The Bigger Picture

I know for most of us there are days that eating right, working out, putting in the extra effort, it just isn't something we feel like doing. Who hasn't said "chuck it" for a day? Most of us have had that little splurge or missed a workout because of one reason or another. We need to make sure that we don't let little missteps sway us from our ultimate goal. Yes, working toward a better, healthier way of living is a bit of a balancing act. We have to juggle our body's weaknesses and the desire of our hearts. There are days when overcoming a weakness takes everything you have got. Other days you don't even blink, you just do it. It is important to remember that even if you slip off the balance beam, all you have to do is hop back up there and keep going!

The other big struggle happens when we don't see the results we want. We put in HUGE effort, stick to the eating plan with no deviation, and yet the dreaded scale doesn't budge. That can be a big motivation killer! First I want you to know you are not alone. Everyone has those weeks. Second it is important to be realistic. You are not likely to lose massive quantities of weight super-fast. It takes time for your body to adjust to fewer calories and it takes time for the work you are putting into reshaping your body to be visible. It isn't going to happen overnight. Does that mean it isn't worth it? Not at all! In fact, it has greater value than it happened quickly. The more work we put in, the more we appreciate the results and the longer they will be a priority for us to maintain. 

There are several things we can do to combat disappointment. 
 

1. Find a good support network! Pick a few friends/family members that value what you are trying to do. Share your goals with them. Be transparent about your struggles. They are there to help, encourage and keep you accountable. When we have other people that we don't want to let down, we tend to work harder. 

2. Don't rely solely on the scale to tell you if you are making progress. Take before photos, front side and back, in something that will allow you to see muscle changes, definition, and body shape changes. Take measurements the day you start. Or if you have already started take them today so you have a basis of comparison. You will usually see more change in inches lost and appearance in photos than you will on the scale!

3. If you are on social media, find and follow people/groups that encourage and inspire you to stick with it and see it through to completion. Lord knows, we all need cheerleaders and we all need to be inspired to keep going.

4. If you haven't taken a long hard look at your "why"... Sit down and spend some time thinking about what is REALLY driving you. Write it down. Post it on your mirror. Go back and read it every time you feel like quitting. Sometimes we are the biggest challenge we have to overcome in order to reach our goals!

If you need some friends or support people for your journey, we have a great group of people behind us and with us. Send me a message, email or join our community on Facebook! We would love to have you along for the ride and we would be thrilled to see you reach your goals! ^_^ https://www.facebook.com/NerdyGirlFitness

Remember: You have got this! You aren't alone! You ARE worth it!!!

Nothing Like It!

It is late at night. 

The sky is clear. 

The air is cold and crisp. 

The faint smell of the fires that warm our hearths and homes, only just embers now, slowly smoldering their last, hangs ever so lightly on a breeze. 

I sit on my bed in the dark quiet. 

Wrapped in the warmth of our Father's love.

The sound of my precious family sleeping peacefully fills my heart with joy.

I gaze out the window at the twinkling stars.

Far too many to count; brilliant in the inky blackness of the night sky.

The light of the moon shines off the delicate frost crystals that blanket the ground like so many diamonds.

Thin wisps of fog have woven themselves among the branches, freshly bare for winter.

The world, so filled with pain and strife, seems still and in this beautiful moment, at peace.

Right now, in this place, life is as glorious as it was designed to be.

It is here that I see so much of the beauty of creation. 

I feel the wonder of a child on Christmas morning.

I feel the peace of a baby held safely in it's mother's arms.

I could not be more content in the abundance of the blessings that God has given me.

I am deeply and truly thankful.

 

 

Bless and be blessed, y'all! <3

Defining Your Why

We spend a lot of time talking about "Why" and with good reason, it is the first step to our success.

As a child it is the most common inquiry we make. We want to know how things work, what causes things to happen, the reason for choices or actions. As humans we have a deep need to understand the world around us and our own purpose.

The same is true of any goal we set for ourselves. If we are to succeed at something, we must first know why we are doing it. Since this is my healthy living blog, we are going to run with weight loss as the example. There are different types of "why" answers. 

