Transformation Takes Time

My coach shared this on her page yesterday and I keep looking at it in kind of an awe. I mean really, that was me? And now THIS is me? Wow!

There were days and weeks and...let me be honest...even MONTHS where I wondered if what I was doing was moving me forward AT ALL.

But I didn't stop! I didn't stop because even when the OUTSIDE didn't seem to be changing, the INSIDE was.

Eating better, having my shake daily and working out daily made me FEEL good and improved my overall health. I've been sick very rarely and when I was, it passed super fast and was very mild compared to others who had it. I have energy and a better attitude because I feel good. I work off life's stresses with my fitness routines. I work out instead of eat my stresses away now. Much healthier choice, I think. This is a lifestyle that I will continue the rest of my life.

By taking it one day at a time and doing my best to do those three things every day I have TRANSFORMED my life! Not just my body but my life. It is worth every struggle I went through to get here.

Struggles? Yes! I struggle just like everyone else. The mind is a powerful thing. We have to feed it the right way, too, or it can stop you from reaching your goals and living a joyful life.

There are many days that I don't WANT to work out. There are many days that I don't WANT to eat what I should and crave what I should stay far away from. Sometimes I let my thoughts get negative instead of feeding my brain positives. I know you probably struggle with those very same things.

Can you still make progress? YES! Just take it ONE DAY AT A TIME. Evaluate each day and decide the night before what you will do tomorrow. Get it in your head just like a to-do list. Then stick to it. Put one foot in front of the other each day as you get closer and closer to your goals. Celebrate your small successes as they come. Together they will add up to something that blows your mind! Just like me!

We are all different and we each have to find what works for them. There are certain foods, even the healthy ones, that I can't eat. You have to learn to listen to your body and adjust accordingly. There are some exercises I can't do so I've learned how to work those muscles with what we call a modification. That doesn't mean I'm working any less, it just means I'm working it differently. I work towards doing the moves without the modifications as I get stronger but there are some that I may never be able to do. That's OK.

I believe, with all my heart, that by doing those three things DAILY anyone CAN transform their body and their lives. If you are interested in learning more and working with me as your fitness coach, message me and we can get started on your transformation TODAY!

~Helping Transform Lives One Day At A Time

My Journey Part One

We all tend to judge things by successes and failures. But true success is measured by our failures. Let me explain. If someone never fails then that means they never tried. Don't be afraid to fail. A successful person isn't someone who has never failed. They are someone who NEVER GIVES UP!

You might be wondering WHAT "success" I want to talk to you about today. After all, I do run a successful kid care and preschool and have for MANY years. I've been married to the same wonderful man for over thirty-three years. I have given birth to four children and raised two of them to adulthood and the other two are about to embark on that journey, one in a year and the other in three. Those are all things a lot of people would count as successes. I know I do. But those aren't the ones I am here to talk about today.

Today is for a different type of success. One that is just as challenging and rewarding as the ones mentioned above. But this one is a personal journey that is just about ME. This is about my fitness success. Those who know me understand that when I say FITNESS I am talking about more than exercise. Fitness is exercise, diet, our mental fitness and our spiritual fitness. Sometimes those get off balanced and we have one on track but the others fall to the way side. Balance is important when it comes to fitness.

In order to tell you about where I am today on my fitness journey, I need to give you some background on where I started. I was born in the mid 60's. I was not a chubby child, in fact in some of my pictures I look kind of like a stick before hitting puberty. I was an extremely active little girl. I was always outside running around, riding my bike, climbing trees or playing on the swing set. In the summer I was ALWAYS at the public pool. My grandparents spent a lot of time on the golf course so I was doing that, too. I've looked back to try to figure out when that changed and why. It may have been because school got more involved and harder. It could be because I spent more time watching TV. It may have been because puberty changed my attitude and I just got lazy. We were required to do sports and PE in school instead of recess and that may have made it seem less "fun". I'm not sure what the commercials were back then but they COULD have been the beginning on the body image issues that plague us still today.

