journey

GratiTuesday – My Medical Team

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💕 GratiTuesday 💕

Today (and really, every. single. day.) I am so incredibly grateful for my medical team – we have added some new members (and I will go into details about that another time) and I am just so grateful everyone is working in harmony to keep myself and the baby healthy!

As I’ll share further, Diabetes adds an interesting layer to pregnancy, and pregnancy adds an interesting layer to Diabetes management, so I am blessed to have such a rockstar team to guide me so I don’t have to stress about it (because we all know that isn’t gonna help matters!)

Help is always available, but it’s up to you to accept it 💕

Thursday Thoughts – Celebrate The Journey, Not Just The Destination!

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We are our own harshest critics, right?

There are a lot of miles tacked up on this paper, but I was so focused on the END RESULT that I was forgetting to celebrate the JOURNEY of getting there, forgetting to celebrate the fact that my legs have run 49.99 miles in 42 days!

For reference (and if I’m being honest, FUN!), I tallied up all my runs from 21August2017 through 17June2018, for a total of 15 runs and 32.3 miles total, in TEN MONTHS.

From the start of this challenge (18June2018) through 31July2018, I have 17 runs totaling 49.99 miles in SIX WEEKS.

That’s a HUGE difference and I needed the reminder that I’m CRUSHING IT, instead of being ‘woe is me, I’m so behind the pace I set for this.’

Eff no, I’m gonna celebrate faster times, longer runs, frequency, and the fact my legs are gettin’ toned. as. eff!

Don’t be so damn focused on the DESTINATION that you neglect to •appreciate and celebrate• the JOURNEY that gets you there! 😊

 

Work For It Wednesday – Progress!

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I have to work at it just like anyone else.
I had to progress like anyone else.
I had to show up and do what I could do, till I could do what I wanted to do, like anyone else.

And my fitness journey actually started with the guy who trained me today – Shaun T!

And it never fails, every time I do a workout with Shaun, I go back to the first workout of his I ever did – an ASSKICKING workout from his T-25 Beta (you are supposed to start with Alpha and graduate but, silly me put the wrong workout in) that left me sprawled on the floor for a solid 5 minutes after.

Don’t get me wrong, he still kicks my ass, but I have grown. I have progressed. I have improved. I have gotten stronger. I can do his workouts, and I can work for it just like anyone else!

It didn’t get any EASIER, I just got BETTER, because I trusted the process, believed in myself, and stayed accountable (thanks to my awesome group!)

Flashback Friday – Diabetes Diagnosis

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This past week marks 8. years.

8 years later and I still VIVIDLY remember the PARALYZING feeling of HELPLESSNESS. I still remember the INTENSE feeling of pure SHELLSHOCK when my primary care doctor told me “You do have Diabetes.”

I was a VERY surprising Diabetic diagnosis. I was discouraged. I was getting desperate and frustrated because nothing was really working!

One of the things that has helped me is Shakeology, which was presented to me with the magic words “low glycemic” – music to my ears at that juncture in my life (and still to this day, haha)

I was skeptical, but willing to TRY. 

Shakeology has been a powerful tool in getting and keeping my health on track. It has helped to lower my A1c, increased my energy levels, decreased my cravings, and overall, helped me feel better and much more confident in my capabilities to handle this diagnosis (Diabetes is seriously NO joke!)

It is not a QUICK FIX, not a CURE or a miracle shake, but a sustainable, VALUABLE tool on this up and down journey called Diabetes. It has given me a clean option to satisfy most of the cravings that do occur!

And most importantly, it’s a HUGE part of what got me from feeling HELPLESS to HOPEFUL and EMPOWERED! I still have my struggles, but I feel much more in control of my health, and that’s a good feeling!

Little known fact: I still carry this piece of paper in my wallet 8 years later so I can LOOK BACK at how far I have come, and feel CONFIDENT in where I am going. 

If you need help on your journey, I got you – we CAN do this, together! Let’s connect!

Success Tip Saturday – Mistakes and Mishaps

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The “bad”: mistakes and mishaps are bound to happen. No one manages to avoid them forever. It’s a necessary part of success.

But… the good: if you accept the inevitable, and accept that they will happen, you are a little better equipped to handle them, weaving them into your journey, instead of letting them unravel it.

Make it part of the journey, ride ’em out, and take a lesson from them!

Flex Friday – February Edition!

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Happy Friday! I love flexing every week and documenting some of the pics because it allows me to go back and see how far I have come when it doesn’t feel like I have budged an inch!

I don’t push myself super hard because I have to be cautious of not reinjuring myself, but I do lift, and I do work on building muscles and strength!

Do you like to lift?

Flex Friday – WHY I flex

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In one of my challenge groups today, we were asked to share WHY we flex, and I mean, of course part of it is wanting to show off my hard work (what, just being honest! You know that’s how I roll!), but truthfully, it does go deeper than that.

I am constantly reminded of a time in my life where I couldn’t even carry a small purse or a bag of groceries without spasms, pain, and an overwhelming sense of feeling weak.

This is actually what almost kept me from even beginning to work on myself, but luckily, it didn’t, and I began… and I kept going.

And I don’t feel pain. I don’t suffer spasms. And I DON’T feel weak, and thats powerful! I feel STRONG.

People think our flex pics are us being vain, but if you look deeper, you see there is a LOT more under the surface. Pride. Proof of hard work. Empowerment. The promises we made to ourselves. Emotional journeys. Self love. Self worth.

So much more. It’s more than a flex, that’s definitely the physical aspect of it, but the real power lies in the mental, spiritual and emotional aspects.

I flex because I once felt weak and helpless, now I feel strong and empowered. And that deserves to be celebrated!

WHY Wednesday

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I am often asked why I spend so much time building relationships, reading personal development, educating and empowering myself, and sharing my journey.

Because I am worthy of achieving my own dreams!

If I am not willing to do the work required to achieve them, then I lose the right to whine about life. I choose to pour myself into bettering my own life, the lives of others, and the world.

Self Love Saturday – You Don’t Have To Be Perfect

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Things have been a little crazy lately, and I have felt pulled in too many directions, sometimes eager to please everyone else, forgetting this is MY life, and that before I worry about anyone else, I have to take care of me!

I sometimes forget to enjoy it all – even the messes (which it all is, right now, haha). Trying to enjoy it all, after all, each chapter, good or bad, is a big part of my story!

If you find yourself feeling the pull to be perfect… stop. Embrace the imperfections and the mess. You are better for it, for them!