• There is the surface answer. It is usually a superficial reason. Something like "I want to be skinny." or "I want to look cute in this outfit.".
• There is the self image answer. This is usually the result of how world sees us, which in reality is only what we think they see based on what we believe about ourselves. This one sounds something like "My butt is too big." or "I want to look good in a swim suit.".
• Then there is the deep root desire. This is often emotionally driven and based on a strong need. Sometimes the need comes from a source of hurt, others it comes from necessity. For example, "I just want to feel good about myself and like what I see when I look in the mirror." or "If I don't do this the Doctor says I could die.".

When we set a goal for ourselves whether it be career, fitness, savings, a vacation, we ultimately need to dig in and really look for the deep root "why" if we are going to stick with the plan and see the result. 

If I say I'm gonna start eating different and set aside time to workout because I want to look better than so-and-so, I will be highly likely to cheat, skip workouts and eventually just quit. The same is true of the self image reasoning. Yes, I will probably stay committed longer, but in the end I will get discouraged or sidetracked and the goal will slip away.

If I fully understand what is driving my desire to make huge changes, sacrifices and commitments to getting something done I am much more likely to stick with in the hardest moments, make better choices and see the thing through to completion. Does that mean there won't be missteps? No. Does it mean I won't have to fight to stay motivated or force myself to do something when all I want is to not do it? Nope. What it means is that I will have the understanding of that deep need to keep me going. 

The second part of this is to find trustworthy people who you can share your goal and your "why" with. You want someone who cares about your success. Someone you know will encourage you. Someone who isn't afraid to be your accountability partner. It is extremely motivating to know that you have people cheering you on and it is much more difficult to let others down than it is to let ourselves down.

So, set your goal. Define your "why". Write it down and revisit it every time you feel your commitment wavering. Find a friend or a whole group of people that will encourage you along the way. Keep your focus on the prize and fight for it with all that you've got!

The end result is worth it! The feeling of accomplishment will encourage you to set another goal to achieve. Most importantly...

YOU.ARE.WORTH.IT.!!!
You've got this! I've got your back. :) Message me or contact me on my Facebook page if you want me to be one of your support people. ^_^

Above all... Bless and be blessed! <3

And So it Begins...

Day 1 and I have already learned a lot about myself. 

As much as I went into this excited about seeing the changes in my health, feeling better and being stronger I was a little surprised at my mindset about the meal plan.

Most of us have tried diets. Some of us have tried many. I tried Atkins, MediFast and about 5 others over the years in an attempt to lose the last of the weight I gained during my first pregnancy. I know what it is like to force myself to eat something that tastes nasty and isn't filling in any way, day after day and not see any difference. I know what it is like to try a supplement only to have it leave you feeling worse when what you wanted was to feel better. I am a steak and potatoes kind of girl, so looking at a veggie and fruit heavy diet made me nervous. I had actually prepared myself for feeling hungry, and having cravings.

Imagine my surprise when I actually had to break up my meals because I was getting too full! The foods allowed on the 21 Day Fix meal plan really do allow for not only filling but satisfying meals! This is definitely going to be an easier change that I anticipated and that is good news!

The second thing I learned was how many sly little bad habits slip into our routines without us even noticing. Sneaky little buggers, they are. Things like eating to pass time or when you are bored. How many times have I gone to the kitchen repeatedly only to stare into the fridge in search of something to snack on but not really wanting anything in particular. My kids had a container of chips that they left on the table. As I walked by, I reached over to pick it up and put it away and I caught myself thinking "I think I'll have a few..". Any other day and I probably would have without even thinking about it. Not today. Today was a new day and I made a commitment to change. It got me thinking though, how many times had I done just that? How many inches am I carrying around from habitual, mindless eating? It is crazy how form these bad habits without even noticing...

The next bad habit I'm going to shatter is one where my lazy little mind tells me I'm too tired to workout, I'll just do it tomorrow. 

Day 1 meal plan adhered to, workout done! Several small victories that will one day add up to a HUGE one! ^_^

Begin at the Beginning

Step 1: Realizing you have a problem.

