Let Shit Go, Including People

We all have things, and even people, in our life who tend to have a negative impact in our lives. We allow them to become obstacles in our path to meeting our goals. And the hardest part is when it comes to the people who you truly care about, and it’s not that you don’t want them in your life, but they just aren’t serving the most positive purpose. This can cause a lot of emotional, mental, and spiritual stress which in turns puts stress on you physically. So, the question is, what does a person do? Do we just completely cut them out, or do we limit our encounter with them? Well, that will depend on you and the other person. I’ve had to completely cut people out of my life, even though it was a very hard decision.

This past week I had an opportunity to really reflect on certain relationships, old and new, and have decided there needs to be some changes made. The question I asked myself and meditated on is, why am I investing into relationships mentally, emotionally, and spiritually with people who don’t put the effort to invest into the relationship because maybe for them it’s not as important to them as it is to me? And it’s not that I expect something in return from the other person, I do things for people because I want to and because I do care about my friendships/relationships. But, what I realized through my meditation is that as I was making some people/relationships a priority who basically only reach out to me when they need me for something or when it’s convenient for them over the people who were actually wanting to invest in our relationship/friendship. And like I said, it’s not that these relationship/friendships aren’t important, and I will still continue to be there as much as I can for them when they need me and I will continue to reach out to them as well, but I’m not going to invest as much of my emotional and mental energy into relationships that are not having a positive impact in my being. Doing this only leads to disappointment, frustration, feelings of hurt, and then often leading to resentment.

So, I’ve decided moving forward, I still love these people and I’ll still be there for them when they need me because I truly do care about them; but I’m also going to be investing myself emotionally and mentally into relationships where there is a mutual respect, friendship, and with people who help me grow as a person. Anyone else, and it’s not being selfish or mean, but I’m no longer making them a priority over myself or others who put in the effort to reach out to me to just say hi or ask how I’m doing. Anything and anyone else, I’m just going to let that shit go and not worry about it. I’m not mad, hurt, or disappointed anymore because I’ve been able to work through that this last week with lots of mediation and journaling. I am just going to focus on those relationships with people who make me laugh, feel good, and have a positive impact on my life mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Why I've Been So Successful

There are many reasons I've been successful in my health and fitness journey, but I have to say the being disciplined has to be the number one reason. Discipline means I get into the gym even when I don't feel like it. Discipline means saying no to an extra serving of food. Discipline means I make time to plan and prep my meals for the week every week so I'm able to stay on track with my nutrition. Discipline means not letting others influence my decisions and to do what's best for me.

Being disciplined doesn't mean I can't eat my favorite foods. I just had my reward meal last night with some friends and enjoyed a tasty dinner at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. Being disciplined doesn't mean I do things perfectly, in fact I have moments I struggle with motivation and I have to get back on track. Being disciplined doesn't mean everything comes easy, in fact this journey is a roller coaster ride physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

But, for me personally, the self-discipline is what's helped me be so successful because without the discipline I would be more apt to give into all the temptations or give up with things got hard. So, just remember it's not a matter of doing things perfect, and it's not a matter of never being able to enjoy your favorite foods, but it's a matter of having the self-discipline to stay focused on your goals, make the best decisions for you to meet your goals, and also when you feel like you've gotten off track that instead of just giving up you reset and keep moving forward.

You Too Can Get These Results....

Real clients, real results.
(Pictured L-R) Brianna, myself,
Terri, Chinoise, and Charla
Photo credit: Michael Watkins - owner Fitness Together

I had an assessment this morning, and from my last assessment which was just right under a month ago (on July 12th) my total loss is 15.8 pounds and 7.25 inches! And three inches of that was around my waist! I've been on this journey over five years now, and it seems the past year my progress has slowed down drastically. Not because I ate unhealthy or I didn't show up for my workouts, in fact I probably was even stricter in my nutrition and making sure I was getting in there and doing the work.

So, what finally changed that allowed me to bust through this plateau? There were a few things that played a part in both my workouts and my nutrition. About three months ago I started incorporating boxing at The Engine Room, an actual boxing gym, and running into my workout regimen to add some additional cardio. Notice I said I added, I didn't substitute, meaning I didn't remove anything I was currently doing at Fitness Together but I actually added to what I already do. It's called dedication and determination! :) And within five weeks I dropped just a little over 11 pounds. But, then I did have a few weeks that I got stuck and were rough emotionally and I did gain some of that back. And then Michael, the owner at Fitness Together, reached out to some clients about a new 8-week nutrition coaching program he wanted some people to test out so thought what the heck. Some of us started this on July 12th and we've all gotten results. The meal plan is very similar to what I've been doing the past few years, so the small changes that I had to make weren't difficult for me to adapt to at all. But, those small changes have made a big difference! Like I said, since starting the 8-week nutrition coaching program I've lost an additional 15.8 pounds and 7.25 inches in just 28 days!!!!