I grew up in a time that the new aerobic fade came around. Fitness Centers for women were popping up in the late 70's in our small city.. I don't know if women always worried about their weight or if it didn't matter as much because they worked hard around their homes to take care of their families and didn't have time to think about it. But I remember that my grandmother was unhappy with her size 14 clothes and struggled to lose any weight until she got in her mid 70's and 80's and the weight just wouldn't stay on her body. I was not a thin girl after I reached puberty but I wasn't really big, either. But I FELT like I was. It bothered me that I wasn't as small as I "thought" I should be. I can tell you right now that those thoughts were very harmful to my self worth and it has caused me many challenges over my lifetime. I don't remember if I had other people say things to me about weight or if I saw things in movies, TV shows or read it in books. But somewhere, somehow, I got the idea that I was FAT. But when I look back at pictures of myself during those years...I was NOT fat. I was NOT overweight. I was NOT unattractive. I have read my old diaries from my teen years and I was dieting and trying to lose weight ALL.THE.TIME. The more weight I put on the more diets I tried. I lived a yo-yo life with my weight.

My journey just got harder and more complicated as I got out of high school and got married followed by children. Check back for Part Two of the story.

Helping Transform Lives One Day At A Time

My Favorite Thieves Products with Young Living

Thieves products have become some of my favorite items that I use daily. There are so many but I will try to share just a few. Let me tell you a little about Thieves Essential Oil Blend. "This unique Young Living blend is a carefully crafted balance of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary essential oils and is infused into home and body products you can safely use every day. Our Thieves line offers the versatile products you need to clean your home effectively and to support your family's wellness."

The Thieves Essential Oil Blend is a must have oil for me. I diffuse it with other oils to promote a healthy balance and leaves the room smelling great. If I feel like I am coming down with a cold or something like that, OR I am going on a trip and I want to promote good health while I am on my trip, I put a carrier oil (either coconut or almond oil) in my hand and add a couple of drops of Thieves oil and rub my hands together. Then I rub the oil onto the bottom of my feet and put socks on at night. I make sure I wash my hands with soap to get the oil off my hands because cinnamon is a warm oil and it can burn if it gets in you eye. If it does, do not try washing it out with water. Put a small amount of carrier oil in your eye to get it out with. 

The Thieves Household Cleaner is a must in my home. It is concentrated and you add two cap-fulls to a spray bottle with water. It goes a long way and cleans great. The kids love it because it fills the house with a wonderful cinnamon and lemon smell. I love it because it cleans well and isn't made with harmful ingredients that can ruin clothes or hurt the kids or myself if we breathe it. The little bottles of Thieves Spray are great for taking on trips because you can spray doorknobs, handles, etc. 

They came out with the Thieves Laundry Soap not long ago and it is my second favorite product. I have a front load washer and no matter what soap I used my clothes and towel just didn't smell that great after coming out of the dryer. since using this laundry soap they smell great no matter how long they are in the cabinet and even hanging in the bathroom after one use. It is a small container but it takes so little to do a load that it will wash 64 loads of clothes. You just need 1/4 of a lid. 

The dish soap has Thieves, Jade Lemon and Bergamont essential oils. Jade Lemon is one of my favorite oils! This dish soap cleans well and fills the room with a wonderful smell. No harmful ingredients getting on your hands or on your dishes. 

If you are trying to get away from harmful products you are probably trying to buy healthier foods. The fruits and veggies we buy tend to have pesticides on the outside of them. Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak and Spray are designed to safely and effectively wash produce with the cleaning power of Thieves essential oil blend. It works great. When I do a big grocery run I fill up a tub and put the Thieves Soak in it and add my produce to soak. Then I put them in the fridge ready to eat. I take the spray with me on trips so if we are out and about we can use that to clean our produce. 