Sometimes it hits you like a brick wall other times the notion seeps in slowly and subtly. For us it has been a bit of both. Steve's health concerns have cropped up one at a time and each time they have taken us by surprise. With our fitness level, it has been a slow deterioration over a very long time as the daily routine took us farther and farther from being healthy and active. 

Step 2: Deciding to do something about it.

We started out with Plexus. A dear friend and fitness wonder recommended it to us. It was absolutely great! We felt better than ever, lost weight in pounds and inches and most importantly cut Steve's cholesterol and triglyceride levels in HALF!!! It was a great way to get started. It got us drinking more water and MUCH less soda. We ate better because we wanted to keep the results we were seeing. So far we have maintained. Now it is time to step up our game.

Step 3: Accept the challenge.

We could have decided to take baby steps to get going on this, but not us. We are jumping in! We joined a challenge group for the support and accountability. We could have done this without making any financial investment, but we chose to put emphasis on the need to succeed by investing in our own transformation. It's like a little added drive to keep us on track. ;) 

Step 4: Follow through!

Our challenge begins in less than a week and we are busy, busy with preparations. In order to make this a complete change of lifestyle as opposed to just a temporary change we are going all out. We will be working with others, helping them and coaching them on their journey to a healthier life. We have started a group on Facebook that will be a sharing community for support and encouragement. We also started this new blog. All of which are forms of accountability. Not only that, but it will encourage us as we go along to see what we have accomplished and hear about the success of others! 

Step 5: Live the change.

We are fully committed to this thing. Both feet in. No backing out now. We are doing this to feel better, to be healthier, to be able to do more but most importantly for our three children who deserve our very best! That includes our health. 

Here's to new adventures, tougher challenges and greater rewards! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! <3

Bless and be blessed, y'all! ^_^

Am I the Only One?

This time of year just does something to me...

I get this giddy feeling like a child gets as their sleepy little eyes first begin begin to open and they realize that the magic and wonder of Christmas morning has finally arrived! For me, the entirety of Fall and Winter are just that! 
 

The fall air is fresh and crisp. 

Everything has been scrubbed clean by the rain.

The rich aroma of pine hangs softly in the air. 

The welcoming scent of the warmth to be found by many a firesides drifts slowly on a gentle breeze. 

Nature bursts forth in a glorious display of color as the leaves sing their final song just before the trees slumber...
 

There is a sense of mystery and intrigue that is evoked in me when I see heavy fog slowly oozing it's way across a field, enveloping everything in it's path. In an orchard it ignites a spark of curiosity that practically begs to be explored. I long to walk in the mist among the trees.

There is little that compares to curling up by the fire with a soft blanket, a warm cup of spiced tea and watching as the trees bend and sway in the dance of their wind churned branches. 

Then winter comes, softly and quietly.

Bringing with her the beauty of ice crystals glistening in the moonlight. 

The air carries a smell so light and fresh that it invigorates my soul with every breath. 

Homes become a place of warmth and the inviting aroma of holiday meals shared with those we love.


My heart longs for the day that the first snowflake will lazily drift down from the sky. Carrying with it the promise of the joy, the laughter of children and days spent at home sipping hot cocoa together.  

It is a time of nostalgia. Of memories to cherish and thoughts of those we love who are no longer with us. It is a time when we embrace the people in our lives and share the love of our Father in Heaven and the gift of our Savior.

For me, nothing compares. There is no time more peaceful and comforting. No sight more beautiful, no sound more joyous. This time of year my troubles melt, my soul is refreshed and the happiness of these simple, little things is overwhelming.

Take time to breathe in the peace, revel in the beauty and let the joy seep into your soul. 

Bless and be blessed, y'all! <3

Is it Religion or Faith?

This is a topic about which I hear a great deal of confusion. People tend to lump "religion" and "faith" into the same category. Yes, they go hand in hand, but I believe that is a far too general classification. Let me tell you my reasons why. I'll begin with the definitions (see Merriam-Webster):

Religion: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods.