Regardless if you've been on your fitness journey for a while now and needing that extra jump start like I did; or if you're just starting it I encourage you to contact Michael Watkins at Fitness Together. And ladies, he actually has a great opportunity for you that will start on August 22nd. It's an 8-week challenge called "Sexy Black Dress". And, referencing the inserted picture of actual FT clients of Michael's including myself, we believe in him and this challenge so much that we volunteered to model for his promotion in our own little black dresses. So, if you're interested in learning more about it, click on the "Sexy Black Dress" link to get the details of what's included from workouts, nutrition program, assessments, and even an online support group. I confirmed with Michael that the nutrition program that's included may not be the exact same thing I'm currently doing, but will be very similar. So, if you're ready to start getting results, or maybe you have a your own sexy black dress you want to get back into, contact Michael Watkins at Fitness Together Jenks/Riverside or Fitness Together Downtown and tell him you heard about him from Sherrie!

Anxiety and Worry: Not on God's Watch

The title of this blog post is credited to Pastor Scott Burmeister, my pastor at Christ The Redeemer Lutheran Church. Because being healthy isn't always about eating healthy and working out, but also being mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy I try to post on things that have helped me in my journey and that could possibly help someone else.

Now,  real quick just to be clear, my opinion of being spiritually healthy doesn't mean being religious, or even being a Christian or any other religion for that matter. It's about being at peace with yourself internally, which helps you stay mentally and emotionally healthy. I know not all my readers are Christians, and I know all my readers won't be able to relate to this specific post, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, I do encourage those readers to just look at their own spiritual journey and reflect on what causes their stress and anxiety, and how in your own journey ease that stress and anxiety so you too can ensure you are also mentally and emotionally healthy.

So, now on to what came out of my meditation from the sermon. Today's sermon was great and something I relate to often. The title alone said it all for me, "Anxiety and Worry: Not on God's Watch". I mean I had so many thoughts about this before the actual sermon, but once Pastor Scott spoke I ended up with many notes which I'm going to highlight what I got out of the sermon. It's like Pastor said, we do have many things to worry about, just turning on the news causes us to worry. So, the big question he asked us today was "What worries have you brought to God's house today?" Is it something financial, job related, a relationship, the future of our country, the safety of our communities? Whatever your worry is there's one simple answer, DON'T DO IT! But, as most things, that's easier said than done. We are human, we worry about things we have no control of and we worry about the outcome of certain situations. But, why do we worry like that, and what exactly are we worried about? That's the question I asked myself and I meditated on as Pastor continued his sermon, and referencing back to the Gospel reading for today, I came to my own conclusion.

The Gospel reading for today's sermon is Luke 12:22-34, but what really stood out for me were verses 30-32. 

"For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." - Luke 12:30-32

After really thinking about this, my own personal conclusion is it's our own selfish wants that cause us anxiety and stress. The anxiety and stress is that the outcome won't be what we WANT, but instead of having faith the outcome will be what God knows we NEED! So, as Pastor mentioned in his closing, "Don't Worry, Have Faith".

Sweet Potato Toast

As I'm going through the Yahoo! News updates I came across a headline about sweet potato toast. Well, that sparked my interest because, one I love sweet potatoes, and two they are a healthy carb that can be used in various ways. I just never thought about toasting it in the toaster! So, of course I had to click on this article and then do further research. It's like one article mentioned, there's really no "recipe", just tips on toasting the sweet potato and ideas on the various delicious ways you can top your sweet potato toast.

The tips I came across in various articles in regards to toasting the sweet potato were all very similar and it's very simple.

• Set toaster setting on highest level
• Slice sweet potatoes about 1/4 inch thick (I noticed they didn't peel the potato, but I'm sure this could be done if you choose)
• Place in toaster and repeat toast cycle until sweet potato is brown (most tips indicated it took at least two cycles)
• Top with your choice of toppings

But, if you're like me, I'm asking myself what would be good on sweet potato toast? I mean I can think of a couple ways to top it; but in looking at the various sites there are some creative and tasty ideas! Below are the two sites that I found the most interesting and sharing here. But, for more ideas just Google "sweet potato toast" and you will get even more sites to get some great ideas from!

This site, Little Bits of Food and Real Talk, have three ways to top your sweet potato.

This site, MBG mindbodygreen, has 10 ways to top your sweet potato

I can't wait to try some of these! I'll provide feedback once I've tried some and let you know my opinion. But, because I'm following a specific meal plan, I will need to wait until I'm able to work this into it; but trust me first chance I get I'm trying it and will let you all know! If you've ever made sweet potato toast, or if you decide to try one of these, leave some feedback on what you thought or any other tasty ideas you might have to top off these delicious healthy carbs!