Just Make a Decision Already!

As women we are known to change our minds a few times. We are known to say one thing while meaning another. We can feel one way in our hearts, but still do the opposite anyways because we tend to want to make others around us happy. 

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Galatians 1:10

My future mother in law (19 days and counting! LOL) always says to me, "Let your no be no and your yes be yes." As simple as this sounds, it can be so easy to say no and then do it or say yes and then not follow through. It leaves behind a personally feeling of yuckiness, knowing you can't even depend on your own self to do and say what you mean. 

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. When wickedness comes, contempt comes also, and with dishonor comes disgrace. The words of a man's mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice. ...

Proverbs 18: 1-24

Everyday we are faced with making hundreds of decisions. We make decisions about what we will wear, say, eat, who we will talk to, where we will go, how we handle a situation and so on and so forth. A lot of the decisions we make we hardly even think of. Going to the bathroom, blinking, breathing, sighing, habits and reactions. Yet decision making is a huge part of life.

People who can not make up their mind are annoying. (I can say that because there was a time I was one.) They never know what they want, they constantly teeter on the fence not willing to choose a direction and stick with it. 

I realized this about myself years ago in the midst of a really bad relationship. I realized a few things that contributed to the demise of this relationship and therefore my inner unhappiness: I realized I wasn't thankful for what I had, yet I was ungrateful for what I didn't have. I was looking everywhere but up. I couldn't make up mind for the life of me, because I was too worried about making my boyfriend happy - which was not an easy task. I was looking to a man a to make me happy instead of God. These revelations were life changing!

My heart knew that there was more to life. I knew I could be happy again. Truly happy. 

Here is the thing about decisions. Some decisions you make daily and then there are some you only make once and then as Pastor Stovall has said- you then maintain that decision for the rest of your life.

For example: The choice to become a Christian. It is not something I have to wake up every morning and decide. I already know I am. What my decision know is how will I go about studying, learning,growing and being a Christian. 

Once I get married I won't have to decide if I love this man or if I will forgive him his faults, I already will make that choice the day we get married. What I will have to choose is how I carry out that love for him the rest of my life. 

Whatever you are facing in life right this moment. Whatever you feel you need to change or fix I challenge you to make a decision: Make a decision to do what is right regardless of how hard it feels. Make a decision to focus on Jesus every time it gets hard. Make a decision to let your yes be yes and your no be no. Stand on what you know is true and aim to please God and not man. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3: 5-6

I have found being able to do what I say and say what I mean has increased my confidence in myself. By aiming to please God verses man I am not as hurt when someone does something offensive. I am able to re-focus on Jesus and accept the fact that we all fall short of the glory of God and truly forgive others. When my thinking starts going in a bad direction instead of evening acknowledging it or giving it any power I have made a decision to train myself to just start thinking of Jesus. I capture my thoughts and submit them onto the Lord.I change my direction of thinking, clear my head and make a decision I am able to firmly stand on. 

Being indecisive is no fun. It actually makes life harder. 

Dear Lord,

 

You amaze me everyday. I had no idea that these words were in me today, but as always when I let the Holy Spirit lead I am always pleasantly surprised. Thank you Jesus for always teaching us and guiding us to be the best us we can be. Thank you for your patience and kindness during the process.  

Thank you for a firm foundation that allows me to stand strong and gives me assurance. I pray Lord that we aim to please you and that we are bold enough to do what you have called us to do no matter what the world may say. We put our trust in you, 

In Jesus name, 

Amen. 

 

How to work out with Kids.

Are you a mom? Do you struggle to find time for yourself. let alone time to workout? The truth is as busy moms it is our DUTY to make time for ourselves and to workout. Usually for me, I have to kill two birds with one stone and use my workout time as my ME time. Which all that really means is it is a time I teach my children to either join me or finding something else to do, but this is one time I won't stop what I am doing - unless it is a complete emergency.

Working out with kids around is not easy. But it is so worth it. The truth is your kids are always watching you. Whether they see you working hard, being lazy, quitting or struggling to finish something. THEY ARE WATCHING!

And since they are watching us it is important that they see us make good choices. And a good choice to make on a daily basis is to take time out for yourself and your body.  All it takes is 30 minutes a day!

