Author: AMANDA WRIGHT

Categories
Fit Faith Friday Fitness & Training

{FitFaithFriday} Meet fitGevity Creator and Travel Specialist, Kate Higgins!

My Interview with Kate Higgins:

I met the beautiful Kate Higgins through a business coaching program called the Best of You.  Kate and I have been virtual friends for a while and then got to meeting in person last September at our annual retreat!  She is wonderful, graceful, and really easy to get along with!    She was kind enough to interview me for her first ever #TravelTuesday interview series (!) she does on her site (since I am an active traveler) and I was so happy to interview her for this #FitFaithFriday feature too!  

She was a little nervous about our Fit & Faithful space here because she said, "Well, I am pretty private about my Faith and don't talk about it much.  I probably couldn't quote you any scriptures or anything." 

I assured her that this is NOT the forum in which we judge each other based on "rule following" principles of religion, right?!!  I aspire to do just as God did for David, "People look at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  (1 Samuel 16:7)

I am overjoyed when I have friends who are willing to share anything about their Faith and their own Spiritual journey because we are all a work in progress and it makes God so happy when we offer up any amount of Faith that we have!  Whatever we give, He will make it grow (it IS the Law of the Harvest, afterall!).  

So it's my honor to present Kate's thoughtful answers to the questions below!  

Me: Tell us a little bit about what you do--when you started and why you started:

Kate: I am a fitness blogger, and I specialize in staying fit and healthy while traveling. My blog, fitGevity, started out as a resource to support my line of resistance bands I created in 2014. Since then it has evolved into personal blog dedicated mostly to my travels and how I maintain a healthy lifestyle while traveling
 
I made this shift with fitGevity for a number of reasons. First, how much fun is it to constantly be writing about resistance bands?? The answer - not too much! Second, a 20 pound weight gain while traveling around Thailand for four months made me realize that traveling and staying healthy isn’t the easiest thing to do. I wanted to share my experiences, mistakes, and solutions with other travelers with the hopes that they will be able to avoid a substantial weight gain like mine. Lastly, after driving for Uber for a few months, and talking with literally a few hundred people who constantly travel, I began to notice that staying healthy on the road is hard for everyone! From there I decided that my mission is to help as many travelers as possible via coaching to stay fit and healthy while traveling.
 
Kate Higgins
 

Me: How does your Faith impact your Fitness and your Fitness impact your Faith?

Kate: For me, my faith is pretty personal. I find that I don’t often share my feelings or beliefs with others. So my health and fitness are intertwined with my faith. I’m always grateful for my ability to move, exercise, treat my body well, and help others through my blog. I also feel like being able to help others with their health and fitness is a great way to give back! 
 
 
 
 

Me:  What is the #1 struggle that you see women facing today and how do you think Faith and/or Fitness can help them? 

 
Kate: One main struggle I see with women today is losing their individual identities to their families. As women we are often times the caretakers of our families. In the end we give up our own desires, wants, likes, etc, for the good of the family. This level of sacrifice comes from a good place in our hearts, but in the long run can make us lose track of who we really are.
 
I think staying true to our beliefs as well as making time for our health helps to keep us mindful of who we really are. Faith and fitness give us time that’s just ours. If we feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally then we are going to thrive as individuals, be more likely to stand up for what is most important to us, and will be less likely to lose our identities.
 

 uber shoot Kat Higgins
 

Me: What is the greatest lesson you have learned recently that is tied to your Fitness or your Faith?

 
Kate: The biggest lesson I have learned recently is that the truth will set you free. Holding onto anything can become toxic after a while. Lying, keeping secrets, and making up excuses is exhausting! It gives us anxiety, makes us dread seeing certain people, and the longer we hold onto it the more likely that the secret will come out at the wrong place and time.
 
While getting something off your chest might be tough, it’s incredibly worthwhile in the long run. You will feel as if a weight has lifted, stress has been reduced, and mental space has been freed up. This can lead to a healthier lifestyle, decreased levels of anxiety and stress, weight loss, a higher level of happiness, and more productivity.  
 

ME: What dreams do you have for the future? 

Kate: I have some big dreams for this year and the future! My goal is to continue to grow my blog. It may not sound like much, but by the end of the year if I have helped even 10 travelers stay healthy while on the road I will have accomplished my mission for the year).
As time goes on I want to continue growing my brand and to reach more people. I’m not exactly sure how I will accomplish this just yet - which programs I will design, inspiration I’ll gain along the way - but I trust that as long as I put forth 100% effort that I will be guided down the right path.
Kate Higgins 2
 
 

ME: Do you have anything coming up that we can participate in? 

Kate: Yes! I have a free four day travel fitness coaching course coming out by the end of next week! I’m extremely excited about this program and have put lots of blood, sweat, and tears...well, you get the picture...into it. This program is a webinar style training delivered over four days, and covers everything from packing tips to exercise and nutrition. I’d love for anyone who travels frequently or is planning to go on a vacation in the near future to try it out! 🙂
 
 
 
You can find Kate and her Travel Tips on any of her social media pages here: 
Website: http://www.fitgevitysolutions.com

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fitgevity

instagram: http://www.instagram.com/fitgevity

twitter: http://www.twitter.com/fitgevity

 
 
Categories
Fitness & Training Spiritual Health

Why Two People Who Do The Exact Same Thing Will Experience Wildly Different Results…

Using the Laws of the Harvest In a Real Life Example!

 
A lot of people have asked me if I am against people doing bikini competitions since I have told so many stories about the negative consequences of having done mine.  And I wholeheartedly tell them, “Absolutely not!”   I am in fact prepping a client for a bikini competition as we speak!  She’s about 10 weeks away!
 
But also, the reason I would never dare to tell someone not to go after such a lofty goal is that there are a lot of really great things that can come out of pushing ourselves far out of our comfort zones.  There is SO MUCH that I learned about my CHARACTER in that process of taking things “too far” for MY body that I have ZERO regrets about.
 
There are some people that actually THRIVE and really LOVE the competition world and can maintain a high character approach toward doing such activity.
 
One such example is one of my best friends and prayer partner, Jennifer.  She was one who trained me and dozens of other women for these competitions with her husband.  Jennifer did a couple different competitions herself over the years and told me she was was able to actually use them to grow closer to God!
 
Anything and everything we do can be an act of worship.  So especially those really challenging goals we push for, we can definitely lean more on Him and we will be better for it!  While Jennifer will tell you she won’t do another one (they are huge sacrifices, especially if you have young kids, like she does), her experience was markedly different than mine.
 

 So why is that in life?

 
How is it that two women, both with hearts for God, can engage in the SAME endeavor, “planting our seeds” into the same routines,  desiring the same outcomes,  but experiencing radically different “HARVESTS” as a result?
 
 
This is often where we get hung up as we decide to try to do those things that we see our friends do, especially after we see their success.
 
The key to understanding the differences in these “harvests” and rewards is to realize that there are THREE vital parts to the Law of the Harvest, not just the two.
 
There’s the obvious SEED (our thoughts, our words and our actions)
Then there’s the obvious HARVEST (the results, our success, and our character blessing,too).
 
The THIRD aspect to this equation is the real difference maker.
 

It's the SOIL.

 
The SOIL is the *KEY* component into whether the seeds sprouts a REWARDING harvest or whether the the seeds withers, dies and gets ‘choked' by the weeds of life.
 
Take a look at the powerful words of Jesus’ Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13 which I like in The Message translation.
 

"A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it  fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” (Matthew 13:3-8)

 
It’s obvious that this Farmer had worked hard to scatter his seeds.  And it wasn’t the SEEDS fault that it failed because each seed was made with equal potential for greatness and success!  The same goes for you and me.  We are all created in equal love and ability for our own blessings and destiny.
 
