jill’s 7-Day Jumpstart. That’s not the book I’m highlighting this week….although it is really good. I LOVE her story! She was broke and didn’t feel well physically or about herself and she completely turned her life around and is now a successful fitness professional, author and a #girlboss I definitely admire! I didn’t get the book because of the title ;). I picked it up because I knew she had celiac disease and promoted a clean, unprocessed, gluten-free diet….(AND, like I said I just loved her story. I forgot to mention she was a presenter at a conference I was at for coaching in Dallas a few years ago, so I’ve been following her ever since). Anyhoo, I’m getting to the point! Natalie Jill also talks about this “never hungry, never full” concept in this book. And, that concept as she presented it isn’t in the context of a specific type of diet you follow ~ it doesn’t matter if you do flexible dieting or clean eating or Paleo! It’s simply talking about how to find a healthy way to look at food.

So, YES, I DO believe you can have your cake and wear your skinny jeans, too!

Again….

Wait.

What????

Is this for real? I know I didn’t always believe it. I believe it now. (Even if it means you have food sensitivities and indulge in GLUTEN-FREE CAKE from time to time! LOL!)

One of the biggest changes that happened in my life after I started coaching was focusing on personal development. It’s actually something the company and our teams talk about like DAILY. We talk about the importance of staying positive, staying driven, digging deep to conquer fears and overcome, letting go of the past, finding your faith and finding hope, and being the best you you can be to help others the best you can! How do you do personal development? You read and listen to books on audio and watch YouTube videos and go to seminars and workshops and listen to podcasts. The options are really endless. And, there is help for everything that you struggle with!

Through personal development and coaching, I’ve been able to recognize my triggers and tendencies and utilize the tools I’ve been given to overcome. From the very beginning and for the very first time in my life (I began coaching when I was 37! Yes, that’s a long time of not knowing better. Like they say when you know better, you do better? #umyes And, it’s never to late to learn….it’s never too late to do better), I was exposed to a completely comprehensive and healthy approach to losing weight and getting in shape that focused on personal development FIRST….an approach to help you lose weight that wasn’t just based on throwing a meal plan and a workout at you. An approach that makes you think about WHY you struggle ~ WHY you may turn to food ~ WHY the thought of working out is too overwhelming to even take that first step. So, yes, I dove into personal development from the very beginning as a coach, and I began to recognize early on my self-sabotage and issues with food were never really about…..food! It’s wasn’t so much about that CUPCAKE but my emotional response to eating that CUPCAKE! My sister would stop at one CUPCAKE! (Or maybe not eat it at all…she doesn’t love cake like I do lol.) I have often binged on them to the point of being sick! But, my awareness and willingness to change and overcome has only continued to improve. And, being a coach and learning how important working on ME from the inside out was!

Ok, coming back around now. I want to start sharing regularly the things I have done for personal development that have helped me. And, if you have followed me for a while, you know I don’t just struggle with food. So, I’m going to be making recommendations for a VARIETY of life’s struggles! This first book helped me really think about what made my sister & I so different when it came to food. It really made me get down the ROOT of why I was turning to food….why I had such a long history of BINGE and closet eating ….or why I even had the other extreme….NOT eating. (Yes, sadly, I’ve went thru those stages as well. I lived on diet coke and sometimes one meal a day and then a night of drinking). And, more importantly, how I could start to overcome once and for all!

Through personal development and growth, I have found the strength and mindset to pray about it! Before coaching and before diving into ways of learning to overcome and finding my Faith again, I honestly never would have dreamed to PRAY about my issues with food! I think I was so ashamed that I felt like I wasn’t even worthy of being able to pray about them. I know now eating well is a form of self-respect and love for yourself and of COURSE that would be a God thing!!