So maybe you are sitting here reading and thinking this sounds good, but seriously how do you work out with your kids??? They don't sit still, will get into things, how will I concentrate? I totally understand I have two rugrats of my own who distract me daily!! LOL 

 In the beginning it will be hard to train them to respect your time. But with consistency they will learn and it will just become a part of their routine. 

Working out with your kids can be fun! There are ways to make it enjoyable for them and easier for you! 

1. Invite God into this part of your life. Pray for the strength, endurance, self-discipline and control. Lean on Jesus to carry you through and use this time as a time to practice staying calm when things get crazy. Use this time to focus on Jesus and God and the amazing body you have! 

2. Take the time to teach your kids why exercise is important. This helps them understand why you need to take the time to exercise daily, and why it is important for them also. 

3. Get a jogging stroller!!! A jogging stroller can be a fit mommy's best friend! With a jogging stroller you can exercise anywhere! Take a walk on the beach/ jog on the beach, run/jog in your neighborhood, rollerblade, go hiking. And the best part of using a jogging stroller with your ever growing child in it is the stroller creates resistance and the weight of your child gradually increases which increases your endurance and strength! Also if you have more than one child encourage your older children to ride their bikes or scooters along with you! We have found some beautiful paved trails and parks here in Jacksonville, FL, do some research into the nature parks in the town around you. They provide great places for outdoor exercise, fun and activity for the whole family! 

4. Incorporate them in your workout! Give them a mat and some very light weights. Let them try  and play around. Don't get mad when they don't finish the workout with you, but praise them for trying and tell them how strong they are! 

5. Give them something fun to do while you work out. The other day I wanted to get in a 20 minute workout so I went out in the driveway. I quickly grabbed some sponges, a funnel, colander and few big plastic bowls and a bucket, filled them up with water and let the kids go to town. While they squealed with delight I sweated my brains out! You can also do things like set them up with play dough, a puzzle, or simply go outside! 

6. Be PATIENT!!! Be patient with yourself and your kids. They WILL distract you. There WILL be days you have to stop what you are doing to tend to a scraped knee or diffuse an argument. But these WILL be opportunities to show your children that you are not that easily distracted and after you take care of the problem you get back to work! This is the hardest part, but the most important! Unless its a true emergency, don't get caught up in the fact you had to stop, just focus on the fact that you need to finish! 

7

. Spend some quality time together before you go to workout. It is amazing what happens when you spend just 15 minutes of uninterrupted time with your kids. Just sit and talk with them, maybe read a book and ask questions. It is amazing what happens when I do this with my kids, they then don't feel the need to try to get my attention constantly while I am working out!

Here is the 20 Minute Workout I did while the kids were playing the other day: (And trust me during  workouts like this one a distraction or two from the kids is welcomed! LOL)  But seriously you do not have to work out forever if while you are working out you stay focused and move as best as you can. Using combination moves like the ones below also helps train multiple parts of your body while blasting major calories and boosting your metabolism. 

2 Minute Warmup

1 min for each exercise. Rest 20-30 seconds in between 

Equipment - light set of weights

1. Right Leg Backward Lunge with lateral shoulder raises 

2. Left Leg Backward Lunge with Y shoulder raises 

3. Squat and Press

4. High Knees

5. Side lunge with crescent moon raises

6.Burpees with a jump

7. Twisting Plank. 

Repeat 1 more time for a total of 2 rounds. 

Cool Down and Stretch 3- 5 minutes.

Enjoy! Have a blessed day!!

Stinkin' Thinkin'

Part of being a Fit Mommy for me includes being happy in all areas of my life. When one area of my life dominates over another area I find I become disgruntled and unhappy. I have a few passions in my life: Loving and serving the Lord, home -schooling and interacting with my children, and then I also love being active and staying fit. 

I keep finding that my two passions for fitness and homeschooling keep bumping heads. It is like there is just not enough time in a day for both. At this stage both of my kids are still young, my son is 6 1/2 and my daughter isn't even two yet. Teaching them is very hands on and interactive. 

Truthfully I LOVE teaching them, planning and coming up with ideas, crafts and field trips. I loose track of time and I feel like Homeschooling is a great opportunity to see the Holy Spirit in action.

But then there is this part of me that feels like Homeschooling my kids is just NOT enough. I need to be more and do more.  

So I share my passion and love for fitness in hopes to help others and maybe make a little bit of money. (Because no matter how hard I try I just feel better about myself if I am bringing in some money). But the harder I try to make a business out of it, the more I push it the more unhappy it makes me. It seems to bear no fruit and then I become frustrated, disgruntled and hard on myself. 