The key difference as to whether the seed found success or not was the nutritious depth of environment that it was planted.
 
In other words if you don’t plant your SEEDS (i.e. your thoughts, words and actions) into an environment that doesn't have depth and nutrition, then the shallow soil will not produce the fruitful harvest you desire.
 
That’s exactly what went wrong with my experience in the bikini competition.
 
As I learned, more retrospectively, that the real reason WHY I decided to do the bikini competition was in order to “look the part” of someone I thought I was supposed to be.  
 
The real reason WHY  I chased having a “perfect body” was because I thought that was the answer to my body images issues and ultimately would give me self-love and happiness.   
 

My “WHY" was my soil.  Your WHY is your soil too.  

 
 If it’s a shallow, self-serving, or an overall unhealthy reason WHY you are really doing what you are doing then it will NOT produce the rich harvest of blessings that you want it to because God wants SO MUCH MORE for you life. 
 
{And by “really” doing, I mean, the real, deep reason why you are doing what you are doing.  Not the reason you tell others or even convince yourself you are doing something.  It might even be subconscious for a while, but eventually God will allow it to come to light.  Your WHY matters most. } 
 
"Planting on the PATHWWAY ": 
Sometimes we make half-hearted choices in our health, the most shallow of all. We know these well.  We commit to a “diet” that we’re never really going to follow.  We sign up for a “program” that we don’t even open.  We get that gym membership but never show up to use it.  We don’t ever really COMMIT and therefore our WHY is extra shallow.   These are equivalent to the “path” where the birds came and eat those seeds.  Nothing will come from these efforts.
 
"Planting On Shallow Soil":
Sometimes we get excited and so we make hasty, quick decisions and see some quick results….but inevitably those seeds sprout quickly and die just as quickly.
 
We do that 3-day cleanse, but then we go right back to eating how we used to.  We take drops or diet pills that decrease our appetite to lose weight quickly.  We do an extreme workout regime for a month or two, preparing for a “special occasion.”  But those extreme tactics cannot be sustained and are equivalent to the soil in the gravel.  The faster it comes off, the faster it will come right back on.
 
"Planting Among the Weeds"
Then, there are times we we *think* we are planting our “seeds” in rich and deep soil of good intentions.   This was me in my big endeavor in my bikini competition and DOZENS of other life experiences I’ve had.
 
We make the commitment alright, but soon realize that WEEDS sprout up all around us.
 
I love what Jesus tells us about the soil with the weeds (from The Message translation again which is extra powerful).
 

 “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.”  (Matthew 13:22 MSG)

 
For anyone that has planted a garden, you know that you don’t need to GROW WEEDS.  Weeds just sprout up.  The same thing happens in our head as we plant our seeds the the soil of opportunity.
 

Weeds are lies we start to believe about ourselves.  

 
Weeds are the distractions of self-doubt, selfishness or even conflict.  Weeds are the result of SIN and our human nature and the devil getting in the way of our destiny.
 
These weeds strangle our good intentions of the Spirit and distorts them, ruining the harvest.
 

"For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” Galatians 5:17

 

BUT, GOD.

 
It would seem to be a lost cause that we would ever be able to truly reap a rich harvest we desire out of life, doesn’t it?  
 
Indeed, I think a lot of people lose hope here.  Thinking, “What’s the point? I’m always going to self-sabotage and will never escape my habits of worry."
 
It is a huge challenge in our lives and I am not trying to play this down at all.
 
BUT, Jesus is "the way, the truth and the life."  (John 14:6) 
 
But I believe that it is MORE THAN possible to plant your seeds of your health and your life in the deep, rich soil that is Jesus and you will WIN the harvest of your destiny.
 
When you align your WHY with God’s WHY for your life, and not the life of those you see around you, you will find that there are far fewer weeds that will get in your way and choke your destiny away from you.  
 

"Planting on the Good Soil":

When your health becomes less about YOU and more about what you can do to better serve God’s kingdom, the richness of your soil will be incredible.  It will sprout harvests for generations and generations.  

 
Listen to what Jesus went on to say about planting seeds on “Good Earth,"
 

 “The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” (Matthew 13:23 MSG)

 
The "NEWS" is that Jesus has already done all of the hard work for you when He died on the cross.
 
The "NEWS" is that you don’t actually have to strive for and earn the things you think you do, God has worked it all out for you.
 
The "NEWS" is that He has come through with his weed whacker and has prepared some fertile ground for JUST YOU to plant.   You just need to have COURAGE, FAITH and TRUST that God will always do what He says He will do.
 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

 
There are over 7,000 promises in the Bible like this that you can ROOT yourself and your health in.   When you focus on Him and focus on His TRUTH the weeds of your doubt and the lies in your head simply cannot survive.
 

Get deep.  Look for your real WHY and you will win.  You will win!

"Harvesting My Health" Free Download!

If you are interested in learning more about how to Harvest Your Health in 2016, then I'd love to welcome you to my email list!  I'll be giving away the BEST content to my inner tribe!     In fact, I have a FREE 7-Day devotional series I wrote for you on "Harvesting My Health" through the 7-Laws of the Harvest!  I think you'll really like it!

Just click the button below to grab your free copy and I'll look forward to connecting with you soon!

FREE 7-Day Devotional

Categories
Fit Faith Friday Health Coaching

{FitFaithFriday} Debbie Baisden

Debbie2_Momsanity

As I mentioned last week, I was honored that Momsanity extended such love and care to me as a "newbie" into the Fit and Faith world. The more I learn about these two women, the more I admire them and know that God had a hand in our introduction. I can't wait to see where it grows!

You'll find all of Debbie's answers to my questions to be incredible and helpful to all of us that are going similar circumstances. She *GETS IT* and that's such a blessing.

HOWEVER, what she doesn't tell us in this interview is more of her story, which speaks volumes of who she is.

Debbie started her own business (with the lovely Emily) after unexpectedly losing her husband and the father of her 4 young boys, who were 8, 7, 4 and 4 (twins). Emotion catches in my chest just trying to comprehend that.

The strength this woman has, and the warrior that God clearly called her to be, speaks volumes to the courage that Debbie has, the passion that she has to help women in their Fitness and Faith, and just how amazing God is that He can turn such tragedy into grace-filled and joyful opportunities in this life.

You can read more about her personal story from a blog I found of her website on her personal blog HERE. My favorite line is right after she tells about this unspeakable tragedy, her first sentence says, "God is so good."

Understanding the background of Debbie's life is a gift to see what humble strength looks like. She truly cares about what she does and about helping women in their Fitness and Faith. I'm honored to showcase and feature her here!

 

Me: Tell us a little bit more about what you do and how you came to start it?  

Debbie: Superficially, I began pursuing all things fitness and nutrition because of vanity.  My pants were shrinking and my diet rivaled a teenage boy’s.  My friend (and now partner-in-crime) Emily taught me there were smarter ways to get my pants to fit that would help me look and feel my best.  Now she and I have teamed up to help other moms navigate fitness and nutrition in a way that honors Jesus.
 

 Me: How do you think your Fitness impacts your Faith and your Faith impacts your Fitness?

Debbie: By taking care of my body that’s made in the image of God, I am able to have the strength and energy to serve Him better.  By turning my workouts into a form of worshiping my Maker, I have a perspective of thankfulness for an able body.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!
 

Me:  What is the number one thing that you see women struggling with today?  How do you think Fitness and/or Faith can help them?

 
Debbie: I think women are discouraged.  Change seems impossible, defeat from the past echoes daily and they are just so busy that they are drained in every area of life.  I think faith is the game-changer and fitness is simply a byproduct.  When they can dig in to God’s Word they discover how precious and valuable they are.  As they spend more time in prayer and study, they are transformed inwardly and have this realization that it’s an honor to take care of their beautiful bodies.  It is all about a heart change.
 