Faith: strong belief or trust in someone or something; belief in the existence of god.

Faith is pure belief. Religion, while it may be based on a system of beliefs, centers around rules and practices.

Christianity is a faith, and there are what we call religious denominations, or groups, based upon that faith.

I heard a fantastic description that I believe sums it up nicely.  It is a case of "DO" vs "DONE". 

In many religions the focus in on what you have to do in order to "earn" God's forgiveness. Rituals, tasks, "good works" (doing "good" things), etc. 

In Christianity there is nothing you can do... It has already been done for you! 

I would like to elaborate a bit on the latter.

As a Christian our faith is placed in our creator. 

1. We believe that God exists. We know that He is loving, that He is Holy (good/pure/without sin) and that He is just (sees justice done). 

2. We know that we are inclined to sin, or do things wrong. We make selfish choices. Sometimes we simply choose to do bad things. We are broken and we have no ability to change this or fix it on our own. This "sin" has separated us from God. As He is holy, (good), He cannot be in the presence of sin, (bad).

3. We believe the Bible is truth and that it is the word of God. The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. Meaning, just as we earn a paycheck, we also earn spiritual death, or eternal separation from our loving Father in Heaven.

This sounds bleak, I know, but there is good news!!!! 

4. The Bible also tells us that because of His great love for us, even while we are off doing bad, He has given us a great gift!! He sent Jesus, His son, who is God come to Earth as a man, to take our place and pay the price for our sins. He died for us, so that we may be reunited with our loving Father!!!

5. We have been given the opportunity for forgiveness and healing. All He asks of us is that: We BELIEVE that Jesus is God, that He died for our sins, and that He was raised from the dead. We RECEIVE this FREE gift of salvation that He has given us through Jesus, meaning that we accept what He has done for us to set us free from our sin. We ask His forgiveness for what we have done and we ask that He become the leader of our life. As a result we become the adopted sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father!

To sum up "DONE", God loves us in spite of all of our wrong choices. He paid the ultimate price to have us, His children, with Him. All we have to do is believe and receive and we will become. 

Please know, I am not saying that we don't need religion. Once we have faith, faith and religion go hand in hand. Our faith leads us to live a life that follows the rules that God has given us and a desire to adhere to the covenant that we made with our savior. We were bought at a price and out of love and gratitude we strive to serve as best we can and follow the will of our Father. Religion provides a support system and accountability, both of which help us to keep walking rightly. Faith without works is dead, and just as in marriage the commitment to Christ is one that has rules and requires obedience and self sacrifice to fulfill them. We cannot just run amok doing as we please. We must honor the oath we made to follow Christ and all His ways.

*If you have questions or want to know more, please leave me a comment or if you are a friend on Facebook or Google, send me a message. <3

Bless and be blessed, y'all!

Questions..

As a Christian I get asked what my "opinion" is on a variety of issues that are currently considered "political". I see two problems with this…

1. More often than not this ends up being a form of baiting because the person asking usually responds as if they know what I believe and their prepared reply is an attempt to shame me or, frankly, prove they are superior to me.

2. The issues may be debated politically, but that does not make them "political issues", they are still *human* concerns.

I have been asked what my stance is on Phil Robertson's "gay bashing", I have been asked about whether this or that is a sin, I have been asked if I believe so and so is going to hell, how I feel about the president, so on and so forth. My response, which is more often than not twisted, taken out of context or completely ignored, is usually followed by being called a bigot, or a racist, or any manner of term meant to paint me as "hateful" or point out my low intellect. All of that I can deal with because they are the assumptions of someone who has made a generalized judgment of me based on their own ideas.

The response that bothers me is this: I get told that my faith makes me believe I am better than others. That statement could not be further from the truth…

My faith very clearly tells me: We are *all* capable and guilty of sin. We all make mistakes...

Believe me, I know. I have a list of sin a mile and half long. Some the world considers “big” and some “small”. Either way SIN IS SIN. I believe in transparency. You want to know who I was, what I have done, the mess that God has and continues to rescue me from?