I miss my kids and feel like they are watching too much TV.

I find myself constantly torn. 

I will never stop working out it is part of my DNA,

But so are my children and they are only young once....

As the new school year approaches it has me thinking about our schedule and where I am going to need to make changes. If I already feel overwhelmed (I guess planning a wedding is also  taking up a lot of time :P) then I am going to have to let some things go. 

And what I have to let go of is my EGO!

So what if I never make any money as an online trainer?

What if the most important job I have to homeschool my kids? 

And I miss out on that because I am focused on money?

The Bible says you cannot serve two masters, you cannot serve Both God and Money.

There is nothing wrong with trying to make money and working. But I can not base my worth, status or value on the amount of money I make. My value, worth and status are found in the fact that I am a daughter of Christ. 

That alone is all I need and really is all that will satisfy me. 

Being fit and healthy is not just about working out and eating right. It is about the whole package: Mind, Body, Soul and Spirit. I don't want my kids to see me stressing about my body image or working out or how much money I make. I want them to see that exercise and healthy eating are a natural way of life, and if you miss a day of exercise it is ok. I want them see me trusting in God no matter how much money we have or don't have.  I don't want to get so sidetracked by the world's standards that I forget to live by God's standards!

Because when I live by the world's standards that is when  I become unhappy. And right now in my life while my kids are young the truth is I should focus on them and enjoy them because before I know it they will be grown and out of the house...I better enjoy that while I can and QUIT obsessing and thinking about things that don't really matter. 

Dear Heavenly Father ,

Today Lord I turn my thoughts over to you knowing your thoughts are higher than my thoughts and your ways are higher than my ways. I pray Lord that I am obedient to you with raising the children you have so blessed me with. I thank you Lord for the processing of healing and growing! I love you ! In Jesus name I pray, Amen, 

I think I can, I think I can...

"... by his wounds we are healed. "

Isaiah 53:5

   It feels like ever since we have decided to get married the enemy is out to get us. And as we can tell from the current Federal Court ruling the enemy especially wants to ruin marriages between a Christian man and women. 

Well I have news for the enemy: I don't care how much he tries to stop this wedding. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. 

I am soo excited to get to a point in my life where I will be living in the covenant of God. For the first time in YEARS I will NOT be living in sin!!! Hallelujah! 

But the enemy is screaming and freaking out trying to stop Nick and I any way he can. This is what has happened since we have decided to get married just two months ago:

My contract job ended sooner than expected.

My car was broke down for a month.

Nick and I have gotten into a few big fights that made us both think twice.

His aunt suggested we wait a year to get married. (the enemy will even work through those that love you to prevent a union from being blessed)

Nick's job has been inconsistent and money has been super tight. We are considering if he should stay at this company or not.

On top of it all - let's make a long story short - Nick had Knee surgery about 2 years ago, he got addicted pills and things got bad...he finally got off the pills by taking what a doctor suggested which was Suboxone, well the problem with Suboxone is it is addicting too and after taking that for a year he had to ween himself off of that too! Well praise God he finally did, but it has not been without its side effects of Nick feeling tired and sick and me having to try to be patient and understanding as he went through it. 

Then on top of that I got really sick this past weekend and was diagnosed with an ear infection and strep throat!

It has been a rough road to say the least. "But surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows." Isaiah 53:4 So I am standing firm on the word of the Lord. 

I don't care what anyone says or thinks - on August 15, 2015 Nick and I are getting married! And not because we have the best love story, but because we both really love God and have been through so much together and we want our union blessed by God. And you know that the only want to defeat the enemy is with the power of Jesus. 

"Love covers a multitude of sin." Proverbs 10:12

I share this post today because no one is perfectly healthy all the time and it can be so easy to become defeated when you are at your weakest. But just as God says, when we are weak He is strong. Right now as we walk out these next 30 days until our wedding I am aware that the enemy will attack us, but I will not stop planning. I will not cancel or postpone this wedding, because at the end of the day the only thing that really matters to me is that I am living right with God and doing what He has commanded me to do. 