Me: What is the biggest lesson you've learned recently?

 
Debbie: God is having to constantly teach me that I am not the boss.  I have the need to drop to my knees and lay everything at His feet.  I have asked Him to stretch my faith and to increase my reliance on Him.  He is doing that both professionally as well as in my walk with Him.  I am being forced to be uncomfortable, which is exactly how my faith should look.  I must stop boxing God in and attempting to humanize Him.
 

Me: What dreams do you have for this year and for the future?  What role do you expect God to play in developing these into realities?

Debbie:  Without Him, every plan will flop.  I want Him to direct my steps.  I want Him to be before me, beside me and behind me.  What I want is to become a cheerleader for more women, teaching them that they are already worthy and that they can juggle the demands of motherhood in a way that brings joy.  I really want to empower women to take care of their bodies in a way that honors Christ.  Momsanity has a lot of plans in place to really go all out and it’s exciting to see what this year looks like.

 

Me: Is there anything you have coming up that we can join you in? 

Debbie: Momsanity does in fact have at least 2 major exciting announcements this spring!  Both of these will be really amazing ways to help moms in our mission that focuses on Motherhood, Faith, Fitness and Nutrition.  We will begin announcing in February what we have been working hard on for months.  Until then, stay tuned to www.projectmomsanity.com so you don’t miss out!
 
Without_Him_every_plan_will_flop._I_want_Him_to_direct_my_steps._I_want_Him_to_be_before_me_beside_me_andbehind_me.
 
If you'd like to connect with Debbie, here's where to find her!
 
Debbie Wilkins Baisden is a widow-turned-newlywed mom of 4 little boys who thrive on volume, violence and destruction. Debbie leads local workouts and runs 2 online businesses that zero in on helping others look and feel their best. You can find her at www.projectmomsanity.com and www.fitwithdeb.com
 
 
 
Categories
Spiritual Health

Harvesting More Energy In Your Life!

Using the Laws of the Harvest In a Real Life Example!

I've been doing a lot of research lately about how we get exactly what we really WANT and what we really NEED out of life, especially as it relates to our desires for our health.   My journey led me to the universal law, as designed by God, of the "Law of the Harvest" (a.k.a "you reap what you sow"principle in life).  

Understanding this rudimentary Law in life has completely changed my approach to getting what I want in life as well as my expectation of what that process will look like.  Understanding THIS helps us to understand GOD and the UNIVERSE.  When we understand Him (slightly better), we better understand ourselves, since we are made in His image.  When we understand ourselves, we are empowered to make better choices which ultimately lead us to getting what it is we say we want! 

 As some of you may have received some of my recent emails on this or the blog post introduction and hopefully grabbed your copy of the free 7-Day Devotional called “Harvesting My Health,” there are several “Laws of the Harvest” that we must consider to actually use this God-given law for our excellence.  
 
As it happens, this week that I started this conversation with you all, it  happened to be the exact week that Rick Warren did a series called “Daring to Plant In Faith” on his podcast I listen to called, Daily Hope.  Is this JUST a coincidence?!  I think not!  #Godwink
 
But, as it goes, the great Pastor Rick took my well researched 7 Laws of the Harvest from my devotional and put his own “Rick Warren" spin and expanded them to 11-Laws of the Harvest!  You can listen to Part 1 of this podcast HERE or you can listen to the original entire sermon from Saddleback Church HERE.  The man is just a genius teacher!
 
So, to help you understand these Laws in your real life health efforts, I wanted to give you an example of how you might think through the these laws. 
 
 

Rick Warren’s 11 Laws of the Harvest for Real Life Goals

Law #1:  Everything starts as a SEED.  

Your BODY itself is a SEED that will need to be planted in order to get more energy. 
Your THOUGHTS about desiring more energy are also SEEDS that need to get planted in order to provide the actions necessary.  
 

Law #2:  Nothing Happens Until the Seed Is Planted

You can’t just complain about not having low energy.  You can’t just “wish” for more ENERGY.  You can’t even just PRAY for more energy.  You have to PLANT THE SEEDS (i.e. show some action) to get more energy.  
 
You must also realize that if you DON’T DO ANYTHING to plant more energy, by DEFAULT you ARE actually planting seeds of DECREASED energy.  So the lesson is to do at least something.
 

Law #3:  When I Have a Need, I Plant a Seed

Because I NEED (i.e. desire) more energy, I need to plant the seeds that will get me MORE energy— things like work outs, proper rest, and nutritious food. 
 
It will also have to AVOID planting those seeds that will get me those things that COUNTERACT my efforts for more energy—sitting too much, not getting to sleep at a reasonable hour, over-caffeinating myself, eating junk food, eating too much food, eating too little of food, etc.  If you feel low energy, start paying attention to what choices you have made that day that’s bringing your energy down.  Putting 2:2 together is a big step!
 

Law #4:  Whatever I Plant Is What I Will Reap:

I have to plant those things that actually produce MORE ENERGY to attain more energy.  I can’t plant WORRY and expect to get MORE ENERGY.  I can’t plant BUSYNESS and expect MORE ENERGY.  
 
You might have to try some things out and monitor how it’s going.  It might take a trial and error, but the power here is in the INTENTION of it.  Try just one thing intentionally and see if it works!  Monitor, adjust and keep going.  
 

Law #5: I am not the Only Sower

I realize that I am living in some of the harvests that I did not plant.  I might have entered into a world of chaos that affects my ENERGY.   I might have “inherited” a tendency to worry and overanalyze, which drains my energy.  
 
But I have the POWER to stop any inheritance that I do not want to pass along to others.  I can’t control the past, or what other people do around me,  but I can choose to create brand new legacy and example of energy management.  
 

Law #6:  I Always Reap In a Different Season Than I Sow

These results will take time, there is always a delay.  I cannot expect instant energy from just one day of planting.  You always feel LESS energy during the workout but you get a nice big boost after!  Cutting back on sugar at first makes you feel low energy, but ultimately you'll have a much better energy balance than before!
 
You have to build up consistent effort to figure out what works and what doesn’t work.   After some time, then I will reap the harvest of high energy that I desire. 
 

Law #7:  I Must Be Patient and Not Give Up

Because of the delay that we often see in our efforts, many people become impatient and give up.  But not you!  You realize that every great thing in life results from an uphill battle and you can be ready and willing to push through those times.  You may have to lose some energy to gain some energy, and that’s a sacrifice that will be worth it if you don’t give up! 
 

Law #8:  I Will Always Reap More Than I Sow

This is the Law of Multiplication.  I will get MORE out of what I put in.  So if I want just small efforts for my healthy energy, I will get more energy than I invest.  If I need to see bigger shifts in my energy, I need to invest more in the planting!  
 
In the same way, there are small energy zappers that I could be doing that drain much more energy than I thought they would.  Having my phone on in my bed?  Hanging out with those friends who just pour out their troubles onto me?  Repeating those worries in my mind without praying or giving them to God?  All of these little things will reap and steal more energy than I think. 
 

Law #9:  I Can Always Increase My Harvest By Planting More Seeds

This is the 'Law of Proportion.’  All I have to do is start with some small acts in an effort to get more energy.  If I find that they are working, I can just push those acts more and more and get more out of them!   But there is no pressure to start BIG.  I can always add more!

  

Law #10:  The More Seed I Plant, The More God Will Give Me

God is looking for GIVERS to bless.  Those people that are the most ACTIVE for the GOOD of others are blessed with LOTS OF ENERGY.    God will bless me for those Good efforts by giving me more and more responsibility and need for energy.  The more Ido for the world around me, the more energy God will give me to be able to do it all.  
 
