Categories
Food & Nutrition Spiritual Health

Boundaries in Eating: Caring v Obsessing

Boundaries for SURREND'hered Eating 

BoundariesinEating (1)

 

We are just one month away from the official start of Autumn (Sept 22), but to me, Fall always starts when school starts right?!  

So if are like many of my close family and friends, who I saw plaster my Facebook feed and had some kiddos that started school this week or headed off to college, or if are just feeling some "fresh start" vibes from work, you might be feeling a bit more emotional lately, and it may be affecting your eating.    

Emotions surrounding our eating have come up a LOT so far in my 4-week RESET course as I have been coaching on my "Nutrient Based Eating" program this week.   I'm hearing a lot of words like "overwhelmed" and "guilty" about our eating or drinking habits, and I want to make sure that you too don't suffer too unnecessarily from the deeper stuff that our eating can conjure up.  

So, for our "fresh start" this Fall, and as we inevitably are all ready to get back into some healthy rituals, let me gift you TWO opportunities to connect at a deeper level with your eating

1.  First, in this blog, you'll find a "mini coaching" video (below) where I start ALL my clients as we dive into nutrition. It's a video training on "SURREND'hered Eating"  that I find IMPERATIVE to your ability to have a "big picture" idea of why our food is much more of a SPIRITUAL quest than a physical quest.  

Food is not ever just about food.  It's not just about WHAT you're eating, but WHY you're eating, that will help you find TRUE health.  This video training and the tools below will give you some greater spiritual strength training tips!

2. Second, I'd love to invite you to sign-Up for this FREE Webinar Training I'm doing on EMOTIONAL EATING next Wednesday, Aug 31 at 5pm PDT/ 8pm EST.  

Emotional Eating Webinar

 

In this training I will deliver you the PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, and SPIRITUAL aspects to your emotional eating and offer you some solutions to some of the unhealthy consequences to your emotional eating tendencies!  

It's a hot topic that will be a can't miss!  I hope you can join me!  You must be registered with this link to participate!  There will be a short window replay also available, but only to those who register.  

3 Main Parts To Understand

#1.  Our relationship with food is SPIRITUAL

If you really want to have food freedom, you will need to brave the Spiritual aspects of eating.  Being healthy will not just be about WHAT you eat, but WHY you eat.  

WHY you are eating directly impacts HOW you are eating as well, which also affects your nutrition and digestion.  

This is not a common approach among many in the health and fitness industry, but is the reason why I feel I'm called to do what I do. 

#2.  Your answer to your nutrition is not found in "RULES" but in your "RELATIONSHIP" with food and yourself.    

Often, the go-to response when we see that our eating habits are not aligned with what we desire is to start placing food "rules" on ourselves.  

We cut out sugar, we go Paleo, we follow some shake detox plan and search for the "rules" that will "fix" us.  

Rules by the very definition do not give us FREEDOM, but rather they enslave us.  This is why I don't give out meal plans to clients. 

What I help my clients get, through my programming, is clarity on what a healthy relationship with food can look for her.  It's an personal process. 

EXERCISE:  Think back to the meals you have eaten so far today or last night and assess the following:

-- Why did I eat when I ate?  
Was I hungry?  Was I bored?  Was it in front of me?  Was it the time that I always eat? 

--How would I characterize how I felt about the food as I ate and afterward?
Is it my coping mechanism?  Did I even pay attention to it at all? Did I eat with peace?  Did I eat with angst?  Did it make me feel guilty after?  

--Are My "Feelings" Around my Eating Valid and True?   Is it possible I have convinced myself that I need food to deal with my circumstances?  Or do I allow foods to make me feel guilty when they should not? 

#3.  What Does My Boundary Between "Caring" and "Obsessing" Look Like? 

"And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them."  Luke 12:29-30 NIV

They key to you being able to experience Spiritual FREEDOM in your nutrition is to find that BOUNDARY in your relationship with food that allows you to CARE about what you eat without WORRYING about what you eat.

EXERCISE: To give yourself an idea of what this might look like for you,  I want you to think about a GOOD FRIEND that you have-- someone you're close with.  

Think through your interaction, ease, and peace you have with this person.  Picture how you interact with him/her.

What are the things you do that show that you CARE about him or her?  Write them down.  

If you were to start to "worry" or "obsess" over this friend, what would THAT look like?  How would it affect your relationship?    

The key to your healthy relationship with FOOD is the same key to a healthy relationship with anyone.   You need to CARE but you can't take it TOO FAR.

Eating will ebb and flow in your life and you will mature and realize that some things you have been doing have been a little too controlling or obsessive.

If you realize right now that you are being a bit too obsessive or micromanaging with your eating, it might be time to practice scaling back and SEE if you can find a healthier balance.  

Categories
Goal Development Health Coaching Spiritual Health

Hello from the other side…

Hello From The Other Side...

What do we do on the other side of big, monsterous events in our lives?  Events of our highest highs and our lowest lows? Those times where we FINALLY achieve a hard earned goal, or those times where we are shocked with circumstances unforeseen, like we all were with last week's national tragedies. 

Hello from the other side....this is where I am.  

I shared last week that I passed my CSCS test, but I didn't share that the week I took it had some terrible circumstances that were actually far more important to me than my test. 

I'm talking about crazy things happening-- like the news of a murder suicide occurring next door the the home we own in San Diego (and are renting out) and other frustrating events like relationship flare ups and disagreements.  Unsure if a resolution was in site.   

Have you ever noticed how the closer you are to a great achievement, the more "life" (a.k.a the devil) seems to try to get in your way and test you?  

Somehow I made up my mind I was going to ignore the temptation to allow the devil use it as an excuse to delay plan of taking the test and more importantly, delay my purpose.  

I buckled down and wholly and completely depended on God to help me study and focus.  It was touch and go there for several days.  But He showed me time and time again that He was with me, even having more than one friend reach out to say I was on their mind, not knowing at all I was struggling.  

By His grace I took that test, I passed that test, and the rest of my life gracefully sorted itself out.  He does amazing things when we trust that He will and allow Him to take control.  This is the art of SURREND’her.  

Whew, crossed that bridge!  

EXCEPT, then there was last week.  We all saw the unspeakable tragedy unfolding….yet again.  It rocks us every time.    We cry out to God, we shake our heads in disbelief and shed some tears for those we know were taken too soon. We are angry and we seek justice

And now as a nation, we have found ourselves, once again, on the other side of tragedy.   

 

So, hello, from the other side... again.  

Whether you achieved a high of goal achievement or a lows of tragedy, you come out on the other side emotionally exhausted and... changed.    

If you have been here before, you might recognize the feelings of confusion in your soul.  For me, I feel like EVERYTHING in my life has shifted as I have crossed a great bridge.  And YET, in so many ways, NOTHING has changed either.    

I am caught wondering what you may be wondering, “Well, what do I do now?"  I'm tempted to just go back to how I operated before it all...