Ya’ll know I’m still far from perfect, which is good because there’s no such thing anyway. And, the book I’m going to recommend isn’t about having the perfect nutrition and never indulging! Yes, I will ALWAYS like my beer and my wine and my cupcakes. And, there are seasons when I’m okay with eating and having them and seasons when I’m not. I’m in a season of not eating them right now. I’m actually in a really TOUGH season of watching labels and being SUPER sensitive to what I’m putting in my body. But, it’s not because I believe CAKE is the root of all evil. (I mean who in their right mind could think cake was evil 😉 ) It’s not because I think the foods I’m eating are making me overweight. And, there’s a chance that after I do this, I may find that I can in fact have gluten and I can have dairy and I can go back to having all things in moderation. Right now, I’m doing this because there’s definitely something going in my body and my nutrition is the one thing I CAN control. But, mentally when it comes to food and my relationship with it, I get stronger every day! This Whole 30 challenge isn’t something I could’ve even gotten 5 days into 5 years ago! And, I can honestly say right now that I no longer body shame or am jealous of my sister or anyone else! AND, I’m eating when I’m hungry and stopping before I’m full! No, I still am not QUITE like my sister or the people described in this book. And, it could take years, if I ever fully do….but just given the fact that I know I can get thru these 30 days make me feel proud that I’m not the person I was 3 years ago.

ANYHOO, here is it! “Thinside Out ~ How to Have Your Cake & Skinny Jeans, too!” Stop Binge Eating, Overeating and Dieting For Good Get the Naturally Thin Body You Crave From the Inside Out. If you dealt with or are dealing with anything I’ve described in this post, I think you’d love this book. And, my suggestion is not to just READ it and move on. Really take it all in! Bookmark the things that really speak to you! Dig deep on what it says. And, start to change your thinking OR if you’ve already overcome, forgive yourself and let it go already!

p.s. I would love to know what you think of this if you read it! And, I would LOVE LOVE to share success stories on my blog! I encourage you to email me if you ever have something you want me to share that could help someone else out there! Believe it or not, I really don’t wanna always just talk about me and my story!! I told someone yesterday that I want to use this blog to also highlight other #girlbosses and strong women!!! STRONG WOMEN….may we be them….may we know them….may we raise them! AND, maybe we have our cake and wear our skinny jeans too….no matter what size you are! (Ha, this would be the never-ending post if I went there right now…that’s TOTALLY for another blog post….loving yourself no matter what size you are! But, that’s what this is ALL ABOUT my friends!)

And, today’s bonus for you!
A recipe for sweet potato fries that looks delish!
I made Whole 30 sweet potato fries last night with just
EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) & sea salt and they were SOOO nummy
but these sound a little more savory and fun! If you’re GF, do what I did OR don’t use corn starch and sub out the vegetable oil for coconut oil or EVOO (I was starving last night and just wanted to get them in the oven!)
If you’re not, just click the image to go to the recipe 🙂

#summerstrong

05|31|2016

I’m super excited for my next private coaching groups! I have one kicking off the 6th and another kicking off with a bunch of other coaches on my team on the 13th! We are gonna get #summerstrong!

AND, I’m extending my Memorial Day Weekend special and offering an awesome rebate and surprise prize package to anyone who joins one of these groups before tomorrow evening! Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Whether you want to lose a few lbs. or try something new, we’ve got you covered!

May is all about Shaun T!! The Cize & Insanity Max:30 challenge packs are both on sale thru tomorrow evening as well! OR, maybe you like a ton of variety and wanna check out our Club and Shakeology challenge pack where you get access to over $2000 worth of streaming workout videos that you can do anywhere with high speed internet!

The End of Exercise!!

Intense ~ 30 minutes! In & out!

And, why do I LOVE Shakeology as much as I do? This. Is. Why.
There’s nothing else like it! (No, you CAN’T get anything like this at GNC 🙂 )

If you’re READY to commit, email me at fitstrongpink@gmail.com and we’ll find the best program option for you!
If you KNOW you wanna jump in with Insanity Max:30 or Cize, you can just click on the images and let’s go!!

Groups just like these coming up are my JAM!
I have participated and hosted these since the fall of 2013 and I’m not stopping…that’s how much I love them!
The groups, my coach, my peers, many different programs, SHAKEOLOGY,
and personal development are my recipe for success 🙂