 

Law #11:  I Plant by Faith, NOT By Feelings:

I will never ever FEEL like doing those things that will give me more energy.  Many times I will have to plant when I don’t FEEL LIKE IT, but I’ll do it anyway because I know that’s the only way I get what I want out of life.   
 
Planting by Faith means that I do things for the deeper reason WHY.  When I cling to that reason and don’t detour on whims of emotion, I’ll get far more out of your goals and build my character too.  It will pay off HUGE dividends when I sacrifice my immediate gratification for my greater investment down the road.  
  
Reap What You Sow
 
In short, we have to realize that the things that really matter in life, and having ENERGY is something that really does matter, even though it’s something that God wants for us to have, WE are responsible in just how much we invest and therefore harvest.  
 
God doesn’t operate as just a “vending machine” where we think we just “put in” our part and “God’s part” automatically spits out what we want.  A vending machine God does not build our heart or our character.  
 
Our heart and our character are the “treasures” that we take with us to heaven.  So it only makes sense that God will ALLOW US to “store up” those real treasures in heaven while we are also getting more out of the life that we are living NOW.  What a gift that is!  (Matthew 6:20)
 
It is an honor to get to work for the things we really want out of life.  It is a privilege and it makes our reward that much more rewarding!
 
So, here’s to planting more energy for you TODAY! 

"Harvesting My Health" Free Download!

If you are interested in learning more about how to Harvest Your Health in 2016, then I'd love to welcome you to my email list!  I'll be giving away the BEST content to my inner tribe!     In fact, I have a FREE 7-Day devotional series I wrote for you on "Harvesting My Health" through the 7-Laws of the Harvest!  I think you'll really like it!

Just click the button below to grab your free copy and I'll look forward to connecting with you soon!

FREE 7-Day Devotional

Categories
Uncategorized

{FitFaithFriday} Joining the “Momsanity” with Emily Saunders!

I was delighted to get the opportunity to get to know the founders of Momsanity, Emily Saunders and DebbieBAISDEN.  They are both doing some incredible things for mom's and women desiring simple but effective ways to stay fit and balanced in life! 

Today, I got the chance to get some more insight from the co-founder, Emily and loved what she had to say!  You can tell she has an incredible Spirit (especially when you read that she offered to do this interview while 28-weeks pregnant and wearing a cast on her foot!).  

I loved what I learned through her eyes, and I know you will too!  IMG_4016k

Me: Tell us a little bit about what you do and how you came to start it?

Emily: My partner Debbie and I started Momsanity almost 3 years ago when my son was a tiny baby.  She was newly widowed.  It was a crazy time in our lives.  I found that there were plenty of resources for FIT mom and also for moms of Faith, but not a lot that put it all together.  Our mission is to help busy Moms juggle their many responsibilities while prioritizing faith, fitness and nutrition.  We focus on putting God first while offering programming by Moms and for Moms including short and effective fat-loss focused workout videos and realistic but scientific nutrition guidelines, recipes, and more.  Our Momsanity Sisterhood Facebook group is where God really works His wonders.  Our sisters pray together, encourage one another, ask for and offer advice, share successes and struggles and so much more.  It's a beautiful thing!
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Me: How does your Faith impact your Fitness and your Fitness impact your Faith?

Emily: I love this question!  Fitness impacts my faith in many ways.  Our earthly bodies are weak no matter how "strong" they are.  I depend on God to get me through every single day.  I also appreciate that a passion for fitness is a gift that God gave me to share with others.  I love how He works in so many ways!   How does Faith impact my fitness?  My workouts used to be about achieving a certain look, but now I just want to be strong and healthy so that God can use me however He sees fit.  I also give myself a lot of grace.  It's ok to have seasons where fitness is not a top priority even though it's a big part of my job.  He's got it all figured out :)certainly work hand in hand! So many aspects of faith and fitness mirror each other, and they integrate well together.  
 
 

Me:  What is the #1 struggle that you see women facing today and how do you think Faith and/or Fitness can help them? 

 
Emily: The I think that women struggle with conflicting messages coming from every angle.  Be strong.  Be submissive.  Be a leader.  Don't be too bossy......  Both faith and fitness can help with the struggle.  I think that a balance of both creates a quiet confidence- confidence in something bigger than ourselves that carries us through.  God never changes and if we read and follow His word then we'll always be on the right track to what matters.
 

Me: What is the greatest lesson you have learned recently?

 
Emily: Going back a couple of questions...I'm grateful for an able body.  It's something I take for granted far too often.  At 28 weeks pregnant I tore some soft tissue in my ankle while getting up off of the floor (yes really!).  I had to be in a cast for 3 weeks and it made me so very thankful for a strong and otherwise able body.  The experience reinforced to me that no matter how strong we are, our earthly bodies are still feeble.  It made me appreciate two working legs and the ability to run around and chase my son on the playground even when I don't feel like it.  It reminded me of the power of prayer as my injury often requires surgery, but so far it's healing beautifully on its own!
 

Me: What dreams do you have for this year and for the future?  What role do you expect God to play in developing these into realities?

Emily:  At Momsanity we have so many fun things planned.  We are focusing on ONE goal per month with our Sisters in 2016 as "bite sized chunks" work best in making lasting changes.  For the first time we have several brand new physical products planned AND we're changing membership site platforms soon.  God has been with us from Day 1- He breathed Momsanity into existence- and He's working in our sisterhood of women constantly. We pray and listen and plan.  He closes some doors and opens others.  It's a wild ride for sure!

 

ME: Do you have anything coming up that we can participate in? 

Emily:  We're excited for a fun February challenge called #onthewall.  We'll be encouraging ladies to participate by taking a time out to do a wall sit and recite Psalm 23.  Women need more quiet time and sometimes these little "time outs" that incorporate fitness with time with God can be a perfect reminder to do so!  More details coming on both Facebook and Instagram. 
 
 If you'd like to connect with Emily and the Momsanity nature more, you can find them on these social media platforms!
 
 
 
Emily Saunders is a co-founder of Momsanity along with her partner Debbie.  She is passionate about helping women achieve lasting changes both physically and spiritually.  She is a Mom to 3 year old Adler and has another baby boy on the way in February.  Emily is married to Wiggy, an Integrative MD and together they created Raise Them Well- a brand that creates  toxic-free products for kids and families.  Find out more at www.raisethemwell.com
 
Emily Saunders
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Spiritual Health Uncategorized

New Series: Harvesting Our Health in 2016

Harvesting Our Health in 2016

Confession time.   I have NO green thumb.  I thought it was green for a while there, but apparently I was seeing things.  
Yes, I thought I had seens some shades of sage or even a nice evergreen color on my thumb when I planted some nice boxes of fresh herbs for all the cooking I was going to do...  
...and when I bought REAL house plants, instead of the fake ones, when I thought it wouldn't be that hard to water them.  
 
...and when I bought even those EASY succulents in that planter for my office, because who can mess up a plant you don't have to water all that often?
 
I can.  That's who.  
 
Dead.
Dead.
Dead.
 
I guess I didn't really account for the fact that we travel for over 100 nights per year (although in my defense, I wasn't prepared for that).  Or just for the fact that I OFTEN forget to do MANY THINGS that are right in front of my face!
 
How many times I thought, "Oh I should water that plant!" But then thought, "Meh, I don't feel like it right now, I'll remember to later." Only, never to remember, obvi.
 
Those poor, pretty plants are all dead now NOT because of something horrible I did to them. 
I didn't water them with cyanide.  I didn't cut holes into their stems, cutting off their water system.  I didn't shut them out of the sunlight.  
 
No.
 