But, this week, I came across a scripture I’ve seen before, but it had new meaning to me.  I think it can help you too, if you allow it.   

 

Isaiah 40:31
 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

 

LET’S LOOK AT 3 THINGS THE VERSE TELLS US THAT WILL HELP YOU TO  FROM THE OTHER SIDE: 

  1.  IT TELLS US SPECIFIC ACTION TO TAKE: 

Does this confuse you?  Yes, I called this passage an ACTION PLAN and yet, this verse very clearly uses one word that I don’t think any human being likes to hear:  WAIT."

But it doesn’t stop there….  it says “Wait on the LORD” which is not inaction, but just the opposite.

Another term you could insert into this context is to SEEK the Lord.   Or perhaps another tough word, OBEY.  

So, this is NOT time you just spend twiddling your thumbs or waiting on the door to ring and it be the hand delivered news of what you are supposed to do.

No, this is time you spend in His word and in prayer so you have Guidance and *clarity* beyond what your emotions want you to do.

2.  IT TELLS US WHY GOD WANTS US TO WAIT ON HIM:

The purpose of us seeking God and waiting on His guidance is not because God wants to drive us crazy and is playing some kind of game with us.  
 
It’s because He sees how emotionally exhausted we are from whatever we just endured.   He is preparing us to win THE WAR and what you’ve just endured was but one battle.  
 
It's also a test to see if we really TRUST Him.  We’ve all seen that hasty moves that are made under distressed and emotionally exhausted mindsets rarely bring wise decisions.   

To our human mind, we think this emotion is supposed to fuel us into action.  And in some ways, it is true--emotion is our human fuel.  

But emotion that goes untested by God’s Word might make us more of the problem than the solution.  

Thinking that our depth of emotion somehow makes us able to play the role of God is not only foolish but idolatrous.  This is the trouble we are seeing in the world after the tragedy last week.  People are taking justice into their own hands—essentially trying to play god.  It will never end well.  

  1. THIS VERSE TELLS US THE OUTCOME OF THIS ACTION PLAN: 

When we seek God and delay action until His way is apparent, it not only relieves us from the burden of trying to fix it all ourselves, but it also provides us the sustenance  to ENJOY LIFE through it all too.   

"Mount up on wings like eagles” sounds like a life of delight to me.  A way to soar above the fray and rise above your circumstances.  

There are more goals to be won.  There are more battles the devil is going to wage in our mind and circumstance. 

I’m going to tell you something you may not want to hear, but it’s also the truth.  

This may take a while.  Your purpose; our nations peace; the process of mourning....all of it.  

But when we wait on God and seek Him diligently everyday, "we shall run and not grow weary, we shall walk and not faint.”   We must keep going.  

And the most beautiful part of what God does for us when we seek Him are His gifts of peace and joy and hope and love THROUGH the journey, not just when it’s over and fixed.  He gives us these gifts daily, no matter our circumstances.  

We all want these every day.  But are you seeking God to receive them, or are you seeking others, your government or even yourself to achieve them?  

Are you waiting on the Lord?  Or is the Lord waiting on you?

 

"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 Spiritual Health

Navigating Anxiety & Depression with Holly Mutlu

Pastor and Life Coach Holly Mutlu

Fit Faith Friday Holly Mutlu

#FitFaithFriday: [Video Interview] Holly Mutlu

Holly is going to be someone that you might wanna get used to seeing with me. I just adore her and this conversation/interview we did was very insightful and SO HELPFUL!

She is a Pastor and Counselor and specializes in helping women who battle with anxiety and depression. As someone that struggled with depression in high school and college, I think there is a significant need to address this issue with women, especially because these ailments may be the root causes of many of the health and physical ailments you are seeing. Medical Marijuana may be prescribed to you if you relate to this, but you need to make sure you visit https://www.marijuanaseo.com/marijuana-trade-associations/ to ensure that the dispensaries you use are legitimate.

If you secretly (or even unknowingly) battle with anxiety or depression or know someone who does, please watch this interview and maybe even consider working with Pastor Holly in her 1:1 coaching or in her upcoming 4-Week group coaching program called “Live It Up,” which starts on Monday, July 11! She talks more about this program and gives very valuable insight in our interview today!

If you’re on the run, you can also listen to the audio download on SoundCloud HERE. (P.S. I apologize my microphone wasn’t working very well so there is a volume difference between me and Holly).


The minute markers and quotes are below you if you don’t have time for a listen!

Don’t Have Time To Watch The Video?

Here are the Highlights 😉

Holly’s background as a Pastor, Wife, Mom and Entrepreneur: 2:10

“I’ve actually been in ministry for over 20 years, then the Associate Pastor of my church for the last 7 years and the last year I have really gone into life coaching.”

“I know women with anxiety and depression are hiding. Others are open to seeking treatments from places like the old 27 dispensary.”

“I have an amazing husband, we just celebrated our 18-year anniversary.”

“He was divorced and had two kids……. the boys were 7 and 9 when we started dating and they are now 28 and 26. And then we have two boys together and they are 15 and almost 13”.

“I feel like the wellness, it all goes together, but it’s all about life.”

Question: What was it about anxiety and depression that spurred you to pursue helping women in this niche?

“I had trouble with anxiety and depression without really realizing it.” If you feel like you are suffering with depression/anxiety, be sure to speak to someone who may be able to give you advice. Additionally, you could buy weed online canada (if this is something you are willing to try) to help relieve the symptoms.

When my husband finally helped me admit it, and seek help, doctors first tried to encourage me to talk to people, but at first that was extremely difficult as it brought up too many emotions. The only thing that kept me going back then was Lexapro which was luckily really easy to access from places like: https://www.blinkhealth.com/lexapro meaning I was able to build up the courage to talk to someone about what was going in my head finally.

“My husband actually had a daughter and she was stillborn. As a woman I’m faith, I’m thinking, in my mind, ok – this happened for a reason.”

On Holly experiencing anxiety attacks after the loss of her daughter and not knowing what her triggers were: 3:40

“The God I serve is of joy.”

“I didn’t feel like as a woman of faith I should be experiencing those things.”

“All of a sudden, everything that I had been pushing down emotionally had manifested itself physically.”

“It was all manifesting itself in the form of panic attacks.”

“After so long, grief isn’t grief, it’s depression.”

“As a woman of faith or a believer, if I admit that I’m struggling with this, then I don’t have faith.”

On staying quiet about struggling with depression or anxiety: 8:25

“If I stay quiet about it, then I don’t need to hear everybody’s ‘well, you should do this, or you should try that.'”

“It’s much easier to just sit and battle it alone or just say ‘God, here, take this from me, but the difficult part is we’re human.”

“Just because we’re believers does not mean that we’re not going to feel feelings.”

On seeing the ROOT causes of the physical manifestations that anxiety and depression can cause: 11:00

“For me, it was a matter of denying the emotions I was feeling and suppressing everything.”

“In the end, it was all fear-based for me.”