One cleaning product I haven't put a picture of is the Thieves Foaming Hand Soap. I got the 3 pk and then bought the refill bottle. I keep one in each bathroom and one in the kitchen. When we go on trips I take one with me. It is easy for the kids to use in the bathroom and goes a long way to help save money. 

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When it comes to my oral care it is Thieves all the way! It got tired of all the harmful ingredients in oral care products at the store. I was thrilled to find Thieves Aromabright Toothpaste. It has Thieves, Peppermint and Spearmint essential oils. It doesn't take a bunch and I think the taste is pretty good. It actually helps whiten your teeth. The Thieves Fresh Essence Plus Mouthwash is a great thing to use after each time you brush. It floods your mouth with the ingredients to promote healthy teeth and gums. And what is oral care without a great dental floss? Thieves Dental Floss has the Thieves and Peppermint. 

So there you have it! I love my Thieves products so much. They have replaced so many harmful products in my home. If you are interested in learning more about them, please feel free to let me know. I love talking about them!!!

​Helping transform lives one day at a time.

10 Tips for Living Fit in a Busy Life

My friend, Nicole O'Dell has written a wonderful blog post about 10 tips for Living Fit in a Busy Life. I don't know about you but my life IS SUPER BUSY! Most people I know would say their lives are busy. And that tends to get in the way of them doing the things for themselves. They don't realize that we could better serve in the areas we are called to, be it a wife, mom, friend, employee, etc. if we make that time for ourselves. I read her article and just couldn't help asking her if I could share it with you. So here you go....

By Nicole O'Dell @ Fit and Busy Life

10 Tips for Living Fit in a Busy Life.....

I’ll be the first to admit that living fit is difficult when you’re smack dab in the middle of a busy life. You already know how busy I am. I have five kids still at home, a full-time job, church activities, grad school, book writing, blah, blah, blah. All the day’s minutes? They are used up. Your story may be different than mine, but I’m sure you feel no less busy than I do. So how do we find time to make things like working out and eating healthy food possible?

I’ve learned by trial and error how to prioritize fitness in a way that doesn’t make me feel guilty or selfish, and so it doesn’t get pushed aside in the hustle. By making it work, I feel healthy and invigorated, which translates into more productivity and better moods throughout the day. Everybody wins!​..........

Follow this link to see the entire article. 

Helping transform lives one day at a time.

Age Does Not Define You

I've always known that age is just a number. I was raised by my grandparents. They were in their early 50's when I was born, yes, around mine and my husbands ages. I lived with them from the time I left the hospital until I got married. I watched them do things that most people don't think OLD people do. My grandfather worked on cars until he was in his 70's, not as much as when he was younger but he was still quite capable. I watched them take up golf in their 50's and never stopped playing as long as they lived. I watched my grandmother learn how to snow ski when she was in her 70's. She played golf in the Senior Olympics every year after she turned 80. She always got a gold metal because there wasn't anyone else in her age group! She was amazing. She even played in it a few short months before being diagnosed with colon cancer at age 90. She was a strong woman at any age. The number didn't matter. My aunt was just like her mom. She was super active and stayed that way her whole life. She died not long ago of natural causes, in her sleep. It was just time for her to go. 

The other night I was driving to pick up my youngest from dance class. On the radio they were doing calls about peoples moms. One lady was talking about her mom and said she was 63 and a very fragile and sweet lady. Now, there is NOTHING wrong with what she said. But what struck me is I will be 63 in less than 13 years. How do I want my children to describe me? Not as fragile. I am working very hard to change my activity, my food and the products we use so they are safer. 

I would love for my children, and anyone else, to say I am strong, happy, and lots of fun. I am sure I could come up with a few more things I would like but you get the "picture", pun intended. I found THIS picture online yesterday and it went right along with what I was feeling about that radio show. I am NOT going to be a "little old lady", although, yes, I am very short compared to my children. And I tease them that I feel like a little old lady standing next to them. But I've had strong examples growing up. There is no reason I shouldn't strive to be just as active and strong as they were. In this way, I am carrying on the legacy they started. My children are very into fitness and being healthy and strong. They will teach their children to do the same. THAT is what I want. THAT is what I am working towards. 