They're all dead because I never committed to doing the things I needed to do in order to keep them alive.    
It was my INACTIVITY, not my ACTIVITY that was their demise.  It wasn't the plant's fault, I just didn't take responsibility.  
 
Those living plants were in SURVIVAL MODE and I didn't give to them the nutrition and the care they needed to move into THRIVAL MODE and eventually, their resilience gave way and I was left with FAILURE.  
 

THIS ^^^^^ IS THE LAW OF THE HARVEST. 

 
Now, before I move forward with this principle, let's make sure we CLEAR UP what this law IS and what this law IS NOT.
 
WHAT IT IS:

In short, this is the "you reap what you sow" principle in life. 

 
However, there appears to be some common confusion and mixing of this principle with OTHER modern principles and beliefs.  For example:
 
  • The Law of the Harvest is NOT the same as Karma.  It doesn't simply mean the "what goes around comes back around" belief as taught in Hinduism and Buddhism (although, technically, these religions believe that a PAST LIFE actions determine the fate of our PRESENT LIFE).  
 
  • The Law of the Harvest is also NOT the same as "Newton's 3rd Law of Energy" either, which states that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
 
Again, these principles are SIMILAR, and I'm not saying that they don't necessarily exist (although I don't believe in the "past life" principles of Buddhism and Hinduism), I'm stating the obvious fact that MANY PEOPLE commonly confuse words like "Karma" with this Biblical principle and Law of the Harvest.
 
The Law of the Harvest is much, much better than Karma and the laws of physics because we're talking about GOD here.  
 
We are getting into the abundant, supernatural, all powerful kind of laws that reflect God's goodness and God' love for us.  
 
Of course, in real life, this law that was designed to be a GIFT quickly become our demise because the other side of the coin is the REALITY that we do a lot of things that result in far greater negative consequences than we signed up for.  
 
Many tend to BLAME God in these times where we are suffering the consequences not of our own actions, but of the actions of others who came before us.   So what God has created for our BLESSING feels like a PUNISHMENT because the fall of Man has broken this system. 
 

Here's What I See....

So, SO  many of us are in "Survival Mode" in our health and in our life.  And, like my poor plants, we are not giving ourselves a chance to grow from SURVIVING to THRIVING.   We are barely hangin on.  
But God did NOT create us to merely survive in life.  Or to settle of mediocrity.
 
Oh no.
 
He created us to THRIVE in life.  He created us for a "Promised Land" type of lifestyle and health.
 
And I know so many of us have full INTENTION of one day "Thriving" in our health, but just haven't committed to doing the things we need to do in order to allow for that transition to take place.
 

And here's the kicker, I think it's simply because we don't fully UNDERSTAND and APPLY the Law(s) of the Harvest, so we DO A LOT OF THINGS in a way that won't allow us to graduate from surviving to thriving.

 We go half-hearted in our health effort and we reap half-hearted results.
 
Much like when I didn't water my plants, we will stop and think, "Oh I should go work out," but instead of just going, we think, "Meh, I don't really feel like it right now, I'll do it later."  And of course, later never comes...
 
Or with our eating, we think, "Oh I'm full and I really don't need this dessert," but then we eat it anyway because, well, it's there and we think, "what just one dessert?"  But it usually doesn't stop at one dessert just one day, does it.
 
So, when we put in small efforts and get small results, we think the SYSTEM and blame our "slow metabolism.
 
...Or our CIRCUMSTANCES prevented it, blaming our "lack of time."
 
...Or even our GUILT gets in our way, thinking of our failures and not wanting to set ourselves up for defeat, yet again.
 
This is painful, hard stuff.
 

But, there IS HOPE. 

By learning the 7 Laws of the Harvest you will apply HOW you can plant seeds in FAITH that will make ALL the difference in your:
 
CHOICES
ACTIONS
VISION
EXPECTATIONS
RESILIENCY
PREPARATION
& CORE VALUES
 
Remember, THRIVING in our Health is SO WORTH IT.
 
  • Surviving Health = where you feel like you are punishing yourself when you eat vegetables or exercise.
  • Thriving Health = when you feel SO GOOD when you eat nutritiously and move often that choosing NOT to become not an option.
 
  • Surviving Health = every time you pass by the mirror, you experience that tinge of dismay. The results aren't coming fast enough or aren't going in the direction you want at all!
  • Thriving Health = when you forget to look in the mirror because you are off doing the things God created you to do.  And even when you do look in the mirror, you see with new eyes of love and compassion.  You see yourself the way God sees you.

 

  • Surviving Health = when you buy and rely on overly expensive programs, shakes, or meal plans to follow because you don't trust yourself to make decisions on your own.
  • Thriving Health = when you trust yourself and know your body.  You feed it when it's hungry and stop when it's full.  You know when to PUSH and when to REST.  You enjoy food but aren't constrained by it.
 

SO, this is "Big Girl" stuff for 2016.  Part of the #SURRENDher16 initiative!  This is digging deep and as my mentor Jill Coleman would say, "leveling up" in our life and in our health.

 
Stop SETTLING for a life that is barely SURVIVING.  It's time to THRIVE.
 

So, we are going to GROW SOME GREEN THUMBS and get to plowing!

 
And, don't worry, if you're like me and are NOT GREAT at planting, not to worry, the key to your success is not in YOUR ABILITY, but in God's ability THROUGH YOU.  All you have to do is commit and SHOW UP.
 
#PLANTINGINFAITH is a game-changer mindset for our health!
 
The 7-Laws of the Harvest will allow us to life our BEST LIFE.  And because we've already learned the imperative facts that:
 
1. it take 21-days to form a MEMORY in our brain & 
2.  63-days to form a HABIT.
 
We are not going to just slide right by some of these lessons.  We are going to dig deep and make sure we understand, learn and apply them to their fullest potential in our life!
 
See you free gift below to help you start this journey!   Here's to Happy Harvesting!
 

Join the Harvesting Series!

If you are interested in learning more about how to Harvest Your Health in 2016, then I'd love to welcome you to my email list!  I'll be giving away the BEST content to my inner tribe!     In fact, I have a FREE 7-Day devotional series I wrote for you on "Harvesting My Health" through the 7-Laws of the Harvest!  I think you'll really like it!

Just click the button below to grab your free copy and I'll look forward to connecting with you soon!

FREE 7-Day Devotional

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Uncategorized

You Say This Is What You Want, But…

You Say It's What You Want,

I just completed my Vision board for 2016. I have done them every year since 2013 and absolutely believe in the value that having a visual representation of the “God-sized” and specific dreams for your life and what it can do to your subconscious psyche.

You can check out my “business” vision board here….

Vision Board

(there are a lot of words in my “vision”…because I’m a “words” kind of girl!).

But you know what I see when I look at this board with my big bold and audacious dreams?

Sacrifice.

That’s right, when I look at this board, I see that for every big, bold, audacious dream I want to achieve in this year, which include dreams for my business, dreams for my health, dreams for my income and my servant heart, I am ONLY going to find success in these dreams by making the right CHOICES that will allow these to be fulfilled.

Contrary to what you might think that dreams are, and especially what a lot of people think GOD DOES FOR YOUR LIFE, is that it’s not about “wishing” for things to be better. God is not a genie where you rub his lamp and he appears to just grant you all the things you want and the “good feelings” you desire.

No. God is after your HEART and He is after your SPIRIT and He deserves it wholeheartedly. God wants you to be with Him forever in Heaven which REQUIRES that you make some sacrifices in your life here on earth. Love is a sacrifice.

You see for every list of things that I desire to achieve this year and in my lifetime, is an equally long (if not longer) list of things that I WON’T do.

So today, I am challenging myself and I am challenging you to get real with what it is you say you want out of life so you can discern not only those things that you WANT out of this year, but also those things that you will have to be willing to SACRIFICE. Consider it some “Unapologetically SURREND’hered” tough love that we all need in the New Year….