Holly’s turning point in her Faith: 14:28

“I remember at one point going ‘okay, I’m saved, I know Jesus is my personal savior, if he were to take me home today, if I truly am sick and I’m having a heart attack, then I’m going home. So what’s there to be afraid of?’ So at that moment, that’s what made sense to me.”

On the TOOLS that Holly uses with her clients to help them find their TEMPERAMENT and their TRIGGERS: 15:06

“One of the classes that I took was called Creation Therapy and it was all about the temperaments….it goes over three different areas. It goes over your socialization, control, and affection and there are five different temperaments in the areas that I studied. To be able to identify what those temperaments were was a huge awareness……and that’s something I do with my clients when I coach them, is I give them this assessment.”

On how she helps people reconcile with God her temperament and circumstances: 19:38

“It’s going back to just knowing that we serve an all-sovereign God. He is so good and no matter what my circumstances look like, my faith tells me that I know that all things are going to work together for my good and for his glory.”

On ONE LIE that Holly believes we all believe: 26:30

“One lie that I do think that we believe is that God won’t give you anything more than you can handle. And you know what, God gives us sooo much more than we can handle because it’s not ours to handle, it’s his.”

On some of the other tools she uses to help clients with anxiety and /or depression: 27:50

“Changing your mindset on this ‘I’m missing out on everything, why wasn’t this given to me, I deserve that’, to appreciating everything that I have and that each day is a gift and changing that mindset to a mindset of gratitude.”

On how she has learned God wraps His greatest gifts to us: 29:45

“The gifts that God gives us in our lives, they don’t always come in a pretty box. Sometimes the gifts, you have to tear away the layers of the not so pretty. And when you’re able to tear away all those layers, you’re able to see the beauty within that really, what you thought was a curse is a blessing and a gift.”

On KNOWING God in order to BE who He has created us to be: 32:00

“He created you with a purpose. He created you with a plan and when God designed you, he didn’t design you with failure in mind…..so to be able to identify, ‘who did God create me to be?'”

On comparing ourselves to others: 33:30

“Then you can go, ‘here are my strengths. God, I’m giving you my strengths and I’m going to rock these strengths that you’ve given me and I’m going to do my best in that. And then here’s my weaknesses’. And what happens is that when we buy these lies that are weaknesses, that we’re supposed to be stronger in these areas – nobody’s perfect. So everybody has strengths, everybody has weaknesses, for me to think that I need to be strong in every area is foolish.”

On her 4 week “Live It Up” program starting July 11 (Deadline on July 10) 35:50

“This program talks about knowing who you are. When you know who you are and whose you are, you can do the work you were called to do…. it’s about identifying and knowing you are, identifying the good and the bad and finding out what your passions are and then pursuing it. and going ‘okay God, here I am.'”

“It’s a new program, I’m super excited about it. It’s a group program of women all going through this time of self-discovery together and sharing their journeys, so it’s going to be super cool.”

Coming Soon!

The DIY Guide to

Nutrient Based Eating for Fat Loss!

In just a few short weeks, you can get your very own guide to WHAT the Nutrient Based Diet is, HOW you can start including this lifestyle approach to eating, HOW you can shop and prep the food no matter what your schedule, AND the 4 Simple Steps that you can adjust to it to make sure it BOOSTS your Metabolism and allows you to see FAT LOSS!

I have for over 2 years including this system into my own life as well as through my personalized coaching and membership site to the her Health Lounge, but I am now making this Nutrition component available for you to guide yourself!

To be the first on the list, feel free to sign up HERE and I’ll send you a FREE infographic on HOW to eat Nutrient Based!

NUTRIENT BASED

Categories
Spiritual Health

{Vlog} How Can You RISE Above And Help This Chaotic World?

What Can You Do to RISE Above the Chaos?

RISE[Vlog] Part 1:

Mark 12:29-31 NIV

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, is one Lord. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

In the midst of the tragedy in Orlando, the somewhat terrifying political arena, the ongoing cyber predators and bullying is worrying. This generation is facing a completely different, internet-obsessed upbringing to the previous one, which leaves them vulnerable to a different type of bullying, and even more worryingly, a large number of predators. Shockingly, 97 percent of teenagers have access to a smartphone and it is so important that these teens are aware of internet safety and how to protect themselves. As well as this scary part of today’s society, court injustices and the daily news of heartbreak are still raging on. Moreover, within my own lifetime, I can think of several court cases that ended in unfavorable outcomes.

Unfortunately, it is no secret that there are always going to be cases of injustice at the hands of judges and justices. However, it is important to remember that once a trial has taken place in court, it is possible to appeal the result. Put simply, if you take a civil or criminal case to court and receive an unfavorable outcome, you still have legal options for a review of your claims. Correspondingly, appellate law is the process of appealing a verdict unfavorable to you up the chain of courts for review. With this in mind, if you would like to learn more about appeal law then you can find plenty of helpful resources online. Ultimately, if you want to appeal a decision, hiring an experienced appellate attorney to handle your case should be one of your first steps.

Above all, there are no doubts about it, we are facing an epidemic time in our generation.  It has left me wondering…
 

Where is all the love?  

We weren’t designed for this behavior and treatment toward one another.  So what is going on here?  

Evil is going on.  That is certain.  But, what about apathy?  To me, that is just as bad. 

If you are like me and want to know, “What can I do in my space to help this world and leave it better for the generations after me?” then you and I have to get back to God’s Word.  

It is so easy to point fingers at everyone else and all of the godless behavior and think our police, President, world and business leaders are responsible to make our world safer, but the truth is that we each have our part.  We need leaders, yes, but that doesn’t let us ALL off the hook for our part that we play.

We must go back to what Jesus said in Mark 12:29-31 He basically answered our question on WHAT CAN WE DO IN THIS WORLD TO SURVIVE THE EVIL AND SIN?

1.  Love God with ALL you have. 
2.  Love your neighbor as yourself.

We can all see that this world is suffering in the area of #2.  We see it in both these godless, evil acts and we even see it from the so-called “religious” leaders who mistakenly use their faith as a platform to spew hatred.  

In order to more effectively advocate, promote and consistently  LIVE OUT #2, we must first learn to do #1.  Each of us must take responsibility. 

Even as Christians, many of us are GREAT at giving God “some” or “part” of ourselves, but we fail to give Him our ALL.  

So, in this series, I just want to dive into what this might be for you.  

Below is Part 1, where I simply ask you:  What is your ALL?   

This isn’t about comparing what you’re doing to what anyone else is doing, but learning exactly who you are and what you have to offer God first, and then the world after.  Because, this world needs you.  

Some Tips To Lean Into This Study More:

The two questions I ask you to assess about yourself in the above video is:

1.  How am I spending my TIME? 
2. How am I spending my ENERGY? 

Ideas:
#1.  To look at what you spend your time doing, I suggest you simply take a pad of paper and pen  (or in your phone notes) and jot down what you do all day long in time sections.  
For example:
6am-630am I wake up and have coffee
630-730 am I watch morning news and scroll through my phone and emails, eat breakfast.
730-830 I shower and head to the office. 
830-930 staff meeting
9-10am I scrolled on Facebook and answered 10 emails
etc. 