At some point in my life I have done the following, which is likely not limited to, but including: I have stolen. (Whether it be a paper clip from work, a pen from the bank or something bigger, taking without permission is stealing.) I have lied. I have cheated. (Ask my mother, I used to hide the Old Maid because I didn’t want to get stuck with it again.) I had sex outside of marriage. I have done whatever someone asked in order to “earn their affection” over receiving God’s perfect and healing love. I tried to kill myself. I talked unkindly about people who weren’t there to speak for themselves, which is basically gossip, or bearing false witness. I wished horribly unkind things on those who hurt me. I took the Lord’s name in vain. (I’m still working on reigning in my habit of using colorful language. Work in progress, y’all.) I envied. I was not compassionate. I disobeyed the laws of the land, yes this one even includes little things like speeding. I disrespected my parents. I got drunk. I tried more times than I can count to do things in my own power, my own way, instead of trusting God. I became too good at building walls and cutting people off. I have hated and I was unforgiving.

More importantly my faith tells me this: That we are all equally loved by our Father in Heaven!

Think about that for a moment… Regardless of my “list”, regardless of your “list”, He LOVES us all!!

His heart is not for one of us to perish in our sin, but to be washed clean by the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. That His unending grace is enough to forgive all of our sins… all of our mistakes. AND that is exactly what He wants to do for us! Jesus chose to suffer and die so that we can be forgiven and spend eternity with our Father who loves us enough to let his perfect and blameless son die in our place! What one of us would send our child die to save someone who wronged us? Yet that is what our Father did for us!!! God’s love is so far beyond anything we have experienced in this world! His love and sacrifice would be meaningless without our freedom to choose it for ourselves, which does mean that His wrath is still on the table.

So when people want to keep Christians from sharing their faith, what they are doing is denying the opportunity for those who don’t yet know that love and forgiveness are theirs if only they ask. That is why as Christians, His sacrifice and His love are something that we cannot “shut up about”. ;)  

So yes, life style choices, actions, behaviors, habits, words, attitudes, treatment of others, beliefs or unbelief, etc. are sins against God, but they are equally forgivable! He loves us in spite of what we have done! Jesus is the answer to our brokenness. Romans 10:9 – “⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

So no matter what the response is going to be, I will keep answering the questions because I believe that everyone deserves the freedom to choose for themselves, and without the knowledge that there is a choice or the need to make one, what hope is there for healing?

His love is for you. Forgiveness and healing are yours all you have to do is ask. <3

Compassion

I read an article today about some comments allegedly made by Gene Simmons. https://tv.yahoo.com/news/gene-simmons-tells-depressed-people-f-k-kill-154600164.html 

Normally I could give a rat's rear what famous people say, but having known several people who have committed suicide and many more who have contemplated it, I think his words are thoughtless, cruel and quite simply wrong.

First, let me say that my heart breaks for the suffering endured in Nazi concentration camps. What those people endured is beyond comprehension. Their strength and resiliency are not only amazing but profoundly inspiring. Many of us know from experience that the pain and heartache we suffer in this life not only make us stronger, but they serve as a reminder that will encourage us in hardships to come. They alter our perspective, they help us see life outside of ourselves and help us to appreciate all the good along the way. I can only imagine how greatly their experiences changed their outlook on life.

That said, no one handles adversity and pain in the same fashion. What is a mere bump in the road for one person may truly be devastating to another. Things that are easy to overcome for you may seem insurmountable to me and vice verse. Who are we to belittle the suffering of another based on how we or others we know cope? Who are we to say they are weak, that their pain isn't just as real or just as big and who are we to say "Fuc# you, then kill yourself!"?!

His words demonstrate not only a complete lack of compassion and love for his fellow man, but an absence of genuine thought as to how those words could potentially impact someone. I agree with Nikki that as a public figure with a sizable fan base, many of whom could be fighting demons and considering suicide, his suggestion to just kill yourself could result in people actually doing just that. When people look up to others or see them as a role model or authority their words and actions tend to carry a significant amount of weight. People tend do what they see and believe what they are told. I would hope that Mr. Simmons does not truly intend for people to kill themselves because of his words, but I cannot speak to the intentions of his heart.