 

 

You say you want to be healthy…..

…..but are you willing to commit to some health changes, for say… ever? I know you might be thinking that you are totally sacrificing when you go on those 21, 30, or even 90-day cleanses and willpower challenges, but those are NOT actually sacrifices that will serve your health in the long run, nor are they what God requires of you.

Paul writes,

“..give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and HOLY sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” (Romans 12:1 NLT)

I didn’t notice him saying, “Give your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice for 30 days….” did you? So why would we think that our health is something we go “on” and “off” of too? We are not called to “diet” we are called to achieve HEALTH.

A much greater sacrifice, and the type of sacrifice that will get you what you want—TRUE HEALTH— is to make a lifestyle change with one bold step at a time, what I call in my new program, the her Health Lounge, the “Next Best Step Action Plan.”

The discipline required to go at the slow, steady pace of real fat loss is a sacrifice for our “immediate gratification” flesh.

The self-control required to monitor your impulse eating and assess your actual hunger means that you will sacrifice your cravings and emotional eating habits.

The patience and self-love it takes to actually give yourself some REST instead of just pushing HARDER and HARDER at the gym or by over-dieting is a sacrifice to our guilt-driven, overly worrisome, fleshy tendencies.

If you say that you want TRUE Health—LASTING health– then you will have to sacrifice your TIME, ENERGY, RESOURCES and MINDSET to figuring out and dealing with the LIES that you are believing right now that are preventing you from the TRUTH. The truth of how God sees you and what God desires for your health and for your life.

If you are unwilling to sacrifice and invest in those practices that help you get deeply rooted in WHY you deserve to be healthy and HOW you are going to do that in a way that serves you SPIRITUALLY as much as it serves you PHYSICALLY, then you are not yet ready to actually attain or maintain TRUE HEALTH.

You will not find True Health unless you are willing to go DEEP enough to uncover it. This is a sacrifice of our ego.

You say you want to be happy….

…but are you willing to sacrifice doing those things and exposing yourself to those environments that do not serve your joy?  You will only find true joy when you immerse yourself in joyful and love-giving environments on a regular basis.

Are you willing to sacrifice all the time you spend following people on Facebook and social media that gossip, slander, complain and criticize?  Are you willing to sacrifice the secret love you have of watching reality TV shows and “keeping up with” all those celebrities that will either make you envy them and their perceived looks or “success,” or make you feel superior and prideful because you love to hate them?

Are you willing to sacrifice watching the news or the political pundits that just over-analyze and tell you why the world is “going to hell in a hand-basket?”

Maybe the world isn’t the “Promised Land” that God designed it to be, but you are not contributing to that dream and promise of God by watching these obsessive shows who’s only platform is to just CRITICIZE everyone.

Are you willing to GO FIRST?

You say you want to be happy, but are you willing to take a stand and GO FIRST in showcasing the ways of true joy? Are you willing to tell people that it’s because of God’s love and the sacrifice of Jesus that you are even capable of feeling the fruits of the spirit like Love, Joy and Peace?

Are you willing to sacrifice your reputation and the fear of “what other people think about you” by being authentic, honest and forthright? To “be the change you wish to see in the world” first, without waiting for another courageous person to do it and you follow?

You say you want God’s blessing….

…but are you living a life that shows that you really BELIEVE in Him? It’s not enough to just have a head knowledge that God exists, but you must have a HEART knowledge that is only showcased in how you live your life.

As Rick Warren states, “Believing there is a God and believing that Jesus died on the cross is not enough to get into heaven. Because the devil believes in God, and the devil believes in Jesus, but it doesn’t mean that the devil is going to be in heaven.”

Did you catch that?!

He referenced, James 2:19 “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror!”

The word “believe” is actually translated as “pisteuo” in Greek. It means to “trust in, to cling to, to rely on, to adhere to and to commit to.”

Are you willing to do ALL OF THOSE things for God?

(For more on this, listen to Rick Warren’s great Daily Hope podcast HERE.)

Let me be clear, all this is not to say that you “earn” God’s blessing, as we know that we can never EARN God’s love. It is freely given. Your HEART must come to the understanding of the GOSPEL which can be boiled down to one simple phrase, “His grace is sufficient for me…” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

But, this is about how you having daring Faith that will move God to not only bless you more richly here on earth, but the ultimate and true gift of rich and wonderful blessings in Eternity.

Are you willing to sacrifice and SURREND’her ALL of your life to Him, even those things you do in secret?

Are you willing to give Him reign over your life and take up your cross DAILY (not just on Sundays), sacrificing the desires of your flesh?

Are you willing to die to yourself and your innate and selfish ways for the greater good and to be of service to others?

Are you willing to endure through some uncomfortable times and do the things you fear the most because you know that this is God’s dream for your life?

Are you willing to sacrifice your time to connect with Him daily and to study His word so you can have a deeper, more meaningful relationship?

Are you willing to give up the “RULE-FOLLOWING” of religion that makes you think you can just follow a “checklist” to Heaven in exchange for a real, authentic, and a completely unique relationship with God?

You say you want love…..

….but are you willing to sacrifice for it?

If you want to truly LOVE your life, then you must sacrifice for it.

Love is not just following “good emotions.” Real love is a SACRIFICE.

Mother’s who love their child sacrifice their sleep, their time, and their needs for their children. Husbands who love their wives sacrifice their fidelity, their selfish, lustful desires and are called to work, provide and submit to her. Wives who love their husbands sacrifice their nagging desires, their controlling tendencies and are called to provide, respect and submit to their husband. These are all a sacrifice to our innate, selfish tendencies.

And God, who so richly loves YOU, sacrificed “His one and only Son so that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). <——— THAT is real sacrifice. Do you BELIEVE THAT?

So when you dream up these God sized dreams for your life and you have high hopes of accomplishing everything you can in 2016 and beyond, remember that it is LOVE that moves mountains and ultimately LOVE is a sacrifice.

Having said all that….

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I invite you on this CHALLENGE with me in radically shifting your health to be able to achieve the things you say you want from your HEALTH and your LIFE and join me in the “her Health Lounge” coaching program. I am only offering this program 2 x per year, so if you don’t snag the chance NOW, you won’t have another opportunity until SEPTEMBER.

It is a 6-month journey, delivered in an online portal, that will require a sacrifice and investment of your time and your resources, but you will be blessed with a rich harvest of rewards for your body, mindset and spirit.

Your LIFE, not just your HEALTH will be transformed by this journey when you commit to it wholeheartedly!

her Health Lounge starts on Monday January 11 and goes through July 9. All 26-weeks are mapped out for you on the Sales Page.

But, if you enroll with me NOW through January 7 (at Midnight), you will get 3 MEGA BONUSES, that include:

  1. Access the the Lounge for a FULL YEAR instead of just 6 months.

  2. “her Worthy Time” spiral planner and daily devotional along with a video training on the best Time Management Practices for balance and productivity.
    herWorthyTime

  3. “Nutrient Based Food Prep for busy lives” printable guide and video training.

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ALL FOR FREE! 

Until Midnight Tonight!

motionmailapp.com

Also, if you desire to have a more hands on, 1:1 coaching experience, I am offering only 10 spots in my Platinum Membership that comes with weekly phone calls and custom nutrition and exercise plans. You can set up a FREE consultation call with me by reserving a spot with me HERE and we can discover if we’re a “right fit” for each other!

Join Today!

http://herhealthlounge.awrightfit.com/

 

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Uncategorized

{#FITFAITHFRIDAY} Meet Jill Jacobs!

One of the biggest blessings that God gifts us in this life is simply each other.  To know that there are others out there who, though they may be thousands miles away, with different lifestyles and in seasons of their life, still show that they *GET IT* and *GET YOU,"  even if they hardly know you.  