So often, we do a lot of “busy work” that we don’t realize is taking away from our productivity.  This is not intended for you to judge yourself, but should help you realize just how much time you spend doing certain activities that you may want to cut down so you can make room for those things that you know God designed you to do (spend time with Him, exercise, stretch, rest, read, laugh, counsel friends etc).

#2.  To assess your ENERGY, you want to think about what you’re thinking about.  
First thing in the AM, wake up and write down what you’re thinking.  Then set a timer to do the same 2-3x in the day.  Stop and just write down your actual thoughts.   

As you get more aware of the thoughts that are driving your feelings and your actions, you will better understand where you internal energy is.  
“What gets your mind, gets you.”  So simple awareness (again, without judgement) is the place to start! 

Coming Soon!

 The DIY Guide to

Nutrient Based Eating for Fat Loss! 

In just a few short weeks, you can get your very own guide to WHAT the Nutrient Based Diet is, HOW you can start including this lifestyle approach to eating, HOW you can shop and prep the food no matter what your schedule, AND the 4 Simple Steps that you can adjust to it to make sure it BOOSTS your Metabolism and allows you to see FAT LOSS!  

I have for over 2 years including this system into my own life as well as through my personalized coaching and membership site to the her Health Lounge, but I am now making this Nutrition component available for you to guide yourself!   

To be the first on the list, feel free to sign up HERE and I’ll send you a FREE infographic on HOW to eat Nutrient Based!

NUTRIENT BASED

Categories
Fit Faith Friday Spiritual Health

{FitFaithFriday} Battling Orthorexia with Silivia Martinez

Fit Faith Friday with Silvia Martinez

Fit & Faithful Caroline

#FitFaithFriday: [Video Interview] Overcoming Orthorexia & a Failed Marriage with God

What a true privilege it was to be able to do a video interview this week with my Fit & Faithful friend, Silvia Martinez!  

Silvia was brave enough to share her testimony with us for the FIRST TIME of her painful experience battling years of ORTHOREXIA which led her to a divorce and ultimately a wake-up call.  

It's a really important message for us all to hear, not only because I think it's becoming a common psychological disorder with the growing competitive fitness industry, but more importantly, her testimony shares just how strong and might God is!

He has turned her "mess into a message" as she says and is bravely making friends with food again!  Her story will inspire you as it did me!  

You can also catch the AUDIO download of this video on SoundCloud for on the go listening!  Here's the LINK TO THAT

Don't Have Time To Watch The Video?

Here are the Highlights 😉

Silvia's health credentials (2:17)

I am a certified personal trainer along with a fitness and nutrition specialization and also weight loss. I am almost done with hormone specialist certification.  That certification led from a disorder of orthorexia, which messed up my metabolism.

Struggling with her body image (3:20)

Growing up I did have a lot of self esteem issues. I'm Hispanic and our hips and behinds tend to be a bit bigger.

I think the struggle comes when we are trying to compare and trying be someone else. And we get away from God's purpose in our life.

This is how I was when I was growing up and I ended up bringing it into my marriage. I was trying to be self-ambitious in my body. I tried to do
bikini and figure competitions but I never got to do them because of fear.

I started falling apart. I distanced myself away from my parents, my close friends and even my husband.

Orthorexia explained (5:47)

Orthorexia is an extreme disorder on food safety. I got traumatized of all the chemical and things that food had. And of course the fitness industry
markets to that and tells you you have to eat this and that to get six-pack abs. Even in celebrations and out to eat, I would bring my own food. I was afraid to eat in public places because I was afraid I was going to get fat or there was something that was going to contaminate with my body.

And then I had an obsession exercise if I did eat something. Even if I was sick in bed I would still have to workout because I felt so guilty that I ate a bad meal, or what I thought in my mind was a bad meal.

It was a gift that I loved to study all that (food). That is where the enemy tries to steal from us the peace that we are to have from Jesus Christ. Our fixation needs to be on God and not on our body and making idols out of ourselves.

Her lowest point . . . (8:00)

My divorce was rock bottom for me. My husband didn't recognize the person I was anymore.

It was hard, but (now) I thank God for that experience because it has let God make the woman that HE has wanted me to become. It's now a testimony.

Turning it all around (9:00)

More than anything I have become friends with food. Food is not the enemy, it is US that makes it an enemy. It's ok now if I eat a cake, or eat Barbecue with greasiness. But more than anything, it's about being at PEACE in my heart. More than anything it's about SURRENDERING to God.

Silvia_M._Quote (2)

How fitness impacts her Faith....(14:20)

One of the things I do see in women is our identity issues. Sometimes we feel like we need to be "better" to look like "so and so" and we need to look a certain way to be acceptable.

But with Faith, you realize that our INNER health is more important. I call it becoming "Spiritually Fit" so we can portray the radiance and the light of a healthy body.

On how Faith impacts her Fitness (16:40)

As my identity is more rooted in Jesus Christ I see my fitness as just a beautiful GIFT. Many people don't have that ability to walk, run, to see the sun, and to breathe. It's amazing what our bodies can do and what God has given us. He gives us this ability and we need to use it with gratitude.

Growing more JOY in her health (17:50)

I use the acronym J.O.Y:

Jesus-Others-You
This is the order in which we can experience the most JOY in life. I make my fitness more as an act of service.Silvia_M._Family (2)

 

Women's #1 struggle (20:40)

It is the identity that we question. We are beautiful no matter what. We don't need to compare ourselves to others. Instead of pulling each other down we should be pushing each other up! If you're good at cooking, then hey, come and join me! I can give you the nutrition if you can show me how to cook!

We all have different gifts!

Lessons learned (24:30)

Learning to love people for who they are. They are who He created them to be. I myself can't change them. He's been teaching me it's not always my way. People are not always going to be perfect just like I'm not perfect. And just like Jesus accepts us and loves us, we also need to accept others and love others.

 

Find Silvia on Social Media:
Instagram: @silvialm83
Facebook. Silvia L. Martinez

Coming Soon!

 The DIY Guide to

Nutrient Based Eating for Fat Loss! 

In just a few short weeks, you can get your very own guide to WHAT the Nutrient Based Diet is, HOW you can start including this lifestyle approach to eating, HOW you can shop and prep the food no matter what your schedule, AND the 4 Simple Steps that you can adjust to it to make sure it BOOSTS your Metabolism and allows you to see FAT LOSS!  

I have for over 2 years including this system into my own life as well as through my personalized coaching and membership site to the her Health Lounge, but I am now making this Nutrition component available for you to guide yourself!   

To be the first on the list, feel free to sign up HERE and I'll send you a FREE infographic on HOW to eat Nutrient Based!