What I can say is... If you are hurting, if you are suffering, even if you feel that there is no hope and you or those you love would be better off if you were dead, please... PLEASE reach out for help! You are NOT alone, there is hope, people DO care enough to see you though this and your life IS valuable!!! Here is the suicide prevention # 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

You may not know me, and I may not know you, but that does not mean I don't care about your suffering and your life and I believe that is true of more people than you would expect.

To those who have never struggled with depression, with physical pain, with abuse, or with any kind of suffering so intense that you have considered suicide, please be mindful of your words. I hope that Mr. Simmons example will serve to open people's eyes and hearts to what others may be privately enduring and encourage us to think about what we say and how it may impact others. Consider how you would feel about it if the person you care most about in this life were fighting this battle. Have compassion on your fellow man and reach out to those in need. You never know who is in desperate need of even a smile...

Love and be loved, bless and be blessed, y'all!

Confessions of Nerd...

Today is our 16th wedding anniversary. My husband and I have been together for nigh on 20 years. We got married young, I was 18 and he was 21. Which for some reason gives people the idea that they can tell you what they are really thinking.. Wonderful things like:

A. You don't know what you are doing. 
B. You are too young. 
C. It won't last, you'll be divorced in 5-10 years. (And site statistics...)
D. You are going to grow apart.

Heck, they'll even ask you if you are pregnant and that's why you are getting married. They will even go so far as to tell you things like "No offense, I just don't want my son/daughter to get hurt" in your wedding card.

They'll insist that you are wasting your youth and that you will one day regret getting married "so young". They say you "need" to live on your own, party, sleep around, travel as a single, have a career... etc., etc.

They are wrong. Not everyone "needs" those things. Some people are ready to share their vacations and daily grind, their joy and heartache with someone else. In fact, some people actually look forward to the next great adventure with the person they love. It isn't less fun, less valuable or less enjoyable. Yes it is more work because you have to consider the needs and feelings of someone else, but you also have the comfort of knowing that the someone else is doing the same for you. Sure, some marriages don't last, and I have *no idea why with that kind of awesome support and encouragement! (*Sarcasm implied.) People will be people and when they *think they know better, they LOVE to make sure everyone knows.

No, marriage is not for everyone. There is a certain level of commitment and selflessness that is absolutely required to make a marriage work. I'm not implying that it is selfish to be single, rather that not everyone is ready to potentially change their life plans for sake of someone else. We don't give up our dreams, they change, they evolve with our relationship. The thing is, marriage is a risk. It is a gamble you take, that the person you are vowing to stand by, through all the great and horrible that life has to offer, will choose to continue to stand by you. We can never enter into such a commitment knowing 100% what the other person will do when faced with various situations. We look at our intended mate, we weigh our love for them, the love they show us, who we are and the possible outcomes and we decide whether or not we think the risk is worth the potential gain. The key is whether or not you are both willing to recommit daily and weather what ever storms life may throw at you. If you are both willing to work and not give up, you can reap the reward at the end of the rainbow. The rainbow that is only visible after the storm. Without the rain you won't find that rainbow and it's beauty and worth would not be as great if it came at not cost.

Our marriage has seen highs and really low lows. We have walked through just about every valley you can imagine, all those wonderful things people spoke over us... Yeah, we had to walk all that out. Thank you, by the way...

If it weren't for all the hard times, all the heartache and all the hard work, we would not know how to appreciate the good times, celebrate the victories and recognize the amazing blessing of unconditional love and the perfectly imperfect gift of each other.

Little Ol' Me...

Hey y'all! 

This is place where I will be sharing little things I pick up along the way. Mommy-tales, tips, hints and hacks that make life just a little bit easier. ;) I'll share my adventures in my quest for better health and all the grand places life takes me.

I would LOVE to hear your tips, adventures and tales as well! So feel free to share in the comments! ^_^

Blessings on your journeys, friends!

Kate-