That's how I felt when I read the answers to my questions about all things Fitness and Faith from my new friend Jill Jacobs.  I found myself smiling, saying, "YES!!  She totally *GETS IT!*  I briefly met Jill at a retreat earlier this year.  She also works with my business coach and mentor, although she is a year or two ahead of me in the business realm!   She is a gem!  You definitely need to follow her on all social media platforms.  

I hope you feel the same joyful sentiments when you read what she has to say about her life experiences and how God has affected her Fitness and her Faith!!  

Me: Tell us a little bit about what you do--when you started and why you started:

Jill: After having my 2nd and last child in 2007, I made a decision to make my health and fitness a priority. Over the next couple of years, I went through a fairly long process of learning what works best for me and my body PLUS what I enjoy doing. 
 
As it turned out, I loved kettlebell training and got great results with that style of training. I loved it so much that I ended up getting certified to instruct and also got several other certifications in personal training and nutrition coaching.  Just a few months later, my business was born!
 
I was getting asked for help in the realm of fitness and nutrition by friends and family after they saw my transformation over the years. The natural progression was to start an online coaching service to help ladies everywhere! 
 

Me: How does your Faith impact your Fitness and your Fitness impact your Faith?

Jill: They certainly work hand in hand! So many aspects of faith and fitness mirror each other, and they integrate well together.  
 
I believe that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that I'm to treat it that way. I'm a daughter of the creator and am His masterpiece. It's my job to take care of God's creation including my body. I strive (read: struggle!) daily to see myself as He sees me and care for my body accordingly. 
 
Likewise, my fitness has impacted my faith by showing me that I actually do have self-discipline. By having the discipline to workout and eat right, I see that I also have it in myself to practice spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible study, giving, etc). When fitness became important to me, I suddenly found time to it happen. The same is true with spiritual things.  
 
I've certainly not perfected self-discipline. I mean, I'm tempted to sleep in instead of work out.  I love chocolate and could eat it daily! I have learned that I can dig deep or find workarounds for my biggest struggles (i.e. have a daily chocolate protein shake to ease my chocolate cravings 🙂 ).  The same is true with things like prayer and Bible study. I'm able to find manageable ways to fit those priorities into my day!
 
 

Me:  What is the #1 struggle that you see women facing today and how do you think Faith and/or Fitness can help them? 

 
Jill: The top struggles I hear from women revolve around a lack of motivation to exercise and not having enough time (i.e. staying busy with family, kids, and other responsibilities). 
 
Having a deep faith can help women re-prioritize their life and find a deeper reason to be motivated to take care of their bodies. For me, I want to be able to take on tasks that honor God. I never want physical limitations that are within my control to keep me from serving His purpose. This deeper reason motivates me to stay fit and healthy plus prioritize the actions that get me there above ALL the other things that could fill my day. 
 
 

Me: What is the greatest lesson you have learned recently that is tied to your Fitness or your Faith?

 
Jill:I was coached early on in my journey to keep faith and politics out of my business so as not to turn people off. About a year and a half ago, I made a conscious and potentially risky decision to throw that advice (the faith part at least) out the window and let the chips fall. I decided that I only wanted to work with people who accepted that I'm a woman of faith whether or not they shared my faith. 
 
The lesson I learned was that by being true to who I am, I have been able to connect to a whole new world of fitness professionals, followers, and clients who all love Jesus too! I now truly believe that faith BELONGS in my business. I can't compartmentalize it or separate my faith from any part of my life.  
 
 
 

ME: Do you have anything coming up that we can participate in? 

Jill: Yes. Thank you! I have several things going on at the moment. 🙂
 
First, I coach women individually on how to simplify the fat loss process. We all too often over-complicate it. I know I did for many years, but it's because I didn't know what to do or where to start. Thanks to the process I went through, I'm able to help ladies get results quicker than I was able to! If anyone wants information on my one on one coaching service, they would need to head over to this link: http://jilljacobs.me/one-on-one-coaching/

 
Secondly, I co-created a group coaching program called My Best Body Inner Circle. We have a fabulous group of ladies and are actually celebrating our one year mark this week! We have a super special deal through this Sunday, 12/20/15, to celebrate a year. Ladies can try out the coaching program for the first 4 weeks for just $1! We cover all things exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle! Your readers can find out more about our group coaching program here: http://mybestbodyinnercircle.com/invitation/

 

My co-coach and I would welcome anyone to give our program a try and know that it would add tremendous value to their life. We'd love to help as many women as possible get strong and confident in 2016!

 
I'd love to connect further with your readers on all my social media platforms! Find me here:
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jilljacobsme

 
Categories
Food & Nutrition Spiritual Health

Transform Your Nutrition In 2016 Without Making A Single Change

Transform Your Nutrition in 2016

Without Making A Single Change…

This week in the TRANFORMher Health 2016 training, I am tackling the #1 most requested topic when I polled dozens of women on what they would like to learn in order to TRANSFORMher Health in 2016.  Over 98% of the women I polled wanted to learn this topic:  “How to Be Your Own Nutritionist in 2016.” It’s quite clear, that for most of us, our nutrition is our #1 struggle and point of confusion for most of us!
SO I’m thrilled to have some answers and I really am giving you MY BEST STUFF in this training!   I’m thrilled that I have years of experience with the good, the bad and the ugly nutrition habits from my own personal arsenal as well as dozens and dozens of clients!  This is really going to be a great training with a lot of step-by-step guidance that I know works!  (Again, it’s not too late to grab your spot for this training.  The times available are Tuesday evening at 5pm PST or Wednesday midday at 10am PST)
But, even as excited as I am about the potential ANSWERS and CHANGES I have to offer so many of you for your nutritional health in 2016, I KNOW that these changes are NOT going to be the END ALL BE ALL for your eating struggles.  

Why?  Because FOOD IS NOT JUST ABOUT FOOD.   We know this. 

Food is a reward.  Food is a coping mechanism.  Food is a culture.  Food is a celebration.  Food is a tradition.  Food is a temptation.  And quite obviously, we can’t just “quit” Food.
But I come with good news! 
Just I introduced in my blog a couple weeks back when I was speaking about the subject of TRANSFORMATION, this subject of food can be something that we can be TRANSFORMED in our eating without making a SINGLE CHANGE to our eating habits.  
How is that possible, you might think?
Well, if you remember, transformation happens when we “renew our minds” and we align our thoughts with the TRUTH of the Spirit of God within us. (Romans 12:2)

I explained in that blog that I knew I had truly TRANSFORMED my BODY’s HEALTH when I stepped up to the same old mirror, with the same old body, and I looked at those same old flaws, steady at that same old weight that I could not seem to lose to same old extra pounds, but I all of a sudden SAW MY BODY WITH NEW EYES.  

  
THAT is how God transforms us from the inside out.   He renews our MINDS and transforms our EYES to see in the Light of His Truth.  His Truth is the only truth that “sets us free.”  (John 8:32)

What society accepts as “true” will never set us free because it changes all the time.  

For example, what was “true” for our eating practices just a decade ago has all be proven false now.  This why our eating has been so frustrating to us– because the trends are always changing and our bodies are always changing!   
The BEST thing that can ever happen to your eating is to be met with the same old food, at the same old restaurants, with the same old family gatherings, and the same old traditions and yet see the food you choose with NEW EYES. 
To no longer be shackled to the food as though it is this thing that “you deserve” or this thing that “stresses you out” or this thing that will “make you feel better.”   
No, you will see it as JUST FOOD.  And you will eat it and you will enjoy it but you will no longer be a slave to it and will no longer worship it because you worship GOD and God fills up your WHOLE heart.  