NUTRIENT BASED

Categories
Fit Faith Friday Food & Nutrition Spiritual Health

Rooting Out 3 Most Common Fear-Based Eating Habits

Free Yourself From These Top 3 Fear-Based Eating Tendencies

Fit & Faithful 3 Fear Teaching

#FitFaithFriday: [Video Teaching] How to Overcome Fear In Our Eating

This week I unpack God's word to help us overcome the top 3 fear-based eating tendencies most common among women today.  

Using 2 Timothy 1:7 I encourage you to dive into your SPIRITUAL nature to in habituating and choosing your foods rather than our human, fleshy, and fear-based nature.

2 Timothy 1:7 says:

It says, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

Recognizing how fear is impacting our eating is the first step toward changing it to being empowered by God and our Spiritual nature. 

Don't Have Time To Watch The Video?

Here are the Highlights 😉

1:35 Unpacking 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV and AMP
3:20 Talking Spiritual Nature vs Fleshy Nature

7:45 #1 Fear-Based Habit is:  Waiting for the "Right Time" to start your better eating habits. 

The #truth is that you have the "power, love, and self-discipline" to take the NEXT BEST STEP from where you are right now.  You don't have to do everything 'just right' and use that as a delay tactic, you don't have to fear the negative feelings from deprivation because you can still enjoy the foods you love, you can do what you can with where you are NOW. 

You can get the Next Best Step Action Plan FREE PDF right ---> Here 

13:38 #2 Fear-Based Habit is: Exercising "Controlling" Eating Habits (i.e. being 'on plan') with Fear instead of Love. 

This one is tricky because a lot of people will think they are being "self-controlled" with their eating plans and rules but the reality is that their plan is controlling them!  It's affecting their mood, their self-talk, and causes more feelings of guilt and condemnation when things go wrong.  

You can determine if you are in a Spiritual form of self-control by the "FRUITS" that this choice is showing.  Jesus said, "You know a tree by it's fruit" so if this IS the will of God, it will allow you to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, gentle etc.  

If it's NOT, then you know you are rooting yourself in FEAR BASED CONTROL and you might need to change up the "plan" approach.  One way is to use a GUIDE, like my Nutrient Based Eating guide that doesn't include the RULES and micromanaging. 

18:29 #3 Fear-Based Eating Habit is:  Social Pressures of Eating

Whether it's the "fear of missing out," a scarcity mentality, or just eating what everyone else is eating so you don't make them or you  "feel uncomfortable"  all of these fear based tendencies invoke the greatest temptation to eat more than we need or to eat or drink things that don't serve our health goals.  

You need more of your Spiritual "POWER, LOVE, and SELF-DISCIPLINE" to be the change you wish to see in the world and to be a shining example to those around you of what health can look like.

 It should be joyful, peaceful and confident choices for you to resist the temptation of what everyone else is eating.  

Coming Soon!

 The DIY Guide to

Nutrient Based Eating for Fat Loss! 

In just a few short weeks, you can get your very own guide to WHAT the Nutrient Based Diet is, HOW you can start including this lifestyle approach to eating, HOW you can shop and prep the food no matter what your schedule, AND the 4 Simple Steps that you can adjust to it to make sure it BOOSTS your Metabolism and allows you to see FAT LOSS!  

I have for over 2 years including this system into my own life as well as through my personalized coaching and membership site to the her Health Lounge, but I am now making this Nutrition component available for you to guide yourself!   

To be the first on the list, feel free to sign up HERE and I'll send you a FREE infographic on HOW to eat Nutrient Based!

NUTRIENT BASED

Categories
Fit Faith Friday Spiritual Health

{#FitFaithFriday} Fit For His Glory with Caroline Foster

My Interview with Caroline Foster

I just love how technology brings new people into our life!  It's such a unique opportunity to connect and spread the message and the MOVEMENT!   I 'met' Caroline on Instagram as we have featured her on our Fit.Faith.Movement account (which I hope you follow!) as she has consistently posted some really amazing and inspirational stuff!  

I hope you love what she has to say in her answer below!  This woman is on FIRE for God and I especially love her idea of "Thankful Thursday!"   

I hope you enjoy Caroline's answers as much as I did!  Follow her!  You'll be blessed!  

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

Caroline: My walk with the Lord is the cornerstone of my ENTIRE life. Every aspect of Fit for His Glory is centered on Proverbs 16:3, "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." Two years ago God really began to stir in my heart, convicting me about my motives behind working out and eating healthy.

It was during this time that the Lord used an online challenge group with my dear friend Michelle Myers to realign my focus in fitness on Christ. For the FIRST time in my life being fit was not just about being skinny, but about being healthy so I was equipped to serve God better! The confidence I received from this new perspective and the realization that other women share in these same struggles led to the development of Fit for His Glory.

My goal with Fit for His Glory is to serve women in health and fitness and help them live healthy/happy lives for the glory of God! In July 2014, I teamed up with Beachbody to offer fitness and nutritional solutions for women who, much like me, are looking for a way to reach their fitness goals while being true to other responsibilities. One day I hope to be a stay at home mom, while coaching and leading thousands of women just like her.

 

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

Caroline: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Though battling cravings and getting healthy can be hard, it is a chance to see Jesus Christ’s power working in us through our weaknesses.
That's my prayer! That through my health and fitness journey, people would see Jesus! One of my friends once said that if the church would get health and marriage right, people would be flooding our church buildings.  It's SO true! This is an area of opportunity sisters! A place where we can shine the light of Jesus and show the world how the Lord is using our struggles to make us more like Him!

MeWhat is the number one thing that you see women struggling with today?  How do you think Health/Fitness &/or Faith can help her in that struggle?

Caroline: Comparison and competition among women has many women trapped! We look at social media and think everyone has it all together. I love the quote by Theodore Roosevelt, "Comparison is the thief of joy!" If someone were trying to break into your home or car, wouldn't you try to prevent it from happening? The same is true when we fall into the comparison trap! The thief is out to steal our joy and focus, and that's why we need to put boundaries in place that keep our focus on God's goodness.

"Comparison is the thief of joy!" -Theodore Roosevelt

Jealousy comes from counting others' blessings instead of our own. Instead of falling into the comparison trap, we need to focus on how GOOD God has and will be in our lives! I found it helpful to make a "Thankful Thursday" list every week. This helps me realign my focus on the goodness of the Lord. He is the great provider, but when we focus on the negative we can EASILY loose focus of the good!

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

Caroline: First off let me just say that wanting to take care of us is definitely NOT bad! I personally love to work out, dress cute, wear makeup and curl my hair. It makes me feel good and I am sure my husband likes to see me looking my best. 😉 The problem is when it consumes our thoughts and becomes our main focus. 

"Our number one priority as women of God should be seeking God with a fully surrendered heart! Then and only then will we be able to love and serve others well." 

I love Psalm 31:30, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
It's not always easy, but it comes at a high reward! Our hearts and lives will be much richer and fulfilled when our focus and purpose are on being a light rather then just being pretty.

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?