Taking care of ourselves and being healthy is more than eating right and exercising. It is the love of God and love for God that keeps us healthy. When you love someone so much you will listen and obey them no matter how uncomfortable it may seem. God will command us to do things that push us out of our comfort zone, that force us to look within, and that will create an everlasting change inside of us. He asks us to love the unlovable, he asks us to turn the other cheek when we are scorned, he tells us to forgive others as many times as it takes, he commands us to treat our bodies as a temple, to pay attention to our thoughts and to shine our light for the world to see.

What God asks us to do as Christians is never easy. But it is always worth it.   

What is God asking you to do today that scares you?

Do it anyway

Have faith in God that no matter what it will all work out for the good of those that love Him

Matters of the Heart

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." 

Proverbs 4:23

I would say the heart is the most important organ we have. It pumps blood through our bodies which then spreads oxygen and nutrients to our muscles and other vital organs so they can function. By the rate of its pounding it can help us determine emotions like fear or excitement. Yet ultimately the heart it is what separates life from death.

Usually we take a verse like this one and get all metaphorical and symbolic with it. But for today I want to take this verse for face value and talk about guarding your actual heart, for it is the wellspring of your life. The rate your heart beats per minute can help you determine how healthy you are or are not. The lower your resting heart rate the better. Your heart is literally the spring that keeps you alive. So it is important to understand and take care of the heart.

Your heart rate or pulse is the number of times your heart beats per minute. The average heart rate is 60 - 100 beats per minute. Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heartbeats per minute while not exercising. Obviously the more we move around and get our bodies warmed up, the harder our heart has to work. So if you are not moving around a lot and have a high resting heart rate your heart is actually working harder than it has to.

To determine your resting heart rate record your pulse rate for one minute as soon as you wake up for three days in a row, taking the average of those three recordings. You can measure your heart rate by placing two fingers on either the inside of your wrist or the side of your neck. Or you can always use a heart rate monitor like a Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor (Purple/Pink).

If you feel like your resting heart rate is too high then there are ways to lower it. You can work on your resting heart rate by working on your recovery heart rate. A recovery heart rate is the measurement of how much the heart rate falls during the first minute after intense exercise. The quicker your heart rate recovers the better for you health.

To do this you must first determine your maximum heart rate. The formula is 220-age. This is the highest number you want to allow your heart rate to go up to during intense exercise.You will rarely  ever exercise at 100% of your Maximum Heart Rate, and having a heart rate monitor can help you monitor your heart rate while you exercise to make sure you stay within a healthy range.  

Find your Target Heart Rate using the chart below:

Age Target Heart Rate    Zone During Exercise (Heartbeats per minute)

• 20-29 years old: 120-160 beats/ minute
• 30-39 years old: 114-152 beats/ minute
• 40-49 years old: 108-144 beats/ minute
• 50-59 years old: 102-136 beats/ minute
• 60-69 years old: 96-128 beats/ minute
• 70-79 years old: 90-120 beats/ minute
• 80-89 years old: 84-112 beats/ minute
• 90-99 years old: 78-104 beats/ minute
• 100 years old or older: 72-96 beats/ minute

*Target heart rates are based on 60%-80% of estimated maximum heart rates (220 minus age).

So now we can figure out what your recovery heart rate is! Once you have completed your physical activity where you got your heart rate up to at least 50% of your maximum heart rate you will record two measurements.  1. Your heart rate as soon as you are done. 2. Your heart rate 2 minutes later. Now subtract your 2 minute measurement from your immediate measurement. The faster your heart rate recovers the healthier you are. 

If the difference between the two numbers is:

 

Or if the difference is:

• Less than 22:  Your biological age is slightly older than your calendar age.
• 22-52:  Your biological age is about the same as your calendar age.
• 53-58:  Your biological age is slightly younger than your calendar age.
• 59-65:  Your biological age is moderately younger than your calendar age.
• 66 or more:  Your biological age is a lot younger than your calendar age.

Here is an example: My resting heart rate: Day 1: 63   Day 2: 60  Day 3: 64 Average resting heart rate 62 beats per minute.

Maximum Heart Rate: 220-32 = 188. My maximum heart rate is 188 beats per minute.

My Target Heart Rate: is 114 - 152 beats per minute.

My Recovery Heart Rate: (after 1 minute of intense exercise) Immediately: (measured for 10 seconds) = 23 x 6 = 138
2 Minute measurement: (measured for 10 seconds) = 12 x 6 = 72

138-72 = 66 is the difference which according to both chats says I am very fit and my biological age is younger than my calendar age ;P

So the higher the difference between your first and second measurement the better. The quicker your heart is able to recover from intense exercise the healthier your heart is. There are different types of exercise methods that can help you improve your recovery heart rate. The key is to bring your  heart rate up into your target heart rate zone for a moment and then bring it down for a short time and do it again. Repeating for the entire workout.