For this very reason, I did NOT start the TRANSFORMher Health 2016 series with this topic on Nutrition, even though I knew that’s what the women who signed up really wanted to learn the most.  

I HAD to start with strengthening our SPIRITUAL health first and then tackle our MINDSET of health second ALL so then we could actually implement some potential changes with our eating and our exercising!

Real change can ONLY happen from the inside-out.  
The “Big Picture” of Health looks like this:

KNOW—————>  BE ———————> DO

Until you KNOW who you are created by, you cannot BE who you were created to BE and DO the things you were created to DO.    

This stands for your health and ANY change or improvement you want to make in 2016. 

It has to flow in this order otherwise it won’t stick for long term success and it won’t make you feel “fulfilled.”  
So, I invite you to this training where I will teach you how to monitor your EATING and make simple Nutrition adjustments that will TRANSFORM your True Health in 2016!  You will get a lot of great information and potential small changes you can make!  You’ll even get this awesome Nutrient-Based step-by-step infographic that will guide you all year long!
But know this to be true:   Your #1 way to truly TRANSFORM your health and your eating in 2016 is to know your CREATOR and put God at the center of your life and the center of your eating.  He will give you NEW EYES to see food in new ways and His truth will truly set you free in your eating! 

 So my question to you is, if you could see your food with NEW EYES in the NEW YEAR, how would you want to see your food?  Comment Below!  I’d love to hear what you have to say!

Categories
Fit Faith Friday Health Coaching Spiritual Health Uncategorized

{Fit&Faithful Fridays} Maryalice Goldsmith


As I started A. Wright Fit and stepped into this “Fit & Faith-based” company, I was met with many challenges—one of which was I really didn’t know what I was doing. (Disclaimer: To a very large degree, I still don’t!). But one of the smartest things I invested in during this start-up process was a business and mentorship coach and group of women to help me along the way. This gem of a woman, Maryalice Goldsmith, because my online mentor. She is just one of my coaches, along with Jill Coleman who started the Best of You Coaching program for online coaching professional women!

can be a bit tricky, but Maryalice has such warmth and compassion, that it actually translated very profoundly through your writing and assistance. As I started to know her better and looked through some of the awesome programming she was offering in her own online space, I was in awe. Read on about what Maryalice has to say to some of the deep Faith and Fitness related questions I asked her. You can also read the entire article on my blog post here:

Maryalice Goldsmith

InsideoutWellness, GoGetters Online Mentorship

Me: Tell us a little bit about what you do and how you started your business?

Maryalice: I started my business back in 2008 as a “hobby”. I put my 3rd and final son on the bus and thought, “What the heck am I going to do now?” After being a stay-at-home for 14-years I knew I wanted to tap into more areas of my brain. I loved being a stay-at-home Mom, but I got to that point where I knew I wanted to challenge myself and do something outside of that.
I decided to get certified in personal training and I started my “hobby” in the basement of my home. Whilst I’m still currently operating from my basement, it’s better than nothing. Eventually, the business will get to a level where I can move to a different space. For now though, I’m stuck in the basement. When I get clients, I do feel a little bit unprofessional telling them that I’m in the basement of my home. When I told my friend this, she suggested that I could always visit yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk to look at getting an office address in London. That would make my business seem a lot more professional, so I might look into that at some point. It would also save me from giving my home address out.

In less than 18-months I had over 36 one on one sessions and 6-different varieties of bootcamps; boxing, TRX, sports conditioning and traditional style bootcamps.

I was in for about 50+ hours per week.

This was so not the goal. So I decided to check myself before I wrecked myself.

I made the decision to go online so that I can reach more people, get more time back in my life, and that work life balance we all desire. If it wasn’t for numerous guides to get me online such as this how to park a domain article, I would have had to fork out a lot of money trying to gain an online presence.

Running an online fitness empire is empowering, but it does have its technical challenges, especially where managing a website is concerned. For example, it is so important to use a reliable server such as Hostiserver to ensure that visitors to your website enjoy a smooth experience and are therefore more likely to engage with your brand.

It has been the best, most challenging, most incredible experience of my life.

Maryalice_against the wall

I hired a business coach back in 2013 and in 2014, she hired me to help her coach her clients. How cool is that?

2015 has been one of the best years in my business, I am so incredibly grateful.

My goal for 2016 is to continue to impact women in a positive way.

I run maryalicegoldsmith.com and I have two signature programs; Go Getters Online Mentorship and InsideOut Wellness.

I literally get to coach women everyday how to live happy, healthy, and successfully from the inside out.

It is truly a dream come true!

Me:How has your Faith impacted your Fitness and your Fitness impacted your Faith?

My faith means everything to me. It was a gift given to me by my parents – the very best gift they have ever bestowed upon me.

My faith impacts my fitness because I believe in order to honor God and the body He gave me I need to treat it with care, pride, and love – the way He would.

My fitness impacts my faith because when I respect my workout regiment I am the best version of Maryalice I can be. I am happier, more energized, and I shine my light (it’s a pretty bright light!!!). When I am not taking care of me, well that light is not so bright.

I don’t have that pep in my step… it all comes down to taking care of myself and giving myself what I need to be the very best version of me. Fitness helps me accomplish that.

Me: What is the biggest struggle you see women facing today? How do you think Faith and/or Fitness can help them in finding a solution?

Busy-ness! We are so busy with work, the kids, family & friends, and life in general.

I believe this busy-ness has distanced many women from their faith. In that, they are distant from their soul.

They have lost their connection with their spirit. They no longer know what they want, need, or desire out this life. They are on autopilot and as a result, they have become more and more numb to their goals.

Maryalice Goldsmith-0003

The power of faith is enormous. There is NOTHING in this world you cannot face without faith.

It grounds us in understanding what truly matters.

It motivates us to make decisions that honor who we are and believe that no matter what, if we are staying true to ourself, everything will work out.

Having faith allows us to understand that this moment is simply that, a moment in time. NO matter your struggle, your burden, and or your fear… this too shall pass.

With faith you are armored with a strength… it is the strongest muscle that supports your soul!

Me: Do you have anything coming up that we could join in?

I am super excited about my upcoming Go Getters Online Mentorship that will kick off on January 11th. I have put a great deal into this program and I’m super proud of it.

My Father, who passed on May 23rd of this year, was my greatest motivator. I could remember being as young as 8-years old and my Dad telling me, “Maryalice, you can be anything you set your mind to, ANYTHING. I don’t care if you want to be the first President of The United States – you can do it. You have to work hard, be the best you can be, and be a go getter!”

So, in honor of my Dad I want to help women be Go Getters Online. To go after their dreams and create the lifestyle they desire by building a thriving online business.

If you want to start your own business, then you can do it. Just don’t forget that it is a lot of hard work, and you need to be determined to succeed.

Make sure you know what you need to do, make a detailed list if you need to. For example, it’s important that you register your business as soon as you can (check out Your Company Formations Limited for more information on this), make sure you have a solid business plan etc.

Don’t panic though you’ve got this. And if you are worried then I’m here to help.

This is an 11-month hand holding mentorship, NO SHAME! You can access all the information here: http:www.maryalicegoldsmith.com/go_getters_online

The application process is open, and anyone who fills out an application will receive a link to hop on a call with me. I am only taking 20-serious online entrepreneurial women, so its important that we vibe.

I also believe in human to human contact and the online space often prevents that from happening, I am looking to change that.

To all you Go Getters reading this, I would love to connect!

You can also follow Maryalice on all things social media here:

www.maryalicegoldsmith.com
www.facebook.com/insideoutwellness08
www.twitter.com/MaryaliceHere
www.pinterest.com/insideoutwell
www.instagram.com/maryalice_goldsmith