Caroline: We have a lot happening in our lives in 2016 and we are SO SO thankful! I am currently pregnant with our first baby and due in November 2016. I am excited to take on this new challenge as a mom. My goal over the next few months is to really grow my business, in hopes to make it full time after baby Foster comes. If that doesn't happen, it's okay. I know that God is the great provider, but I am working hard to make that dream a reality.

ME: I am just starting a blog series on living with FRUITFUL Health and walking through how to live the 9 Fruits of the Spirit in our health.  We are starting off with LOVE of course!  Can you tell us how it is that you have found a way to LOVE taking care of your health?  How do you know it's REAL love?

Caroline: I find JOY in serving other women through health and fitness! It seriously makes my heart so so happy! I guess personally though, I find joy in living an active lifestyle and being outside. Working out and eating healthy give me so much energy and allow me to do things that I really really love! Being outside and living an active life allows me to feel so close to God. It's in those moments that gratitude fills my heart!

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

Caroline: “Be YOU Bootcamp” starting May 2nd! Together with my sweet friend@FreedomGraceNFitness, we will be leading a 30 day group where we will be committing to our exercise, nutrition and running the race God has called us to! Freedom in Christ means being free to be ourselves and living the life Christ has called us to, in body, mind and soul!

I love 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” Sister- if you are in Christ Jesus YOU ARE HIS! We will be digging deep into this in our group. It’s going to be good!
If you’re interested in joining us, you can email me at fitforhisglory@gmail.com.

 
Blog: fitforhisglory.co
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/fitforhisglory/
Instagram: instagram.com/fitforhisglory
 
You can follow Caroline on the above social media platforms to find out more about her!
 
 

COMING SOON!

 The DIY Guide to

Nutrient Based Eating for Fat Loss! 

In just a few short weeks, you can get your very own guide to WHAT the Nutrient Based Diet is, HOW you can start including this lifestyle approach to eating, HOW you can shop and prep the food no matter what your schedule, AND the 4 Simple Steps that you can adjust to it to make sure it BOOSTS your Metabolism and allows you to see FAT LOSS!  

I have for over 2 years including this system into my own life as well as through my personalized coaching and membership site to the her Health Lounge, but I am now making this Nutrition component available for you to guide yourself!   

To be the first on the list, feel free to sign up HERE and I'll send you a FREE infographic on HOW to eat Nutrient Based!

NUTRIENT BASED

Categories
Health Coaching Spiritual Health

Living Joy Out Loud with Ashley Banks

Living JOY Out Loud with Ashley Banks

JOY_750

Introduction to Ashley Banks: 

As I have been loving doing this year-long series on the living a more FRUITFUL health (refer to Galatians 5:22-23)  and anticipating getting to this fruit of JOY, the VERY FIRST person I thought of when I thought of the word joy was Ashley Banks.

Have you ever known one of those people that just exudes joy?  They just have this positive and happy energy around them and you just gravitate toward them?  Well, that is Ashley 100%.  I had the privilege of knowing Ashley while we both taught and trained at a gym in Denver, CO back in 2012-2014.

So imagine my utter shock when I found out just last year, from a bold post of brave honesty, that Ashley had been raped by her doorman while living in New York City in 2008.

This tragic occurrence was vastly incongruent with the  contagiously JOYFUL friend I have known all this time!  I think I was among most of us who thought that happy people got that way simply because they didn't have tragic circumstances.

Given this history, no one in their right mind would EXPECT Ashley to be as joyful as she is.  We would all give her a "PASS" if she had a hard time in life.  But, Ashley isn't like that.   She doesn't life a life for excuses.

She CHOOSES JOY every day.  Still living in Denver, she is now happily married, traveling the world and living the life of her dreams as a fitness instructor and health and mindset coach.

You are going to love all she has to say on how she "chases possibility" every day in health, mindset and life!

 

Don't Have Time To Watch The Video?

Here are the Highlights 😉

Happiness Is A Choice (Minute 5:00)
“I choose joy.  It was hard and it was something I trained myself to do.  The more I did it, the easier it got.  I feel like it was something I was as a child and then just chose to come back to it.”

Rising Up and Remaining Hopeful After Surviving Rape (Minute 7:30)

Ashley was raped by her doorman while living in New York City in 2008.

"I choose to look not at what happened to me but on what came from it.   I moved to Colorado six months after that happened and it was the best thing that ever happened to me.  So I see the possibility that came from that dark time….and I now chase the POSSIBILITY in life.

My hope wasn’t a conscious thing more just an inner knowing."

Handling Losing a Job (Minute 10:00)

"I learned during this rather embarrassing and humbling time  from getting fired to then how simple life could be.  I was making twenty dollars per class teaching yoga, all my bills were getting paid, and I was loving life.  I learned there will always be a way and that I will always come out better than when I started."

How To Make Working Out FUN! (Minute 13:00)

"I teach classes because I am all about getting people together.  I make sure there’s good music.  And most importantly I set my INTENTION, once again, to choose to make it a fun experience.  It’s the same amount of energy spent hating something or enjoying it, so I might as well choose to enjoy it!"

The Power of Choice (Minute 16:00)

(Mandi) "I almost look at choosing JOY as this competitive way that we can defeat the darkness in life.  I use it as a personal challenge to WIN in life; that I’m not going to let the darkness win."

Philosophy Regarding Worry (Minute 17:30)

"Worry and happiness are both emotions.  Emotion is really just ENERGY in MOTION.  So the only difference between WORRY or JOY is what you are focusing on.  Most of the time we are worrying simply because we are focusing on what we DON’T want to happen instead of what we DO want.  I simply change my focus."

Creating an Environment of Joy (Minute 21:00)

"I intentionally express joy by making t-shirts, wearing bracelets, and putting a pop-up reminder in my phone three times a day that says “Let it Go” and I usually start singing the Frozen song at that time too.  I create this awareness for JOY so I remember to choose it."

Questioning, But Also Living By Your Emotions (Minute 23:50)

"I believe its up to all of us to create our ANCHOR and our identity comes from that.  You mentioned the Bible and your Faith being your anchor.  I don’t really have a label for mine and I didn’t grow up religious so I kind of created my own anchor that has become my CERTAINTY."

The Ability To Laugh At Yourself (Minute 26:00)

"The other day I was teaching a class and yelling at this guy “Peter!” to work only to realize three-fourths of the way through that his name was Greg.  I do things like this all the time and send out emails to the wrong people etc.  I’m pretty clumsy and everyone just shakes their head.  But, it’s funny and I laugh about it."

To work more with Ashley Banks you can follow her on her Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ashley.hawkins.3388

To participate in one of her upcoming Life Balance 45-Day Challenges, visit the link http://growth-u.com/ and contact her on Facebook!

Coming Soon!

 The DIY Guide to

Nutrient Based Eating for Fat Loss! 

In just a few short weeks, you can get your very own guide to WHAT the Nutrient Based Diet is, HOW you can start including this lifestyle approach to eating, HOW you can shop and prep the food no matter what your schedule, AND the 4 Simple Steps that you can adjust to it to make sure it BOOSTS your Metabolism and allows you to see FAT LOSS!  