You can work on your recovery rate by sprinting. Sprints are a great way to get to your target heart rate zone and then rest for 1 min seconds and sprint again. Then the next week you do sprints you shorten the rest time to 45 seconds. Then the third week you can lower it to 30 seconds. The starting and stopping is what will train your heart to recover faster and as you shorten the breaks it train your heart to recover faster. (always go at your own pace though! You should not feel sharp pains in your chest)

One of my favorite workouts is called a tabata workout: You work for 4 minutes at a time -  You exercise for 20 seconds, rest for 10  seconds and repeat for 8 rounds. It can be intense, but it is a great way to work that heart while also scorching calories!

Remember without the heart our spring will dry up. Take care of your heart, its the only one you got!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a blessed day!

Heather

Never Give Up

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

1 Corinthians 13:7

 In this verse God tells us that with love we should never give up, never lose faith, always be hopeful and endure EVERY circumstance. 

Wikipedia states that Endurance is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue.

I believe that by taking the time to work on your physical endurance with exercise it can produce the endurance you need in your life to help you endure the emotional/mental side of life. Up until recently (when my jogging stroller broke LOL) I was a runner. A few times a week I would run 3-5 miles. When the runs got hard, or tiring or it was a day I did not want to run there was this voice inside of my head encouraging me along. A voice saying: "If you can make it up this hill you can make it up the hills life throws at you. Finishing this run will give you the power to finish whatever comes your way. Being strong now will pay off because it creates the strength you will need for later." Thoughts like that. 

And it is true. Being physically strong and healthy has helped my mind to become strong and healthy. Life has thrown me some curve balls. Life has thrown us all some curve balls. We all end up in situations where we look up to God and ask, "Is this for real? Do you really want me here? This is what I must endure?"

And after reading the bible verse above and the definition of endurance it is clear that endurance is not necessarily a pleasant thing. Yet endurance is something we need to overcome as Christians in this world. One of the the fruits of the Holy Spirit is long suffering. Long suffering is having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people. 

How do you prepare for the situations you would rather not experience? How do you train your mind to stay calm when things get crazy? How do you teach yourself to respond instead of reacting? By taking the time to work out and learn how you think and react when things get hard. Working out is a great way to get you know yourself. It is one situation where you voluntarily put yourself under stress. Working out is hard. It is not supposed to be easy, but the benefits of pushing yourself both mentally and physically and teaching yourself how to overcome old thinking patterns while you workout will spill over into other areas of your life. 

God says endure all things. Not pray and try to change them, run away or live in denial. He says patiently endure all things. Which means there are some seasons where you need to stay where you are and weather the storm. Because it too will pass.It is in the fighting of what we must face that we lose the battle. 

Being patient is not easy. Enduring hardships is hard. But with God all things are possible.Take the time to grow in your endurance. Push yourself to do something that makes you a little uncomfortable so that you can see what comes up. WIthout judgement acknowledge your thinking patterns. Practice for life while becoming fit and healthy and using exercise as a way to gain the strength you need to face life. That is one of the things I love about yoga. You don't do yoga, you practice yoga. It is a constant practice because we are never perfect and there is always room to grow, learn and expand. Yoga is a great example of one way to practice mental and physical endurance while gaining physical strength and being able to restore and maintain health through physical exercise. 

Take 30 minutes today. Go for a walk, get out on your bike and go for a ride. Try a new workout or finally try Zumba for the first time. (Trust me it is as fun as it looks!) Don't hold yourself you back. Release your strength and increase your potential. If you would like more help for ideas on how to get started contact me at fitmommyforlife@gmail.com !

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a blessed day!

Fall Down 7 Get Up 8

I suffer from a common disease I think most females suffer from: Negative Body Image. Last week I had a friend over, she has three adorable, well behaved kids. They were over here playing in our kiddie pool when it started to thunder and rain. The kids excitedly got out of the pool and ran onto the covered porch for protection. As they were drying off and squealing I decided to take a few pics. (I love watching kids be kids!) When her oldest daughter who is about 9 noticed I had my camera out I noticed she went and got her cover up. Then a few minutes later she said something about being fat.

