Mad Abs March

This week's blog is kind of a blatant rip off. You see, this week I have had a death in the family, so I'm afraid my blogging time has been limited.

I don't know about you, but I'm happy to see February go and for March to be here! I got the following little gem off pinterest, and I would like to share it with you all. Mad Abs March. I'm committed to it, several of my facebook friends are, and I hope you are too!

Not so fat Tuesday...

Did you survive Fat Tuesday? I did, and I barely went over my points plus. Hard to believe!

I am not Catholic, but I appreciate (and often observe Lent) because I believe it is important to practice self discipline intentionally to grow closer to the Lord. It's also a good character trait in anyone. Self discipline is very important, especially when thinking about living a healthy lifestyle.

In light of this, I really thought of Ash Wednesday this year as a chance to have a fresh start and practice some self discipline in my nutrition and wellness. It was a good chance for me to resolve to track and be diligent about monitoring what I am putting in my body. [My Lenten promise is something different, but that's just for God and me to share :) ]

If you could have a fresh start right now, what habits would you like to change in your life? And what is holding you back from making those changes? The answer to those questions will likely be very empowering as you move forward in living a healthier lifestyle.

In all honesty, I wrote a completely different blog post, but it was entirely too heavy to post today; somehow the timing wasn't right... I know, that's a teaser.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Valentine's Day!

Hello, everyone!

Happy Valentine's Day! This is one of my favorite holidays-- maybe a surprising fact coming from a single lady like myself; please allow me to tell you some reasons I love today.

On this day we celebrate love, and I have more love in my life than I know what to do with! I am so incredibly blessed with wonderful family and friends! I cannot even explain how fortunate I am to have people in my corner who believe in me. It's truly humbling! Today is the one day of year when you can go around telling people you care about them, and it's not totally weird. I kind of wish every day was that way, that you can go around declaring love and people just say, "Thank you" and not be weirded out by it.

Additionally, hearts are everywhere today! So I am taking this week to do some extra hard cardio workouts! Gotta show that heart that it's valued and appreciated, right?

Most importantly, I have the kind of love in my life that leads to true completion: my relationship with the Lord! God (the creator of Heaven and earth, people!) sent His own Son to die on the cross so that we can know Him! Not only that, but there is nothing we can ever do to EARN His love; it's a gift to accept! That's true love. If you'd like to know more about a relationship with the Lord (or my own relationship with the Lord) please feel free to ask me!

So, happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Be well, and know that you are loved!

Motivation?

One of my favorite people and constant supporters (and blog followers) requested a blog about motivation. I was not entirely sure how to do that because I think we each have individual things that motivate us. So (somewhat inspired by another blogger), I just decided to make a list of all the things I could go back to if I just gave up my healthy lifestyle. Let's think about it: You're always either eating right or not. Whether you are on WW program or not, you're feeding your body something! So, without further ado, the things I gave up by going on Weight Watchers:

• I gave up being carefree about what I was eating. I think about my choices before I make them now.
• I gave up eating because I was sad or scared or worried. I gave up attaching food to those emotions. I gave up feeling empty afterward because food didn't help the real problem.
• I gave up the ease of knowing there were only a couple stores at the mall that had clothes I liked that would fit me. I gave up having limited choices. I gave up sleeves and pant legs that were always too long because someone my size was obviously super tall and large in general- not just fat.
• I gave up always sitting in the aisle at restaurants, movies, church, because I was really stressed about how I was going to fit on the inside. I sit on the inside sometimes now, but there is still that moment when I forget the new body I live in and I think, "How am I going to get in there?"
• I gave up believing that my health didn't matter that much. I stopped thinking, "Who cares? We're all going to die anyway." Now I think, I have one body and one life; I want to take care of it.
• I gave up feeling like I'm less than a person anyway. I gave up feeling substandard. I gave up presenting myself as subordinate. 
• I gave up waiting for close parking spots everywhere I went. I gave up being so winded I didn't know if I would make it up to my office and sit down.
• And the biggest thing I gave up: I gave up the belief that I was not strong enough to do it. I gave up the idea that I couldn't make a change, and that I didn't deserve to feel good. We all deserve to take care of ourselves. We all deserve to eat right. We all deserve to feel good.

So in a way, it's true. The old me didn't have the strength to go to the gym, and eat right, and feel good, but the line between the old and new me is that change in belief. The difference was the girl who looked in the mirror one morning and said, "I want better for you." That's the difference between being on plan and being off: how much do you care about yourself? How much do you want better?

"It's not who you are that holds you back; it's who you think you're not." --Anon