I have for over 2 years including this system into my own life as well as through my personalized coaching and membership site to the her Health Lounge, but I am now making this Nutrition component available for you to guide yourself!   

To be the first on the list, feel free to sign up HERE and I'll send you a FREE infographic on HOW to eat Nutrient Based!

NUTRIENT BASED

Categories
Fit Faith Friday Spiritual Health

{#FitFaithFriday} 5 Ways Faith Improves Fitness

5 Ways Your Faith Will Improve Your Fitness

Fit & Faithful Fridays!  

Catching up with all things A. Wright Fit!

I am honored to have been featured as a guest blogger on my fellow Fit & Faith-based Health Coach Jaclyn E. Turner's Blog!  Please check out what I had to say about recently learning that I'm a "wannabe" Type A person and how I've been able to FINALLY reframe my "rule following" life!  Check it out with this link...

http://jaclyneturner.com/guest-post-amanda-wright-of-a-wright-fit/

https://vimeo.com/161982596

Don't Have Time To Watch The Video?

Here are the Highlights 😉

#1.Improving Your Relationship with God Improves Your Relationship With Everything (including your body and food). 

"God is love. So when we build this relationship, it’s not about the rules of religion; it’s about a true heart relationship. You develop that by simply receiving God’s love. And as you receive Him, He is in you and you are in Him, then you are able to spread that love to all areas of your life. It gives you a healthy perspective of how to live your life in a relationship with yourself and a relationship with others."

"Jesus told his disciples the number one commandment is to 'Love the Lord your God with all of your mind, all of your heart , all of your spirit all of your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself' . . . Loving your neighbor as yourself—well you have to love yourself in order to love your neighbor, right? Learning to take care of your health is one of the best ways that you can actually love yourself enough so you can then equally love your neighbor, your family, your friends, those around you and people that have been placed around you that you can influence.

Scripture used: Matthew 22:37

#2. Faith Rewires and Renews Your Mindset.

"Our brains operate optimally with thoughts of love. . . So when you have enough faith to read God’s Word and believe that His Word is the Truth; not just a version of the truth, but the Truth (capital T!), that actually rewires your brain. It rewires how you think. It aligns your thoughts with God’s thoughts. Therefore it aligns your will with God’s Will. . . It impacts every fiber of your being. It impacts your health. It impacts your ability to maintain proper health."

Scripture used: Romans 12:2

#3. You have Some REAL Rewards to Look Forward To.

"So many people say that they just work out so they can eat what they want. That is a very health incentive and gets you in the gym. But I have something greater than that. Because not only do I get the rewards in this lifetime, but when I listen to God’s word, and when I take reverence in God’s Word, and what He called me to do, which is take care of this temple that he has given me, then I have greater rewards to look forward to; not only in this life but in Heaven afterwards."

Scripture used: 2 Corinthians 7:1

#4. God Prevents You From Taking Things Too Far.

"I’ve spoken to  a lot of women that have this fear that  once they get on this health kick that it will just consume them and they are afraid of being obsessed with it. From personal experience, I believe that I crossed that line of a healthy boundary of being healthy to now being obsessed. I have lived that. But my Faith, God Himself, is what allowed me to pull back and to learn fully what that experience was. That I don’t have to fear taking things too far because I know I have God and a personal relationship with Him, and He will always guide me back."

Scripture used: Hebrews 12:2

#5. God Gives You REAL Power.

"We have these amazing bodies that are very strong. Stronger than we know. Through fitness I have surprised myself time and time again. In both ways: being stronger than I thought I was and also being humbled completely by not being as strong as I think I am. It is a beautiful paradox . . . God’s power through me is greater than my willpower. It will give me the power to actually do this for a lifetime."

"Your health is not the destination, but the ROAD." - Amanda Wright

Coming Soon!

 The DIY Guide to

Nutrient Based Eating for Fat Loss! 

In just a few short weeks, you can get your very own guide to WHAT the Nutrient Based Diet is, HOW you can start including this lifestyle approach to eating, HOW you can shop and prep the food no matter what your schedule, AND the 4 Simple Steps that you can adjust to it to make sure it BOOSTS your Metabolism and allows you to see FAT LOSS!  

I have for over 2 years including this system into my own life as well as through my personalized coaching and membership site to the her Health Lounge, but I am now making this Nutrition component available for you to guide yourself!   

To be the first on the list, feel free to sign up HERE and I'll send you a FREE infographic on HOW to eat Nutrient Based!

NUTRIENT BASED

Categories
Health Coaching Spiritual Health

How to Fall In Love with the Process of Health

How Some of the Brightest Minds in the Health & Fitness Industry Fell in LOVE with the Process of Health

Health. It’s an important topic to discuss. You can’t roll the dice when it comes to your health – you need to be concious about the decisions you make. I am the fittest I’ve ever been but I still worry about my health. I know some things, like cancer, can happen to anyone which is why it’s important you have the best critical illness insurance policy you can find. So, even though I’m worried, this doesn’t stop me continue improving my health because I know there are certain conditions I can avoid or prevent as long as I can stay healthy.

“I’m not like you…” It’s a commonly heard expression anytime I encounter a family member, friend or client that is feeling overwhelmed or defeated by their own process of health.

There is this misconception that just because I am in the “business” of health, that somehow I just magically have this *DESIRE* to be healthy, eat right, and exercise regularly.

People will commonly express their frustration to me as though I were somehow “chosen” by God to LOVE this passion of health and fitness.

Well, they are partially right.

There was a CHOICE involved in the process that led me to indeed LOVE the act of taking care of my health so much so that I might also choose it as a career path as well. Just like how people can make the choice to try options to help them, be it Blessed CBD oil or other kinds on the market. But the choice was more of MINE than God’s. God isn’t the one that makes me visit my doctor or a health clinic to learn more about a potential health concern I may have, I’m the one that has to do that, along with ensuring that I am physically and mentally fit, eat healthy, etc.

God has actually bestowed in EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US THE POWER to love ourselves enough to take care of our bodies. This is not something that only I and a few thousand fellow fit-enthusiasts have, it is empowered to us ALL.

But it is each individual’s CHOICE to recognize that power to choose within them and to then PLANT SEEDS & GROW the HARVEST OF LOVE through a journey.

You CHOOSE LOVE just as you CHOOSE JOY. It’s not a special “talent” that just certain people have.

Now, what WILL be different for you is what your process will look like.

Because God did make each and every one of us with different abilities, tastes and personalities, you can’t follow ANOTHER PERSON’S PROCESS and expect to cultivate love for your own journey.

It just doesn’t work that way!

You need to look inside yourself and see what it is that makes you passionate about your health. Is it the healthy food you consume? Is it the gym routine you have? Is it the sports you play? Maybe you just haven’t found the right physical activity you can enjoy yet and need to look at the guides on Globo Surf to see if you’re into rock climbing or hiking or skiing – there are so many posibilities!