I can't remember exactly what she said now, but I remember being shocked that this nine year old girl was already aware and worried about her body image! 

She is a tiny thing, very active and has no fat on her. It made me so sad, she is so young, too young to be worried about such things. Yet the truth is I totally understand how she feels, her fears, worries and concerns. I totally understand the pressure the world puts on all of us females to be pretty and perfect. (whatever perfect is!) 

It is a disease of the mind.Once you start to let those types of thoughts seep into your brain it is very hard to stop. I don't know why it is so easy for one to criticize oneself, but it is and it is damaging. We need to reverse the cycle. We need to teach ourselves to build ourselves up instead of tearing ourselves down.

I have tried to do it on my own to only fail and fall harder into the trap. I have personally found that as a personal trainer I have put this pressure on myself to look perfect.To try my hardest to look like a figure competitor without actually being one. All that did was feed my vanity. 

At the same time there has been a battle going on in my relational life that also fed my vanity. Both were negative. I realized I had been placing my value in worth in what I physically had to offer. I was looking at my body and demanding perfection. I reached it...I lost as much weight as I could...and I still wasn't happy. I mean now what???

Another big change occurred...We moved....I was alone a lot more. I had been so focused on moving and packing and unpacking and organizing that I had stopped really working out. After three weeks of moving mayhem life started to settle down...yet honestly ... there was still an elephant in the room. One of those elephants that you are not responsible for, so until the person who is stands up and takes care of it there is really nothing you can do about it. 

So I ate...I didn't really realize how much I had been eating and not working out until I looked in the mirror and saw that I looked a lot different. In just a few months I had put back on 6 of the 10lbs I had lost. I felt gross and out of shape. 

I was in a really bad place for a few weeks. I was so confused as to why God had called me to move when nothing seemed to be what I had hoped and prayed for. It seemed like that elephant would never leave. I prayed and fasted and went to Lord for direction and guidance.

I want nothing more in this life then what He has planned for me. Even during my weakest, ugliest moment I just knew this wasn't God's plan for me. God wants me to prosper and be happy. Just like He wants that for you. He wants me to be physically healthy and eat healthy. I knew God had the answer and would teach me how to live and eat healthy. So through prayer God revealed to me the idea of writing a daily devo geared toward health and fitness. 

As I wrote Get God & Get Fit: Put God first in the area of you health and fitness! Let Him be your private personal trainer who helps you achieve your goals! (which took me more than 14 day lol!) something happened in me. I was transformed. As I handed my health and fitness over to God and let Him direct my steps, I took my worries, concerns and fears out of the equation.

I stopped looking in the mirror and seeing myself for the way the world told me to see myself and instead looked at myself through the eyes of God. I let him tell me what He thought and where I needed to make changes. 

For about a month now I have been working out in the morning 5 days a week. It is true if you don't get it done earlier in your day you more than likely won't get it done. Especially if you have kids! LOL I don't like to work out first thing in the morning, so I workout around 10 or 11 AM. So it is now a part of our routine and when the kids go outside and play I workout out on my front porch. It is a win - win!

Also I have stopped worrying about my diet. I know what is healthy and what is not. I try to choose the healthiest options within my budget but am not going to freak out about if it is organic or not anymore. I have seriously controled my snacking and have started drinking protein shakes again for breakfast. I have not lost all 6 pounds nor am I trying to. What my goal is : is to workout daily and eat healthy 80% of the time. I don't want to be ruled by the number on a scale or by comparing myself to an airbrushed photograph of a woman who has millions of dollars to spend on herself. I want to see myself for the way God sees me and love myself for who He created me to be.

God created me and I am here for His purpose. Not to look a certain way or to create my own self fulling prophesy. When I look at myself through His eyes I love the things about me that make me different. I love myself enough to want to workout and eat right.I have found the joy in working out again. I love my body for what it can do. I am grateful for my body and instead of wanting to change it into something it is not I just want to enhance it for what it already is!

I pray that Get God & Get Fit: Put God first in the area of you health and fitness! Let Him be your private personal trainer who helps you achieve your goals! can help others the way writing it has helped me. Allowing God to speak to me in this area of my life was powerful. I am more confident and actually have gotten a lot stronger over the past month! I have lost a few pounds, but I am now striving for balance and authenticity instead of perfection and a certain weight.