How about you? Is that a goal for you? To live your entire life? Yes, I worded that correctly. Because I want to live as long as I am alive. I don't want to just exist. Let's work on it together and get in the best shape of our lives. Doesn't matter your age, it's just a number. Don't let your age define you. Define your life with action. 

Helping transform lives one day at a time. 

Girls Only Color Run 2016

The Color Run is a family fun day for us. (I say "girls only" because this year only the girls in our family did it.) The first year I did it was 2013 with my oldest daughter. The following year my teens joined the fun. This year only my two girls and my granddaughter were there, my oldest surprised us with tickets! Next year it is my hope to have even more join us. My husband never will because getting covered in paint-powder is not his idea of fun, lol. But that is OK. He actually runs a mile in under 7 minutes, so he passes me up pretty quickly and can run circles around me. 

Here are pictures of me, one from 2 years ago and one from today. I see big changes and my weight is not that much different in the two pictures. Maybe 10 pounds or less. But I was not doing any weight training in 2014. I wasn't even doing a ton of running other than in races. I see so many changes in the second picture. My calves and thighs are smaller. My waist is smaller. Even my face looks different. 

If you are ready to see changes in your body, not just the scale, private message me and we can talk about how I can help you find the road to success like I have. 

~Helping transform lives one day at a time.

My First 15K

Hot Chocolate 15K

I picked up my runner's goodie bag yesterday. I was getting ready for my first 15K. My very first race was the HC5K so it's only fitting my first 15K would be this one. It was challenging but I pushed myself and did my very best and nothing less. It has been a couple of years since I was in even a 5K so the 15K seemed a bit much to me but I was excited to do it anyway. How do you challenge yourself? Do you? You have to push yourself past your comfort zone in order to grow and get better. 

I got up super early and didn't stop going for most of the day. It was a very busy morning! 

Here are just a few things you might like to know.

*This was my first 15K

*It was also my first race of any kind in almost 2 years...yikes!

*My very first race was the HC5K 

*It was in the 30s this morning and the sun never came out to warm things up.

*My feet didn't hurt until mile 9.

*I took sips of my Hydrate during the race to keep me going but at the end I drank most of it. I didn't want to have to potty during the race.

*I would pick a light or a tree and run until I got to it. Often times I was able to keep running past that once I got going. Giving myself goals to shoot for helped.

*I took it one mile at a time. Once I got to 6 miles I knew I was only a 5k away from finishing. 

*When I did a 10K 2 years ago my feet hurt between mile 4 and 5 so they were hurting badly by the time I finished. Today I passed mile 6 feeling great!

*Having family or friends waiting for you at the finish line makes all the difference in the world. 

*Hearing them call my name as I came towards the finish line and them saying what a great job I did brought tears to my eyes. It was pretty cool. 

*Getting the finisher's metal was awesome!

*Getting a cup of hot chocolate and a bowl of fondue hit the spot. I ate it all but the marshmallows and rice crispy treat.

*Going to eat breakfast after I make them stand out in the cold is a tradition. Old West is a new venue. It was delicious. 

*Normally I can't fall asleep after a race, any size race. Today I fell asleep shortly afterwards and slept for a couple of hours.

*Stretching and "rolling" my feet and legs is a must in my recovery. Plus a hot bath and a cup of Recharge at bedtime. 

*Will I do it again? Yep, next year and every year after as long as I can. I am sad I missed last year. 

**I forgot to turn off my Nike app at the finish line and turned it off after I walked all the way to get my finisher's mug of fondue.

**I forgot to turn off my Polar watch until I was almost to the car! 

There you have it. My day. What did yours look like?

~Helping transform lives one day at a time