God will use YOUR BACKGROUND, YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, YOUR PERSONALITY, YOUR TALENTS, YOUR HEART and will help you mix it all into a journey of love all your own.

ANNNND, best of all (which will feel like a “WORST” of all, but I promise you it’s the BEST part) is that God will use the VERY THINGS that you find to be the MOST DIFFICULT and FRUSTRATING and use them for your own GOOD and SUCCESS! They will be the very things that will set you apart and help others around you too.

It’s 100% FACT!

It happened in my life and I’m here to show you today, that it happened in several of the BRIGHTEST MINDS in the Health and Fitness Industry too!

You’ll see the running theme from these real life testimony’s of women who now truly LOVE THE PROCESS OF HEALTH is this:

“I struggled with x, y, and z and THEN I finally came to epiphany ________ and that made all the difference.”

Remember, that when you fall in LOVE with the PROCESS of health, whatever that process might look like for YOU, the results become a forgone conclusion. (Paraphrased quote by Jen Sinkler).


How DID You Fall In Love with the Process of Health?

So, enjoy some quotes from some of my amazing friends and fellow health coaches and trainers that answered the question, “How did you fall in LOVE with the process of health?”

Jil_Coleman (1)
JILL COLEMAN
, Owner of JillFit Physiques

“I find that we are often attached to our negative emotions, like shame and guilt and remorse and self-digest, for example, when it comes to our eating and the way we see ourselves. We are attached to them because we worry what it would mean if we *didn’t* experience them. We wake up after a poor weekend of eating and the default is guilt and body shame because we feel like those things have utility, we think that they somehow keep us “in line” and without them then we’d really go off the rails.

I struggled with this for a decade. To *not* be dissatisfied with my physique felt like giving up, like I wasn’t trying hard enough. But over time, the misery and the never-ending feeling of not-good-enough got so old that I couldn’t afford to *not* find a solution. The solution for me was a combination of awareness, plus self-compassion (which in research has been shown to help up us stay MORE consistent, not less), plus a desire to commit to my growth instead of committing to my BS and time, patience and self-love. It wasn’t easy at first, it felt like giving up. But over time, I started to see that the alternative (waking up every day and hating my body) was no way to live. I realized that wanting to be happy with myself was literally one single choice away.”

adelejonesADELE JONES, Owner of The Fit Life

“I started loving the process when I stopped focusing on calories, calories consumed and calories burned. I started focusing instead on eating food that accomplished two goals: nourishment and enjoyment. And I started exercising to get STRONGER instead of smaller. I found joy in knowing that there was not an end result but instead, cultivating self-care and health into my daily habits.”

Rycroft_BOY_ImageMICHELLE RYCROFT, Owner of Ripped By Rycroft

“It must be so easy for you” is a phrase I hear a lot from family and friends. On the inside I always chuckle at this because while it is easy for me now, there was a time where the whole process of trying to improve my health was a daily battle. In the beginning I didn’t like the fact that I had to eat less food and workout. It meant giving up my favorite foods and my free time. There were too many rules for me. Week after week I would fight the process, until one day I realized I was literally fighting against my own body. I was angry with it. I was treating my body like the enemy when in reality, my body wasn’t the enemy at all. My thoughts about my body were the real enemy.

When I finally made this realization, the process of becoming a healthier version of me became so much easier. Our minds hear everything we speak or think. So instead of filling it with all the negativity, I started filling it with positive thoughts. This led to viewing food choices as fuel and workouts as a form of body love. My body started to crave the good things. It wanted the better food choices, food that would provide it with energy and workouts that made it feel good.

Honestly this was a process that took time. It definitely did not happen overnight and I fell down a lot, but every single fall was an opportunity for me to learn and improve. I fell in love with my body through the process. I found a new appreciation for the things it had accomplished in the past (like having 2 children) and for the things it could now do because I loved it, because I started to take care of it.”

beckywilliamsBECKY WILLIAMS, Owner of B. Kinetic Fitness

“I’ve always struggled with liking my body and truly appreciating what it could do. I based an inordinate amount of my self-worth on what my body looked like, which only made me miserable and did nothing to keep me motivated to take care of it. It wasn’t until I made a concerted effort to embrace my body as it was (even if it was not as lean as I wanted it to be) did I find that elusive motivation and drive to do smart exercise and eat the foods that made me feel my best. This process has taken years, but it has made my healthy lifestyle easier and a lot more enjoyable.”

kateheadshot9_1KATE WHETSEL, Owner of Real Life Fit by Kate

“I think what made me fall in love with the process of getting fitter was how empowering it was to be able to affect change not only on my body, but my mind.

Through small effort after small effort, over time I was able to do things I thought were not possible for me. I gain physical strength through working out, and I gained confidence in my ability to shape my own life through continued positive choices and action. 10+ years later, that is still what keeps me in love with the process–the empowerment.”

erinhenry1ERIN HENRY, Owner of Miss Fit

“I was a late bloomer. Growing up I was a scrawny, weak kid who could never throw or kick as hard or far as anyone else. I’m not exactly sure what clicked, but starting sometime around junior high I started getting faster and stronger….and that was fun. It was fun to win races, and it was fun to see how my body responded to hard work. All through high school, I was an avid athlete, training and competing in any spare moment. I loved how feeding and training made my body feel and perform.

I wish all of our clients and readers understood this feeling; the feeling of having and achieving a physical goal unrelated to weight or dress size or cellulite. Though the extent of my athletic competitions today consists of losing against a nine year-old in FIFA on the Xbox, I still lift and I still sprint. There is an emotional and spiritual power that comes from physical strength that I cannot describe. Yogi’s call it their practice and so do I. My practice creates discipline and focus in other areas of my life. Doing something hard, something painful, that I couldn’t do before builds my confidence and resilience.”

Metabolic Mandi Cut Out Cropped_750

AMANDA WRIGHT, (Yours Truly) Owner of A. Wright Fit

“I finally learned to love both the highs and the lows that happen in the process of health when I detached from comparing myself and my body to others and fully embraced just how loved I really am, exactly as I am. Subconsciously, I never felt “good enough” in my own body simply because I had a violent case of the “er’s” in life. There was always someone “skinniER,” “strongER,” “prettiER,” and everyone *seemed* to have an “easiER” time than me in losing weight and feeling confident.

It wasn’t until I finally stood up to those thoughts in my head and JUST DECIDED that I was no longer going to compare myself to other women. I began to simply push myself to become the BEST VERSION OF MYSELF and I slowly freed from the torturous acts of “health.” It’s what I now call turning my “ER’s” into her where I keep my eyes focused on this vision of FUTURE SELF and the woman I know God has called me to be. I keep this vision of her in my mind and have resolved that I want to be STRONG like her; I want to be WISE like her; I want to live more SURRENDERED like her. It radically shifted everything for me and has turned me from using health as a PUNISHMENT to health as a REWARD and joy. I am so so lucky that I have this perfectly imperfect body that I now LOVE.”


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